Florida Based Documentary, Travel, Sports and Portrait Photographer

128th Silver Spurs Rodeo

Octavian — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:24:41 +0000

Reuter let me cover this for them. So far, MSNBC has picked it up. The rodeo continues through the weekend, but I can’t cover it anymore. I already have plans to assist my friend Donald Miralli with his Washington Nationals shoot for a week. ON LEFT: “Seth Glause of Cheyenne, Wyoming rides Will the Pill during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
ON RIGHT: “Jeremy R. Melancon of Huntsville, Texas exits the rider’s area after participating in the saddle bronc event of the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“A cowboy wrangles a bull through a series of mazes after a run in the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“From left, Jaggar White, 6, and his brother Kolton, 8 of Kenansville, Florida and Wes Kempfer, 8, of Melbourne, Florida watch the ground crew set up the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Kevin Heard, 51, prepares the flanking ropes that are used to make the bulls and broncs buck during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Kevin Heard, 51, prepares the flanking ropes that are used to make the bulls and broncs buck during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Taylor Braussard of Estherwood, Louisiana rides Poison Ivy during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Lyle Welling of Crawford, Nebraska rides during the saddle bronc event of the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES) “
“Josh Reynolds rides Solid during the saddle bronc event of the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Jacobs Crawley of College Station, Texas rides Best Hope during the saddle bronc event of the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Adam Wallace of Greenbrier, Arkansas participates in the team roping event during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Children race to grab a flag off a calf during the calf scramble event of the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”

“Kaylon Rodriguez of Polk City, Florida participates in the barrel racing event during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Taylor Willis of Wheatland, Wyoming rides Tap Out during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Jay Garza of Carson City, Nevada gets tossed off of Red Fox during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Clay Taylor of Beaufort, South Carolina gets tossed off his bull during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Trent Cormie of Houma, Louisiana watches a fellow bull rider’s run during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“The bull Josh Barentine of Dequincy, Louisiana was riding hurt his legs during the run and had to be put down during the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida February 17, 2012. This is the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, and is so important to the community that all public schools in the county close for the day. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”

2012 Little Miss Silver Spurs

Octavian — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:55:12 +0000

This story was a true pleasure to tell. It was refreshing to see a family with a long tradition in beauty contests, that didn’t let it run their lives. Sure a lot of time is spent preparing, planning and primping for the pageant, but the whole thing felt more like a life experience that teaches these girls responsibility, community service and what I call lady-like manerisims. The Shirah family welcomed me, a stranger with a big camera, into their home and lives, with no prejudices. The least I could have done was check any preconcieved stereotypes I may have had at the door. I hope these images shake up any stereotypes that you may have about this culture, and show how beautiful and wholesome beauty pageants can be if not taken to the extreme. I was able to tell this story because Wendy Jeannin, of the Silver Spurs Arena, put me in contact with the Shirah family, and Joe Skipper and Bob Strong, from Reuters, took a chance on my ability to tell this story. Some of the media sources that picked up this story include The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Good Morning America, Yahoo OMG, mailonline.com, and the local Orlando Sentinel.
“Rachel Shirah, 11, has her lips painted by her mother Beth on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, tries to catch her steer named Mo on the morning of the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. One of Rachel’s choirs is to take care of this animal, which she plans on showing at the Osceola County Fair later this week. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, cares for her steer named Mo on the morning of the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. One of Rachel’s choirs is to take care of this animal, which she plans to show at the Osceola County Fair later this week. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, leads her steer named Mo to his feeding area on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. One of Rachel’s choirs is to take care of this animal, which she plans to show at the Osceola County Fair later this week. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, runs her steer named Mo on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. One of Rachel’s choirs is to take care of this animal, which she plans to show at the Osceola County Fair later this week. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, fools around with the crystals that her mother Beth is using to add sparkle to her queen shirt on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, tries on different colored boots in front of all the show clothes her mother made throughout the years for her and her two sisters on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, has mascara put on by her mother Beth on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, has her hair curled by her mother Beth on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, picks out the color combination for her makeup on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Sheila Shirah, 17, the current Miss Silver Spurs, helps her little sister Rachel, 11, get her hair right for the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at the family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida on February 14, 2012. Beauty pageants has a long history in the Shirah family. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Beth Shirah watches on as her oldest daughter Sheila, 17, helps her youngest daughter Rachel, 11, get ready for the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida on February 14, 2012. Sheila is the current Miss Silver Spurs, and Rachel will be in this year’s Little Miss Silver Spurs pageant. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, practices her speech on the morning of the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant in her family’s living room in St. Cloud, Florida February 14, 2012. Rachel said she shot the buck on the far right. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, is ready to compete in the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, plays outside at her family’s ranch in St. Cloud, Florida, while waiting for the rest of her family to get ready to attend the 52nd Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, helps her big sister Sheila, 17, with her sash. Sheila is the current Miss Silver Spurs, and Rachel is participating in the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. The Shirah family have a long history of participating in beauty pageants. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Caitlin Harris, the 2011 Little Miss Silver Spurs, leads the current contestants during a dance to kick off the 2012 pageant in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Many of the outfits contestants of the 2012 Little Miss Silver Spurs pageant held in Kissimmee, Florida are hand made. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, takes the mic to deliver her speech during the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Haley Porter walks off the stage after delivering her speech during the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“The 12 contestants of this year’s 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida wait for the winner to be announced on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Courtney Clair walks the stage after being announced the winner of the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. The winners will hold a prominent spot in the 128th Silver Spurs Rodeo, which takes place this weekend in Kissimmee, Florida. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, walks off the stage followed by her father Tim after not placing in the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. “You never know how the judges will call it,” Tim Shirah said. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Sheila Shirah, 17, the 2011 Miss Silver Spurs, consults her little sister Rachel, 11, after Rachel didn’t win the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Rachel Shirah, 11, watches as the crowd greets the winners of the 52nd Little Miss Silver Spurs Pageant held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida on February 14, 2012. “Oh well,” she said. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”

