Bright Lights, Brick City! The month of October marks the 1st Anniversary of LEGOLAND Florida
and the family friendly Halloween festivities of Brick-or-Treat. Beautiful Fall weather this weekend contrasts with last year's rainy LEGOLAND Florida sneak preview weekend in 2011.
Miniland USA is transformed into a Halloween Brick-or-Treat spooktacular. Ghostly goblins and scary LEGO creatures of the night haunt the LEGO grounds of Miniland USA. My young ones gobbled up all the free trick or treat candies of the Brick-or-Treat Trail and I clicked pictures a many of illuminated LEGO cities in Miniland USA. When it comes to sugared freebies, corporate endorsements are a blessing.
Look who's big enough to ride with the family? My 19 month old baby daughter can finally join us in theme park rides. No more stroller duty for her! Look who's too cheap to buy the souvenir photo of this glorious event? My 18 megapixel Canon EOS Rebel T4i saved me at least twenty bucks!
Nothing says togetherness better than social connectivity under the old Banyan Tree in Cypress Gardens at LEGOLAND Florida. The Apple iPhone is the glue that bonds long time family friends of Getawaymoments.
At first glance, progress moving nowhere! Second glance, LEGOLAND Florida closes at 9pm on weekends in October. Miniland USA is illuminated like NYC's Time Square and the Las Vegas Strip but all in LEGO.
Even the Tampa Bay skyline makes a night debut! Old City Hall, Tampa Theater and even the "beer" can building glimmers in the fake Hillsborough river moonlight. Miniland USA at night is quite remarkable...
A year has gone by but Youtube makes video memories last forever. Just a quick montage of the rainy preview weekend at LEGOLAND Florida last year. Get a towel, you will definitely need it...
Take one part baby stroller and one part GoPro Hero 2 to LEGOLAND Florida. You have yourself the ultimate mobile infant dolly to glide the crowded streets of Miniland USA. When the cinematic greats of Getawaymoments and ChadSorianoPhotoBlog converge, you also have vehicular verite at its best!
Happy orange LEGO pumpkin Halloween from the Soriano family! May all your trick or treat bags be filled with less candy corn and more chocolate with a heavy emphasis on Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Who could say no to this adorable baby? I see chocolate and iPhone 6 in her future. You can see more cuteness in my LEGOLAND Florida First Anniversary and Brick-orTreat Gallery 2012 shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D.
Stay updated with the latest gear by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!.
The Apple iPhone 5 launch day was just three weeks shy of a calendar year since the release of the previous Apple iPhone 4S. Did almost a year make a world of difference? Consider the new Apple iPhone 5 more of an evolution than a revolution to the more advanced average consumer, nowadays.
My Apple iPhone preorder days are over. Ever since the two previous Apple iPhone launches, I learned a valuable lesson about supply and demand in the Apple world. Avoid the demand online and head to the supply with no wait at your local AT&T Store like this one at International Plaza in Tampa, Florida. No lines, no chaos and no headache!
Faster, lighter, slimmer and sharper describes the new Apple iPhone 5 smartphone. A faster A6 processor cranks out the new features of iOS 6. A new design with lighter materials gives a near weightless and slim form factor than the previous Apple iPhone 4S. The longer screen gives way to a sharper "Retina" display of 4 inches instead of 3.5. The crystal clear 1136x640 resolution screen is now a native 16x9 aspect ratio. Hooray for the video filmmakers! I can go on and on about the new features of the Apple iPhone 5 but I am really interested in the photography and video capabilities. Read on...
The 8 megapixel iSight camera with f/2.4 lens touts a wider field of view and better low light capability with improved noise reduction for both stills and HD video. The slightly wider angle glass lens helps the already amazing picture quality in daytime and nighttime.
Although this new Blogger interface does not give this Apple iPhone 5 Panoramic photo at ISO 3200 justice, the low light performance and noise reduction makes a world of difference. This ISO 3200 is comparable to my Canon Powershot ELPH 300 HS. This impressive caveat combined with the new iOS 6 Panorama feature gives a new meaning to "Smartphone". Minus the optical zoom of the Canon ELPH 300 HS, the Apple iPhone 5 is really a camera with a phone built in...
