Tony Llerena Photography – Bangor Maine Wedding and Portrait Photographer

I am jealous of Emily. There I said it but it doesn’t make me feel any better. Emily recently travelled to the land of my ancestors. No, not planet Melmac. She went to Cuba with a group from UMaine. I never really had much interest in the country when I was growing up but I’ve had a growing appreciation over the last couple of years in the land of my forefathers. I’ve been told by many that it has one of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the world. Cuba may have to move near the top of my bucket list of places to visit before I die.

I grew up in Columbia, Maryland and moved to Maine 10 years ago to attend UMaine. I thoroughly enjoyed studying education, history, and Innovation Engineering. I teach history and love working with young people. I am passionate about social justice activism, music, and traveling. I recently combined these passions traveling to China, Cuba, and New Orleans.

I used to baby my belongings to the point of being obsessive. I was reprimanded as a child for not sharing and letting my cousin play with my He-Man action figures. I was worried he was going to break them. Am I alone in feeling like this? I mention this because I’ve had to adapt as I’ve gotten older, and it’s been a struggle.

It’s taken me a long time to stop worrying about my camera gear and start USING my camera gear. I would be so worried about getting anything scratched or scraped that I would limit myself to safer shots to protect the gear. No more. The gear is there to be used. I’ve taken my gear out in the rain, outside the back of moving cars, on granite ledges of buildings, and even near CHILDREN!!!! Anything for the shot.

Jen is my wife’s step-mom and she has a blog!

You’re going to hear me talking a lot about the end is near so excuse my excitement. There is slightly over one week left until the last Portrait and the end of the journey. I’m going to try to include as many family and friends that I haven’t included already. Today I was able to catch up in Bar Harbor with my wife’s dad and his wife where they are working through the season. The weather was spotty but I didn’t mind since I really wanted to shoot in the area. This Portrait was taken under the pier that leads to the Margaret Todd, a beautiful setting if you ask me that creates a great backdrop for portraiture.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the person responsible for this quagmire of a project. My wife officially has someone to blame.On a serious note, I met Michelle a little over two years ago when I was shooting Molly and Brandon’s wedding. They warned me that they had this aunt that was an emerging photographer and that she might “get in my way” (my words) on the wedding day. I ignorantly told them I knew how to handle situations like that and not to worry. That was before I met Michelle. We hit it off instantly. I liked her so much that I was even willing to lend her some of my lenses, something I rarely do. At some point during the wedding. she told me about the 365 Project she was working on. To be honest, I was somewhat indifferent about the idea.

I had seen other 365 projects before and I was never really impressed. What’s the big deal, I thought. That was until I saw Michelle’s work. Her project was thoughtful, elegant and unique. It was unique in that she wrote something about each day and each subject. Each day wasn’t just an image, it was a story. She is an amazing photographer and her project not only allowed her to showcase her photographic skills but also revealed who she was as a person. When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my project, I borrowed heavily from Michelle’s experience. She really inspired me to go above and beyond. Thank you Michelle! Do yourself a favor and check out her work.

One of the things I’m going to miss about the project that I’ve somewhat taken for granted is the ability to practice new techniques. In this shot, I was experimenting  with off-camera lighting using Canon’s IR system instead of my usual method of Pocket Wizards. My initial attempt at low-key portraiture with one large soft box lacked depth. I basically added a bare 430EX camera right for added fill and separation. Throughout the course of the past year, I’ve learned to work in just about any environment and lighting condition. I would say my goal of becoming a better photographer has been a resounding success! (if I do say so myself) ONLY 10 MORE TO GO!!! About Cindy:

I am originally from Central Wisconsin and I moved to Maine one year ago to start working on my doctorate in Higher Education at the University of Maine. My favorite hobby is playing with my cat because even though he is 10 years old, he still plays like a kitten.