Michelle Obama at Disney

Octavian — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:30:40 +0000

“Michelle Obama and a group of Disney stars lead a dance at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Obama was there to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Michelle Obama participates in a tennis exercise sponsored by the United States Tennis Association at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Obama was on hand to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Seth Rdhbaun follows through on a forehand during a tennis exercise sponsored by the United States Tennis Association at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Michelle Obama was on hand to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Hundreds of local children and their families enter the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney to participate in a physical fitness event hosted by Michelle Obama at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012.”
“Faith Sutton, 8, shows her enthusiasm to participate in an activity at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Michelle Obama was on hand to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Jameiyan Harper, 7, shows off her new sticker she won at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Michelle Obama was on hand to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Davier Emilien, 10, is all smiles after finishing the lyrics to the song “Squirrels in My Pants” and winning a prize at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Michelle Obama was on hand to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Tony Horton, the creator of the P90X program, leads a kid friendly workout at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Obama was there to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”
“Michelle Obama and a group of Disney stars are all smiles after dancing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney in Orlando on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Obama was there to promote physical fitness to hundreds of local children and their families.”

Monster Bull Riding at Silver Spurs

Octavian — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:56:58 +0000

DISCLAIMER: I’m about to geek out, so if you’re not interested in the technical details of how I shot this event then just go ahead and scroll down to the pictures. You’ve been warned. lol Silver Spurs Arena is one of the few rodeo hosting venues that offer a catwalk. Shooting from atop this position isn’t perfect, because the platform that circles the entire arena is recessed about 20 ft into the stands. Once all the hard work of hauling my lighting gear up was done, my job became a lot of fun. It’s funny that all the hard work of setting up strobes was only good for producing one image. Everything else I walked away happy with was shot with natural light. The problem was I only had two bi-tude 1,200 watt power packs, and arena is larger than four basketball courts. I basically lit one particular area well, and let everything else go to hell. With strobe I got f/4 at ISO 400 and a recycling speed of about 1.5 seconds, and since I was using Pocket Wizard’s TT5 system, I was syncing at 1/1000 with no black bar and little light loss. Besides the overhead position, I was also excited about shooting from the dirt level across from where the bulls come out. However, shooting natural light from there yields busy backgrounds. I was hoping to position the strobes so that the exposure fell off four stops sharply outside the ring. This couldn’t be executed, because the catwalk, where the strobes had to be fasened was too far into the stands and the catwalks on the sides were too far away to side light where the bulls come out. After getting one image with lights that I was happy with, I shot the rest of the action using no strobe at 10 frames per second f/2.8, 1/1000, and ISO 5000. After a little noise ninja filtering, the images looked good. The biggest tradeoff was white balance consistency. With strobe I could get a pretty consistent white balance from one shot to the next, but once I switched to shooting natural light, my WB varied greatly and there was nothing I could do about it despite setting a custom white balance in camera and using an Expo Disk. Here, the problem was the fact that each frame my camera took captured a different point of the ambient light’s frequency cycle hence recording a different light hue and temperature.
“Clayton Wooten of Arcadia, Fla. rides Buck Fever during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Sheila Shirah, 17, the 2011 Miss Silver Spurs, rides around the arena during a prayer that kicked off the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Bull riders line up before being introduced to the crowd of the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Jonathan Richardson of Theodore, Ala. gets bumped by the bull he rode during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Richardson walked away without any apparent uninjuries. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“A bull waits for his turn to be set free from his pen during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Greg Hall of Carrier, Miss. rides a redo bull during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Michael Campbell of Livingston, Ala. prepares to ride Built Ford Tough during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 12, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Greg Hall of Carrier, Miss. rides Big Boy during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“A bull rider waits for his turn for an 8 second ride during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Zack Peterson of Conover, Ohio rides during the final round of the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Austin Gosnell of Mt. Airy, Md. rides Cream-O during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Taylor Mills of Okeechobee, Fla. rides Tar Baby during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Michael Campbell of Livingston, Ala. rides Built Ford Tough during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”
“Wayne Butler of Sebastian, Fla. rides Ugly during the Silver Spurs Monster Bull event held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on February 11, 2012. Bull riders from across the country compete for a chance to win $2,000. REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)”