The improved iSight camera features spill over to the amazing 1080p Full HD video capture of the Apple iPhone 5. The wider angle f/2.4 glass lens, improved noise reduction in low light and better in camera image stabilization makes this iPhone 5 an impressive filmmaker's tool.
My Apple iPhone 5 verdict? The photo and video capabilities are a night and day difference with the previous iPhone 4S. The physical attributes of the iPhone 5 are simply beautiful. A great piece of Apple machinery!
Now for the bad stuff! The Apple Lightning connector is great on paper but horrible for the rest of the world with a plethora of previous dock connectors. It is just another Apple product to consume with our money. The Google iMap application is now replaced with a Apple designed Map app powered by Tom Tom. Why change something that is not broken? My quick solution to this problem is to download the free Google Chrome App. Bookmark the built in Google Map tab in the Chrome browser and your Google Map problems are solved. Hurry and download the Chrome App before Apple pulls the plug!
To view more photos and videos in full resolution shot with the Apple iPhone 5, you can see them all in my Apple iPhone 5 Experience and Video Test Gallery.
Stay updated with the latest camera gear by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!
The full frame sensor DSLR market has new competition with the introduction of the 20 megapixel Canon EOS 6D. According to Canon, the Canon EOS 6D is the smallest and lightest full frame DSLR with built in GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities. Consider the Canon 6D a full frame Canon 60D with no articulating screen but with most of the features of the bigger and more expensive Canon 5D Mark III. I have to say most features because there is no headphone jack to monitor audio for video as well as dual slots for flash memory. At a retail price of $2099, the Canon EOS 6D is expected around December 2012 to hit the streets.
The full frame Canon EOS 6D is priced and marketed in between the Canon 7D and the more expensive Canon 5D Mark III in the EOS lineup. Canon APS-C and EF-S lens photographers maybe less shy to upgrade to all the advantages of a full frame sensor. Take note, the Canon 6D with DIGIC 5+ has only an 11 AF point focus system compared to the 61 AF points of the 5D Mark III, along with a slower 4.5 fps shutter rate compared to 6 fps of the Mark III. You get what you pay for...
The Canon 6D's shortcomings are made up by the additional features of consumer add-ons like GPS tagging and Wi-Fi capabilities. Camera Pro's may frown upon gimmicky features, but the built Wi-Fi has caught my consumer eye. Canon has developed a mobile device App to work in conjunction with the Canon 6D for a host of Wi-Fi enabled remote capabilities. The Full HD video features carry over from the Canon 5D Mark III as well, except for the infamous headphone jack to monitor audio during video capture. Minus that useful function, the Canon 6D can record up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds of 1080p video in ALL-I and IPB compression rates like its big brother. I have to add full control over video exposure and audio levels, also. Not too shabby for a smaller and better featured Canon 5D Mark II...Did you notice the removal of the joystick controller on both body and new BG-E13 grip? You now have the Canon 60D multi-controller dial instead. Hmmm...at least you have the Live View/Movie record button to quickly go back and forth from stills to movie mode!
I almost forgot about the new Canon Powershot G15 announcement. Obviously, overshadowed by its bigger Canon G1X advanced point and shoot brother, the Canon Powershot G15 features a smaller sensor and a faster f/1.8 multi-zoom lens. The Canon G15 loses the articulating screen of the previous G12 and still does not feature full manual control over video like the ,yet to be released, mirrorless Canon EOS M. Not to exciting in my opinion...
My Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review will come shortly on this small and compact powerhouse. I am curious about the capacity of the buffer memory shooting RAW images compared to the 5d Mark III as well as the new 20 megapixel CMOS sensor's ISO capabilities. It is only 98 days until Christmas...
A few words spoken rewards the thankless without expectation. The diaper changes, the sibling rivalry and the constant attention to every wanton need wanes with a simple baby babble of "Hi, DaDa!". In this family, Labor Day celebrates achievement in milestones.
The hours of preparation by my beloved wife honors the memory of marinated Pinchos of Puerto Rico. Sliced pork seasoned and skewered like Filipino kabobs over flame pleasures the palate and numbs parental headaches of child upbringing. Sounds like good medicine to me!