Today was my first day back to work after my trip. The university is fairly deserted right now because it’s summer and it is the week of the 4th of July holiday. It’s the perfect time to gather your thoughts and catch up which is exactly what I intend to do. About Kayla:

This year will be my junior year at the University of Maine Orono. I’m majoring in business this year hoping to find my niche. My plan is to learn a little bit about business then transfer to the dental hygiene program at UMA Bangor. My Ethnicity is a mash up of Costa Rican, Lithuanian and German. My father’s family came to America in the early 1900’s and my mothers, along with three other siblings, were adopted into a Mennonite family when she was 7. I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life but I’m enjoying the road to finding it.

So there are only twelve days total and only one more weekend standing in my way until the project ends. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our road trip to Colorado was the last big milestone that stood between me and the goal. Now the trip is a memory and I need to make some final plans to include some of my favorite people. Senthil was a definite must as a Portrait. We’ve grown as friends over the last few years and I was going to hunt him down all across the state to get this Portrait of him if I needed to! About Senthil:

I’m a recent alum of the University of Maine, graduating with a Bachelors in Business Administration and a Masters in Accounting. I’ve worked for the University of Maine’s Knowledge Transfer Alliance for the past two years, providing consulting services to small businesses, and am currently transitioning into a position as a Financial Analyst at Fairchild Semiconductor in Portland, Maine. I am a music enthusiast, an internet junkie, and a self-certified goober. I also enjoy trying new things, especially when it comes to food (as in eating, not cooking). I was lucky enough to stumble upon Tonny Llerena during my adventures at UMaine, and have had a great time with him ever since! Tony is THE MAN!

Home sweet home! After two weeks of driving and traveling, we finally made it back home. Thankfully the grass had only grown about a foot because of all the rain and I was just able to mow it. One thing I noticed about driving in other states is that other drivers would periodically sneer at us because we were from out of state, especially when we weren’t quite sure where we were going. Well we were back on familiar Maine roads again and now I know what the drivers in the other states thought of us. Get out of my WAY, tourists! About Andy:

I was born in Texas and grew up just outside of Washington, DC. I write literary fiction, powerlift, and do parkour. I’m pursuing my MFA in creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte.

Today was the day we were supposed to venture into the depths of Mordor… er I mean New York City. By the time we reached Liberty State Park in New Jersey, we were actually encroaching rush hour, which in Manhattan lasts from 1am to 1am everyday. (no that’s not a typo) . We decided it wouldn’t be worth the time in traffic and the hassle for such a short amount of time in the city. Instead we crossed the George Washington Bridge, which hardly seemed worth the $12 toll, and drove around the big hot mess. About Christine:

While I will always have fond memories of my childhood and college years in Maine, I now call Arlington, VA home. I have to say I don’t miss the cold, or the sparse job market. However, I do miss the summers and the amazing people! It’s always a treat when someone comes down to visit, or when I can make it to Maine and see people beyond my own family. While I didn’t get to see Tony and family for very long, it was fantastic to catch up, and I’m really excited to see Tony and others from the program again, when I visit UMaine this fall (Homecoming!) for the first time since graduating with my MBA in 2009!

In case anyone wants to know a little about my life here: I work as an IT consultant in Northern Virginia (or NoVa, to the locals) and spend my free time singing in a community chorus, taking Aikido classes, and generally exploring as many new places and meeting as many new faces as possible.

We strolled into our nation’s capitol a little after midnight thanks to some adventurous routing from Google Maps through the mountains of West Virginia and… HOLY MOLY is that the Washington Monument!?! WoAH is that the Capitol building?!? LOOK, LOOK, is that the LINCOLN MEMORIAL!?!? That was pretty much my reaction upon driving around the mall and seeing some of the most iconic images in the world lit up at night. It was awesome to see Justina who works at GW just a couple of blocks from the White House!About Justina:

I am an alum of Binghamton University and the University of Maine and am currently working at The George Washington University. I am the proud daughter, granddaughter, and sister to the strongest and most amazing people i know. My ultimate goal in life is to be happy all day, everyday. The things I love most in the world are as follows: to laugh and to make others laugh.