My Six Favorite Buildings in Miami.
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

My Six Favorite Buildings in Miami.

I’ve been photographing the architecture in South Florida non-stop for the better part of three years either through commissions or my own general obsessions, and while there is still a ton left to shoot (or re-shoot), I wanted to take this time to reflect on it all and share my personal favorite buildings that photographed to date. Although judging by the amount of cranes dotting the skyline these days, my gut tells me I’ll be remaking this list more than once. So consider this “part one.” This list is accompanied by relevant architecture photos I’ve taken over the last couple of years.

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Ariana Grande: A Case Study in Copyright Infringement
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Ariana Grande: A Case Study in Copyright Infringement

This post is intended to speak to the average person in America, who might not be familiar with copyright law. I want you, dear reader, to understand that you do have the right to your likeness, but that the concept of “privacy” really has a limited application from a legal standpoint, and most of what the average person thinks is protected under that blanket really isn’t.  Furthermore, this article explains when you have and don’t have legal recourse to control how images of you are shared.

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Photographing The Norwegian Bliss on the High Seas
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Photographing The Norwegian Bliss on the High Seas

A few months ago I had the pleasure of taking on a really cool assignment that was the first of its kind for me: Shooting the interiors of a brand new cruise ship. In this case, the Norwegian Bliss. This is Norwegian’s flagship, and from my personal experience, it lives up to the hype. I mean, it’s got a multilevel go-kart track for chrissake! It goes without saying, but this was a great opportunity that I am quite grateful for.  (I also got to sail through the Panama Canal, which by itself was a hell of an experience I can't recommend enough).

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How I shot it: Photographing Brightline/ Virgin Train Stations
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

How I shot it: Photographing Brightline/ Virgin Train Stations

2018 has been the year of new career experiences. I’ve shot a farm, a cruise ship, and most recently a set of train stations for GoBrightline, South Florida’s newest intercity high-speed rail train. In this article I cover the thought and process of an architecture photography shoot that I am truly grateful to have been a part of.

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Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Why Licensing Matters in photography

This post covers copyright 101 for photographers. If you've ever wondered why you can't just take a photo from the internet to use as you wish, I hope this article has clears the confusion and enlightens you a bit more on the concept of copyright and why it's important for artists to charge appropriately for it.

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Photography Case Study: How to Adapt to the Unexpected During a Photoshoot
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Photography Case Study: How to Adapt to the Unexpected During a Photoshoot

I’ve gotten into a comfortable, efficient rhythm with my architecture photography. Whether it’s a single-family home, a banquet hall, or commercial exterior, there is a predictable process by which I make my approach. This post will document what happens when things don’t go according to plan.

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How to Take a Great Photo with Simple Gear
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

How to Take a Great Photo with Simple Gear

This post is a brief account covering how I made the photo above using only a 500 dollar camera and kit lens. The purpose of this article is to deomonstrate how you can still take great photos using basic, cheap and simple gear. 

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Why Walking Away Can Do Wonders for Creativity
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Why Walking Away Can Do Wonders for Creativity

The creative process, like the creative business, can be a feast or famine ordeal. Sometimes everything just clicks. The clouds part and the most beautiful sky appears. You're bursting with more ideas than you can manage, and you've got "keepers" to edit for weeks. But at times nothing works. Everything is shit, and no matter what you do, the shots you take can leave you pondering the thought of quitting the craft altogether. 

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Photography is Easy in a Drag and Drop World
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Photography is Easy in a Drag and Drop World

Photography is easier than ever. I truly believe that. It's always been a very technical craft, but there was always something mysterious and magical about the process back when a much smaller portion of the world's population could claim any type of fluency in it. 

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Why Photographers Should Still Blog
Christian Santiago Christian Santiago

Why Photographers Should Still Blog

To be quite honest, I've always been fatally allergic to blogging. I don't hate it. It's therapeutic, cathartic and for some a lucrative full-time gig that pays the bills and opens up a bounty of opportunities. But I've never been the type of person to heavily invest in something I didn't think i'd ever be good at.  For a long time, the thought of me starting a blog felt as silly as deciding to pursue a career in the NBA at 5'9 and thirty-two years of age: I could practice my ball handling til my hands went numb and take a thousand jump shots a day, but even after dedicating years of my life taking jump shots at the gym, I'd probably still be just good enough to not be embarrassing in pick-up games on the weekend.

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