Growing up is hard to do these days. Academic expectations are higher and more demanding from school and parents. Homework, tests, projects and more homework can seem overwhelming to little minds with big hearts. Madeline and Jude, keep up the good school work and it will all make sense when you are adults.
Parental patience burns faster than marshmallows roasted over an open flame without adult supervision. Add a little Hershey's chocolate sandwiched between two crispy graham crackers, you have yourself a potentially sweet s'mores meltdown. Can somebody please pass "some more" virtue?
Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer but not in this household. Family trips to the beach for sunset strolls and sandy swim sessions last until the cooler weather arrives for two more months. Two very very long months of more Florida heat and humidity...
Almost 18 months old and counting for my baby daughter Serena this Labor Day Weekend. Your spoken words are growing and adorable to parental ears. The bursting charm and cuteness are as big as your never ending appetite for cheeseburgers in paradise.
A flight distance of 1237 miles and just over 4 digits on the rental car odometer filled my family's Caribbean travel log to the Common Wealth of Puerto Rico this summer. The tropical lure of this enchanted island fancied the Conquistadors of Spain of year's past and ultimately the imperial forces of the United States. Strategic importance and global conflict gave way to sun, sand and lechonara on this family vacation.
Imagine a small Puerto Rican inland town dedicated to the art of roasted swine. The crowded streets are lined with crispy lechonara, quite literally! Guavate is ground zero for succulent pig charred over coal and gas flame until the layers of crackling skin just melt in your mouth. The 2.5 hour mountainous drive from Fajardo to Guavate satisfied our family motto, "Live to Eat".
Swim, eat, see some sights and swim again played like a broken record this trip. The kids grew flippers and gills. The parents increased waist size and lost patience with Puerto Rican driving habits.
In between the eating, swimming and defensive driving, I actually shot some video of the natural wonders of Puerto Rico. Finally, on our second consecutive 2.5 hour drive to Arecibo, we made the afternoon tour of the Rio Camuy Caverns. With tripod in hand, I managed to capture the dark caves at ISO 12800 despite the slippery terrain and pitch black conditions. I was using my Apple iPhone 4S video light to guide me through the dark abyss.
Over 100 steps up the Yokahu Tower in El Yunque Rain Forest, we could see endless amounts of green all the way to the coastline. I really mean endless fast food franchises and strip malls as far as the eye can see.
Beware foreign invaders of a precious smile and cute kankles behind the walls of Fort San Felipe del Morro. My almost 18 month baby daughter has the power of spoken mimicry and a demanding bottomless appetite to wear down the patience of any worthy opponent. She is an adorable weapon of mass destruction.
For hours of fun for restless kids, go fly a kite in endless rolling hills of San Juan. Tropical breezes give life to $2 plastic and string aircraft that soar to new heights. Take note, parking cost more than the kite itself but the moments are priceless.
I think only Facebook and Pinterest come before my wife's favorite juice sipped out of a fresh coconut. Of course, the fruity libation was photographed, posted and liked on Facebook via her Apple iPhone 4S in a Puerto Rican minute.
You can view more of the Puerto Rican experience in my Puerto Rico 2012 Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III paired with Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses.
Get up before sunrise, drink coffee, get kids ready for school and encounter emergency landing of small aircraft on Interstate 75 makes good morning conversation. The pilot of the Piper PA32 plane had engine trouble and made an emergency descent into morning rush hour traffic on the shoulder of the highway. He was definitely having a bad day.
The pilot and two passengers were not injured despite the plane hitting a power line and shearing off part of the wing on a road sign. Prayer, luck or pilot skill that prevented further tragedy? I would definitely need a change of drawers after that aviation close call...
Have camera will travel. My camera is an extension of my body. I had my Canon Rebel T4i/650D and my Apple iPhone 4S locked and loaded. In some shape or form, I always have a photographic device ready to document the world around me.
Advanced smartphones, like my Apple iPhone 4S, changed the television and print news industry. With just two clicks, anybody can shoot and share events instantaneously to the world. My kids have amazing technology ahead of them. In pale contrast, my childhood consisted of Speak & Spell and Atari 2600 with simulated wood veneer.