Rick Santorum gets hit with a Glitter Bomb

Octavian — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:21:40 +0000

The photo below was picked up by Time magazine, The Washington Post, MSNBC and a slew of other national and international newspapers. This was my third assignment for Thomson Reuters.
“Republican U.S. presidential candidate and former Senator for Pennsylvania Rick J. Santorum gets hit with glitter by two unidentified members of the crowd at a town hall meeting held at American Legion Hall in Lady Lake, Fla., January 23, 2012. The Florida Republican primary will be held on January 31, 2012.” REUTERS/Octavian Cantilli (UNITED STATES)

Canvas Interiors Grand Opening

Octavian — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:11:09 +0000

A little over a week ago, I covered the launch party for Canvas Interiors. It was a night filled with good food, good music, laughter and a lot of amazing people. One recurring theme I noticed in the images – people touching all of the textures in the store. Tone and texture are a big part of this new brand. Check out this new furniture store HERE.

“The Senator” Burns Down

Octavian — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:53:15 +0000

“The Senator”, a 3,500-year-old Cypress tree, lies burnt and broken at Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida January 16, 2012. The tree, considered to be one of the oldest Cypress trees, caught fire early in the morning and continued to burn from the inside out through the day. Investigators with the Florida Division of Forestry ruled out arson as the cause of the blaze that started inside the hollow base of the tree. They said the fire burned hottest at the top, leading them to suspect a lightning strike as a possible cause.”

Sports Shooter Destinations

Octavian — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:57:47 +0000

I wrote a story about my SE Asia travels this past summer for Robert Hanashiro’s newsletter, and it’s on the front page of Sportsshooter this morning. Bert is a USA Today staffer and co-founder of one of my favorite photo websites. I met him in 2008 when I had the privilege of attending two of his wonderful Sports Shooter Academy Workshops. Link to my STORY

Three Kings Day in Osceola

Octavian — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:43:20 +0000

“Melianie Calderon, 7, shakes hands with the three kings during the seventh annual Three Kings Day event in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Over 4,000 children and their families attended this year’s event.”“The three kings for a day, from left, Julius Melendez, Edwin Rivera, and Jose E. Nido pose for a picture with Ayden Solivan Casadevan, 3 weeks, Alexia Casadevan, 19, Evelyn Alvarado, and Jessian Williams, 3, during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Various cultures celebrate the day three kings brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus.”“The three kings for a day, from left, Julius Melendez, Edwin Rivera, and Jose E. Nido greet Alondra Gonzalez, 7, during the seventh annual Three Kings Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Various cultures celebrate the day three kings brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus.”“The three kings for a day, from left, Jose E. Nido, Edwin Rivera, and Julius Melendez wave goodbye to their guests during the seventh annual Three Kings Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School.”“A clown performs a magic act during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Over 4,000 children and their families, attended this year’s event.”“A free raffle is held every five minutes to give away a new bicycle during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. More than 100 bicycles were given away.”“Children and their families look through the 1,000s of toys available during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Over 4,000 children and their families, attended this years event. Each child got to pick out one toy.”“Sabrina Azila, 6, picks between two teddy bears during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Over 4,000 children and their families, attended this years event. Each child got to pick out one toy.”“Ryan Olimo, 3, clutches his new teddy bear during the seventh annual Three Kings Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Over 4,000 children and their families, attended this years event. Each child got to pick out one toy.”“Joseh Camilo, 3, is all smiles after picking out a Star Wars set during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School.”“From left, Jadiel, 3, Jorelys, 5, and Joswell Burgos, 7, look over the 1,000s of toys being given away during the seventh annual Three Kingâs Day in Osceola hosted by the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Gateway High School. Over 4,000 children and their families, attended this yearâs event. Each child got to pick out one toy.”

Best Photos of 2011

Octavian — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:17:07 +0000

This year was my most memorable year behind the camera as of yet. I met so many great people, saw amazing places and rejuvenated my passion for visual storytelling. Here are some of my favorite images I made this year, and since no one is a good editor of their own work, there are 101 of them. Here’s to a healthy, fun, and successful 2012 packed full of adventures!