Happiness is Spelled "T-I-T-L-E"

A firm handshake usually suffices for a job well done. In my son's case, a big group hug by your cheering classmates will make anyone smile ear to ear. I was smiling just as big as my feeling of overwhelming pride when my son won first place in the Spelling Bee Competition in his division at his school.



Practice,practice and practice again your list of spelling words just like perfecting your image making with Canon HD DSLR's. Armed with my Canon 5D Mark II paired with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens, I zoomed in on the word masters to capture 1080p video. I captured the audio with the AZDEN ECZ-990 and stabilized my rig with a Manfrotto 701 HDV head on Benro 3580 tripod legs. The video and audio were magically weaved by iMovie'11 and compressed with Quicktime for a 244mb h264 video file.

For mobile devices, you can view the video here.



My son is in first grade going on 6th grade. He is growing physically and mentally faster than I can type this sentence. My son surpassed my skill level in Call of Duty: MW3. Need I say more?



My almost 11 month baby daughter is crawling at lightning speed. Magically appearing and reappearing anywhere in the house. Soon to be cruising and eventually walking, I am prepared with camera for that magic moment. This time I caught her in the fridge trying to get real dairy milk for her Cafe con Leche.



My kids will soon learn that growing up is hard to do. Adults have to move on to brighter and bigger things. After a glorious five and a half years with the James Hoyer Media Team, I am moving on with my life for a different yet positive future. I am a better and learned person with an exclusive skill set by working with these outstanding media professionals.



You can view more photo and video fortunes in Jude's Spelling Bee Competition Gallery shot with the Canon 5D Mark II, Canon Rebel T3i/600D and the Apple iPhone 4S.



Of the thousands of words in the dictionary for my son to spell, I always tell him happiness is spelled "F-A-M-I-L-Y".

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Magical Milestones

She had me at the first few moments of her newborn life. Now at 10 months old, my baby daughter looks into my camera lens with such natural poise and beauty. This "poise" does not last for long because she quickly crawls off to the next saliva adventure fast and furious.



If life is like a box of chocolates, then raising a family is like juggling flaming torches. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture of life's multi-tasking can be fulfilling and entertaining. Fixating on the problems and not enjoying the "moment" can get you burned.



My oldest daughter, Madeline, recently took interest in animating her LEGO Friends playset. I did not expect "Toy Story 3" during this production but I jumped at the chance at my daughter's interest in photography. With a quick instruction with my old Canon Powershot TX1, my daughter instantly picked up the "time lapse video" concept. With every snapshot, Madeline posed every figure for at least an hour and a half. I spent the next 2 hours sequencing the video with Quicktime 7 Pro and editing with iMovie'11.

Apple iPad and iPhone users click here to play for mobile devices.



My mini clone, otherwise known as my son, grew impatient and chose to tackle his large collection of LEGO's by himself. The NASA Space Shuttle at LEGOLAND Florida was not part of his conquests. LEGO Technic, LEGO City and the new LEGO Dino playsets are more his liking. Although,despite the price, the large scale LEGO Star Wars Millenium Falcon tempts my son's fancy. Milestones can be very expensive.



Happy one year anniversary to my loving wife's business at her new location and building. With a new and supportive staff for 2012, my wife is looking forward to more landmark events in her practice.



Class is in session. There are more magical milestones to come for my pint sized wonder. I am ready with my Apple devices, Canon HD DSLR gear and my humble parental know-how to juggle life's multi-tasking with unbridled patience. This time with no flaming torches.

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Winter's Dolphin Tale Experience at Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Just like Hope, a permanent bottle nosed dolphin resident at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the non profit marine sanctuary reached new heights recently. Record crowds converged to the CMA that specializes in rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing marine animals. They came to see Winter, the major motion picture star of "Dolphin Tale" released in 2011.



Winter, a permanent bottled nosed dolphin resident at CMA, is special. Due to injuries sustained from a crab trap, Winter's tail had to be amputated. A prosthetic tail was successfully fitted to Winter's body to help her swim. This true story inspired the Hollywood movie, "Dolphin Tale".



Although Winter's plight is the storyline of the movie and the major draw to the CMA, the marine animal rescue organization educates the local community through environmental awareness through marine animal care. Panama, the oldest and partially deaf resident of the CMA, performs to the excitement of the audience. Panama is Winter's full time surrogate mother in the "Winter Zone".



You will only see Freeman, Connick and Judd in 2-D at the CMA...the 2 dimensions of a color poster. Fortunately, you can see Winter in any dimension in his holding tank. They even have underwater viewing windows to see him in aquatic action.



Winter's adventures continue to downtown Clearwater, Florida. With a complimentary Jolley Trolley ride, you can view interactive exhibits of actual sets and props from the movie. They also have a high definition theater viewing of behind the scenes footage plus an interactive kids fun zone. Just like every other theme park in Florida, the exhibit ends at the gift shop. We did not leave empty handed.



The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a sight to see with the family. My kids could not stop referencing the movie during our visit in between the gift shop begging.



You can view more photos in Winter's Dolphin Tale Experience at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Gallery shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D paired with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens.



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Epic

Bigger than life itself. No fabled heroes on this New Year's Day but only humbled eyes capturing a chronicle of events called my family. Year 2011 has passed and the dauntless task of 2012 seems as bright as the New Year's Eve firework's display at LEGOLAND Florida.



Cousins forever. Just like Dick Clark's Times Square Ball Drop for New Year's Eve, the countdown is ticking for priceless childhood moments. School winter break converged masses upon central Florida with several theme parks closing its doors due to over capacity. We braved the traffic and crowds and hit LEGOLAND Florida with a vengeful bite of Granny Apple Fries with delightful whip cream.



Enamored by bombs bursting in air like my wife, my almost 10 month old daughter shares the same fondness for elaborate firework displays. Armed with store bought 500 gram gunpowder cakes, my brother in law illuminates the neighborhood with theme park quality fireworks. The little ones duck and cover while the adults and the local County Sheriff gaze with mouths agape.



A thousand points of light shine bright upon the best Christmas of my lifetime. "The best Christmas" may sound cliche to my kid's gift filled eyes but it is an epic truth to me.



My oldest niece meets the youngest of the Soriano family only for the second time this year. Despite this gap, my baby daughter stares deep into her oldest cousin's eyes with a lifetime of familiarity...Epic.



You can view more photos in my New Year's Eve for 2012 Gallery shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i paired with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens.

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