Kipling and Sperry Top-Sider make way of the departed. Summer days of staying up late and watching endless hours of television has come to an abrupt end for my kids. As for the adults, the extra strong cup of coffee eases the routine of school's first day morning chaos but not rush hour traffic with never ending road construction. Things never change...
A double digit birthday is graciously followed by the big 5th grade for my oldest daughter. More complicated curriculum complemented with difficult homework and challenging exams fill her designer backpack with wheels. Who said schoolwork has to be boring?
Gone are the days of preschool separation anxieties. They are formidably replaced with procrastination and inherent stubbornness of this Spelling Bee Champion. The 2nd grade is monumental in the Catholic world. You officially confess your sins with Reconciliation and receive First Holy Communion all in one school year. Original Sin and unleavened bread are on the menu this season.
A new Principal roams the hallways of St. Stephen Catholic School. Her name is Sister Carina Okeke and she comes from a seven year tenure as Principal from the New Jersey Catholic school system. Simple may describe her vows but in reality her active vocation of prayer, service and new Principal of our school seem quite admirable. My family and St. Stephen Catholic welcomes you with open arms.
Cousin chaos returns to 8th grade. My nephew is in middle school now and ready for his launch into high school next year. Time definitely goes by in mere seconds when it comes to family. Cherish the moment and snap a picture that will last forever.
You can view more photos in my First Day of School 2012 Gallery shot with the Canon 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens.
Chad Soriano brings more than 20 years of experience as a television news photojournalist and still camera photographer. Chad worked at Tampa’s Fox Television station, WTVT. His primary role there was in the special projects, consumer investigation unit. His assignments ranged from general news to consumer fraud. His skills in news gathering and camera-work combine to create a strong tool in developing and promoting a unique visual style.
Bright Lights, Brick City! The month of October marks the 1st Anniversary of LEGOLAND Florida
and the family friendly Halloween festivities of Brick-or-Treat. Beautiful Fall weather this weekend contrasts with last year's rainy LEGOLAND Florida sneak preview weekend in 2011.
Miniland USA is transformed into a Halloween Brick-or-Treat spooktacular. Ghostly goblins and scary LEGO creatures of the night haunt the LEGO grounds of Miniland USA. My young ones gobbled up all the free trick or treat candies of the Brick-or-Treat Trail and I clicked pictures a many of illuminated LEGO cities in Miniland USA. When it comes to sugared freebies, corporate endorsements are a blessing.
Look who's big enough to ride with the family? My 19 month old baby daughter can finally join us in theme park rides. No more stroller duty for her! Look who's too cheap to buy the souvenir photo of this glorious event? My 18 megapixel Canon EOS Rebel T4i saved me at least twenty bucks!
Nothing says togetherness better than social connectivity under the old Banyan Tree in Cypress Gardens at LEGOLAND Florida. The Apple iPhone is the glue that bonds long time family friends of Getawaymoments.
At first glance, progress moving nowhere! Second glance, LEGOLAND Florida closes at 9pm on weekends in October. Miniland USA is illuminated like NYC's Time Square and the Las Vegas Strip but all in LEGO.
Even the Tampa Bay skyline makes a night debut! Old City Hall, Tampa Theater and even the "beer" can building glimmers in the fake Hillsborough river moonlight. Miniland USA at night is quite remarkable...
A year has gone by but Youtube makes video memories last forever. Just a quick montage of the rainy preview weekend at LEGOLAND Florida last year. Get a towel, you will definitely need it...
Take one part baby stroller and one part GoPro Hero 2 to LEGOLAND Florida. You have yourself the ultimate mobile infant dolly to glide the crowded streets of Miniland USA. When the cinematic greats of Getawaymoments and ChadSorianoPhotoBlog converge, you also have vehicular verite at its best!
Happy orange LEGO pumpkin Halloween from the Soriano family! May all your trick or treat bags be filled with less candy corn and more chocolate with a heavy emphasis on Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Who could say no to this adorable baby? I see chocolate and iPhone 6 in her future. You can see more cuteness in my LEGOLAND Florida First Anniversary and Brick-orTreat Gallery 2012 shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D.
Stay updated with the latest gear by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!.
