Family Time!

I met Adriane & Edward a long time ago (by photographer's standards)...and then this past May I was given the honor to document their wedding...and now I have been honored again to document some FAMILY TIME!!! Adriane, Edward, their son, Adriane's mom, father, and her two sisters met me at the park! And this is what happened....enjoy!

The ladies conversing...son-in-law & father-in-law tossing ball...things you bring to the park...& the Jones' family run!

The MOST FUN "on my father's shoulder ride" EVER!

Birthdays...

A couple of days ago was my 32nd birthday...and it was really nice to receive so many happy b-day wishes. I was sleeping, when my daughter woke me up...."Papi...happy birthday...do you know what your presents are..." I said you and Taavi...and then she shoved some clothes in my face...my wife bought me warm clothes...b/c my wife knows how much I hate to feel the cold. Don't get me wrong...mildly cold weather isn't terrible...but feeling it all the time is...and you know how well Florida houses insulate...

By 8:30am I walked over to turn on the computer and do my routine e-mail check...and you wouldn't believe it...I had over 25 e-mails wishing me happy birthday!!! And it didn't stop there...I mean through out the day...I had so many "happy b-days"...so many....I think I have never in all the first 31 b-days combined had I received so many "happy birthdays!" So I wanted to write this blog to thank all of you who thought about me...and sent me good fortunes!

When my wife and I moved to Jacksonville in 2001, we knew 2 people...my 2 step aunts...that was all...and they both left Jax shortly after we moved here...Rana and I had a few friends from work...but we pretty much didn't know anyone...and now to see how many of my friends sent me messages wishing me a happy birthday...wow...that means a lot to me...a lot!!! So thank you everyone for making my day special...and thank you to my wife for thinking about me...now I have some warm clothes...so I won't suffer this winter...(she also bought me a super warm blanket...and another hoody!)...thank you Rana!

Julie & Blake's Engagement Session!

Today was a busy day...two blog posts in one day...but today was so much fun!

The second part of today brought me to St. Augustine (the 2nd oldest city in the US...San Juan is actually the oldest city in the US - a little history for you history buffs)...anyway, I met with Julie & Blake who will be getting married May 29th @ the Basilica in St. Augustine! We walked all over St. Augustine...really...all over...here's a few fotos from today...enjoy!

Make-up, Hair, Photos, & FUN!

Today I had an opportunity to work with make-up artist Faythe Mesic and Hair Stylist, Tonica (904-708-5632). Tonica invited a few of her friends...and her and Faythe did their thing. We had loads of fun...lots of laughing...and a ton of fotos! Here's a few...enjoy!

Latino Project #1: Judy Galindo - Hola Noticias!

Hopefully this will be the first of many. I'm working on a personal project. My goal is photograph at least 40 working Latinos in Jacksonville. So hopefully, this will be the first of many.

Let me try to quickly explain my motivation. It started a few years ago while working for the Neighborhood Partnership for Protection of Children. Working there I quickly realized how many Latinos were working in the Social Services profession here in Jacksonville. As a matter of fact, my supervisor was Mexican! As I thought deeper about this, I realized that my father, who is also Mexican, served in the military (even went to Vietnam)...and had been working over 30 years with Chicago Public Schools. Then I thought even deeper and noticed my mother, who is from Puerto Rico, worked for HRS (DCF). My mother worked for a program called Project Independence - she helped the unemployed find jobs. So after these deep thoughts, I marveled how my parents and many friends came from different lands...and settled here in the United States...and furthermore, they chose a profession to help others in need. This made me proud. So these thoughts from a few years back + my photography = this personal project!

Today, the project starts with Judy Galindo. Judy is the Editor-in-Chief for the newspaper, Hola Noticias. She founded Hola Noticias in Jacksonville in 2004. Judy is originally from Colombia. She has a degree in Journalism. The newspaper's goals are to offer news that is relevant to the reader and to link the readers to resources. Here's a few pictures. Enjoy!

New Website...I made a few changes...

This week has been the week of change! It's been a very testing week...change is never easy...but thanks to Amanda Sosa Stone she has pointed me in the right direction!
Amanda is a genius...for all you photogs, you got to check out her website...she's very good at what she does...she's a consultant for photographers! I had an hour consult with her over the phone...she blew my mind away...and she gave me some serious pointers on how to improve my website...so here's my website...brand new...once again!

Family Shoot!

So I've been super busy rearranging things...but I stole enough time to share these fotos from a shoot I had earlier today. These are from a family shoot...I've started something new with my family sessions - we start the sessions at the family's house...why not...that's where they live!

And by the way...Casey, Mike, & Mariah are awesome...I've worked with them 4 times in the past year & half!!!

Enjoy!

Changes...

Welcome everyone to my new blog. Thank you for visiting...and I hope you continue to visit often.

Ezra Marcos blog is a new blog...but it will only continue where Freewise Fotography blog left off at...

As many of you know, my first name is Ezra...but what you may not know is that my middle name is Marcos. Marcos is also my father's name...so I'm going to positively assert that he granted me this middle name with much intention...so I am proud to showcase it as a part of my business name!

So out with Freewise (I will miss you severely)...and in with Ezra Marcos...because CHANGE is necessary...without change, there is no growth...no learning...and no adventure...

And speaking of change, I just spent this past week in the Tampa Bay area...where I grew-up.

We (my wife and kids) spent time visiting family...and places. It's always interesting when I visit...even hard to process everything we experience there...there's so many changes...new buildings, roads, housing developments, stores, 8 year olds that used to be babies, nephews that are near adulthood, etc...but again, so much stays the same. My two houses that I grew-up remain the same, my cousins haven't changed...and my brother (who I hadn't seen in 3 years) still looks like he did the last time I saw him!

It's so wild trying to process my experiences there...you tend to want to feel the same feelings you felt when you grew-up there...but you never can...I mean, you compare everything to the experiences you had as a kid...but it's a totally different experience now...because even though much hasn't changed...much has changed...including myself...

I love going back to the Tampa area...it's where I grew-up...it helps me chart my growth...it reminds me of everything I have learned...and it's practically the starting point of my adventure...my life...

Here's a few fotos...enjoy!

My old house in Clair-Mel/old house in Riverview/Myakka State Park