Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame Slideshow - Billboard.com

I had the opportunity to cover the inaugural Latin Songwriter's Hall of Fame in Miami, Florida on April 23, 2013. I sat in the center of the auditorium, in the fourth row, with a great angle to shoot the three-hours of performances and awards presentations.

I used my D3s on "Quiet" mode, which is not actually very quiet, but with the amplification of the proceedings, as well as judicious shooting, I did not disturb the attendees around me. Normally I would be at the back of the house or shooting from the aisle with my Jacobsen Sound Blimp.

Check out the slideshow of some of my images from that evening here:

http://www.billboard.com/photos/1559216/latin-songwriters-hall-of-fame-winners-at-the-show-and-on-the-carpet?i=432528

Annual Report Photography

See the work we produced and shot for Reed Elsevier's 2012 Annual Report.

Copyright 2012 Michael Seto, All Rights Reserved.


The client specified a naturally lit, photojournalistic style, which is our specialty. However, we still prepared ourselves with strobe lighting and grip to fill and shape the imagery while retaining that documentary style.

The work involved a tech- and location scouting a week ahead of time, then a full day of shooting at a premier NYC law firm using actual attorneys.

The mandate called for visual portraying the benefits of intellectual property in an office environment, while remaining true to the real-life daily use of the information technology. We chose to focus on the interaction between the attorneys and the multiple devices used to access the information, such as iPads and workstations. 

We also utilized scenarios that illustrated more intangible benefits of the technology - efficiency, efficacy, and expertise.

As the layout and designers were based in Germany, we shot multiple scenarios in various locations in the firm's offices and the building to provide the client with a variety of images to select from.

Download the full report at http://reporting.reedelsevier.com/

East Village During the Sandy Blackout 2012

Some photos I took of the East Village during the post-Sandy blackout.

The view north, towards the Chrysler Building, from my rooftop, well in the dark zone.

Darkened streets lit only by headlights...

...and tail-lights.

Coffee sold by candlelight.

And a hardy loner remains behind in an apartment lit by candles.

The East Village Survivors Club sets up shop at Immigrant Beer and Wine Bar.

Profiled in PhotoShelter's Guide

Michael Seto Photography was recently profiled in a guide to Event Photography from PhotoShelter.

For a download of the full guide, go to http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/growing-your-event-photography-business

Occupy Evicted?

Where did you go OWS? Photos from the brief Occupy Union Square protests in the spring of 2012.

Long Live Opera!

Okay, so I'm like Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman...that scene where she goes to the opera with Richard Gere and he says first timers either love it or may learn to appreciate it, but if the latter, it'll never be 'part of their soul.'

Well, color me happy because the first time I saw an opera at the Metropolitan Opera, it became part of my soul. Tosca to this day remains one of my favorites and opera I recommend to neophytes venturing to the concert hall for the first time. (Note, not a huge fan of the new production Met, please bring back the ostentatious yet eye pleasing Zeffirelli set.)






Top to bottom: Jennifer Johnson Cano, Emalie Savoy (with Yo-Yo Ma), Dmitri Pittas, Renee Tatum (L) and Layla Claire, Layla Claire, Angela Meade (L) and Jennifer Johnson Cano

Photos by and Copyright to Michael Seto 2011

But the opera is ultimately about the singing, and boy, what a set of instruments. So whenever there is an opportunity to see some opera, I take it, and this summer was no exception with the Met Opera staging six recitals around the city. And, as one of the City Parks Foundation photographers this year, I had a chance to capture some of the rising stars as they serenaded opera aficionados under open (and sometimes rainy) skies.

I was able to get a lot closer than my normal subscription seats (14 years running) at the Met allow - I'm up in the Balcony - so it's a treat to see the power, emotion, and performance up close. Recitals also give people a chance to hear a combination of classic and well known arias, one after the other, like going straight to the dessert cart. We're often familiar with these melodies from ads or movies or other sources, but it's nice to see them live and for newcomers to understand the context and the character - since most of the performers introduced each piece before they started.

Until then, see you at the Opera!

Ch ch ch changes...

I always see photos of the now defunct Vesuvio Bakery being sold by some of the stock photo street vendors.


An illustration of the constantly changing face of the City.



Photos and Copyrighted by Michael Seto.