Gratitude - Jared Valentine - Drop Dead Designs

January was a busy month for Tomas Flint Weddings, though this blog was not exactly indicative of the fact! Yep...the ol' visual:ramblings has once again played second fiddle to a number of new developments - all of which will be featured in upcoming posts.

For now, I would like to continue with the 'Gratitude' theme which was developed to pay tribute to key individuals who have enhanced my life, both personally and professionally, by virtue of their individuality, patience and talent.

If you're from Rochester, then you are probably (hopefully!) familiar with Open Face Sandwich Eatery. It's tops on my list for lunchtime destinations. The decor is quaint, warm and inviting and the menu - clever, thoughtful and delicious. Not to mention it is staffed by down-to-earth individuals who contribute enormously to a truly unique dining experience. I'm a big fan, what can i say?!?!

Now I am not the type of person who gets cravings for one particular food or another, but Open Face features this 'open face' corn mash sandwich on sourdough topped with bbq sauce and onion crunchies that actually causes a physical reaction every time that I think about it. So a few months back while gorging on one of these bad-boys, I came to the realization that it was their branding that spoke to me almost as loudly as their product. After some investigation, I discovered that the guy who was responsible for delivering this 'sandwich of the gods' was also responsible for the atmosphere that I was so fond of - enter Jared Valentine.

Now Jared is not only the artist force behind developing Open Face's one-of-a-kind menu, but he is also its part owner, operator, interior and graphic designer...all rolled into one. In addition, he runs his own design outfit - Drop Dead Designs - which provides visual consulting services to businesses of all types. Quite an impressive dude :)

Over the next few months, Jared and I worked together defining and visualizing the brand that is Tomas Flint Weddings. He was patient every step of the way - sketch after sketch, swatch after swatch, etc...etc. A true professional in every sense, he is a gifted listener - and Lord knows, I talked a LOT - with extensive knowledge of his trade. He invited my input and knew exactly when to cut me off, as I have a tendency to get ahead of myself! In the end, we arrived at a logo, color scheme and slew of marketing products that we feel exemplify Tomas Flint Weddings as it is today - Fun, Fresh and Full of Possiblities.

Thank you Jared, dear friend, for giving so much of yourself to the process. I am eternally grateful for what you have introduced...both the me and Flint Weddings...and I look forward to our friendship and collaboration for years to come.

Here are a few samples of the font, logo and color palate...it's such a diverse little guy, so many possibilities:







All this writing's got me hungry...can you say "corn mash"?!?!?

Love.Laughter.Light
t
Rochester, NY Wedding photographer with a look so new that it still smells like plastic

Arriving in Italia

Ciao Tutti!

Derailed, sidetracked, off the beaten path. These are all words to describe my workday. I awoke full of excitement, ready to tackle the task at hand. I sat at my workstation with a steaming cup of 'very vanilla' coffee atop my Beatles Abbey Road coaster in front of me and a plan to work out the final details of the new Flint Weddings Website.

"Before I do that, let me take a quick peek at a few images from our trip to Italy last Spring," I thought. ...and so it goes.

Upon our arrival in Rome, we dropped our things at the family villa and headed out to catch the last glimpses of daylight. It is a long running tradition of mine to take the B Line to the Colosseo stop before I do anything else. Since this was my first trip to Rome with Kelli, I thought that it might a nice way to say..."Benvenuto a Roma!". Walking out of that subway stop to witness the mighty Coliseum and Roman Forums staring back takes one's breath away every time. It is a powerful thing to behold. So much history...so freekin old!!!

After regaining our breath, I noticed a poorly violin player (shabby clothes, beat up intrument missing the chin rest) approaching a young woman waiting for her bus. She was immediatly aware of his presence, but didn't want him to know. The violinist walked up along side her and began playing. And although she did her best to ignore him, she was eventually broken. They exchanged a smile and she gave him some change. It was a brief interaction...easy to miss, yet when I saw that sequence of images this afternoon, I was immediately transported back. I was there again, and the smells and sounds and sights were as alive today as they were 8 months ago. That is the power of a photograph. They are not just ink on paper...They are reminders. They are the information that jog our memories and allow our past to live today. They are significant.

I've included a few images from that sequence below, but had to cut them down in the interest of image load time. If you'd like to see more, I would be ecstatic to share. The rest of the images are from that evening. Twilight at the Panteon, dinner at Piazza Navona...ahhh Roma. From there we traveled for two weeks and collected thousands of images. I hope to find some time to review those soon...you will all be the first to know :)

Roma, Italia (day 1/2)

After dinner we walked past a film crew shooting two really beautiful people doing something around a limousine. I snapped this and was kindly escorted away by one of the grips. As I always say...It's easier to ask for forgiveness that permission :)


Thanks for stopping by my friends.

love.laughter.light
t
tomas flint photographer - fired up for 2009!