ralph romaguera.com

About

2012-10-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Ralph Romaguera began his photographic career at the age of 18 in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

In 1971, Romaguera opened his first portrait studio in New Orleans. Presently he owns and operates three studios in the Greater New Orleans area. His exhibition prints have been accepted in the General, Loan and Masters' Loan Exhibits of the Professional Photographers of America and is a ten time winner of the prestigious Kodak Gallery Award, given for photographic excellence. Ralph has been honored numerous times as "Master of the Year" for the state of Louisiana by the Professional Photographers Association of Louisiana, an organization which has also honored him with a "Lifetime Achievement Award." Ralph has recently been honored by being named the 96th fellow in the American Society of Photographers, a distinction only claimed by 70 living photographers.

Romaguera has received his Masters and Craftsman Degrees and is certified by the Professional Photographers of America.

Romaguera has served as President of the Greater New Orleans Guild, the Professional Photographers of Louisiana, the Southwestern Photographers Association and the American Society of Photographers. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Professional Photographers of America. As a platform speaker and a judge, Ralph has lectured throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, Korea and China. He has been a presenter numerous times at the National PPA convention and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. He has been an instructor for the Winona International School for Professional Photography, Texas School of Professional Photography as well as many others.

The Romaguera's were chosen to represent portrait photographers on the NBC "Today Show" in a series celebrating the 150 Years of Professional Photography.

One of Ralph's greatest joys is giving back to the New Orleans community. He has done so for the past 15 years by donating his services to the Young Leadership Council by photographing their annual role models.

Ralph is married to the former Cindy Tomme and along with his children operates Romaguera Photography's three Greater New Orleans area studios.

Online Store

2011-10-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

Products: CDs & DVDs

Sports - $99
Get out of the minor league and into the majors with these exciting sports ideas. Get into
the pros with sports poster templates and ideas.(some hi-res tempates are in layers). Also
included are pricelist and order form examples and program covers.

Marketing - $99
Included are Samples of Gift cards & Diret mail pieces; Marketing recommendation form;
Facebook Marketing; Roma 101 setup; Action plan for Nola 2010; Super Senior Week materials.

Art Series - $99
Want your protraits to look like a million dollars in a minutes time? This CD includes
RomaWorld photoshop actions - numerous actions to make one minutes retouching
a reality.(including true B/W, sepia tones, lo-key and hi key Vignetting.) Also included are
templates for multi-image compositing, widescreen wallets, and Super Senior Week products.

Digital Workflow / Show Me The Money - $99
Learn how Romaguera takes their captured images from start to finish. Installer of Pro Select Software. (Mac & PC)
Show Me the Money Budget Templates including Cash Flow Expense Detail & Income; Division Charts; Prospect
Schools; Net Worth Analysis; Monthly BudgetAnalysis and How to Guide.

School Days Manual- $199
Includes: Proposals; Contracts; How to Shoot; Pricelists; Marketing Pieces; Evaluation Forms and Audit Sheets.
Also included is a digital copy of all documents. Some documents can be customized.

Pricelist Book & BONUS DVD- $149
Booklet of Pricelists encompasses nearly everything that we photograph in our events division.
Along with the book you will recieve a DVD with PSD files so you can customize our layouts to suit
your own needs. As a bonus we have included a Senior Portrait Pricelist from our Studio Division in
the book.

All 4 CDs and 2 book for $499

Download this PDF form and mail it to:

ATTN: Roch Eshleman
Romaguera Photography
2319 Metairie Rd
Metairie LA 70003

ASP Thesis

2010-10-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

I Know What It Means…
ASP Thesis
Ralph Romaguera Sr.
One of the most famous New Orleanians, the great musician Louis Armstrong, performed the song “Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans.” The song goes on to talk about “The moonlight on the bayou... a Creole tune... that fills the air… I dream... about magnolias in bloom... and I’m wishin’ I was there. New Orleans is the land of dreamy dreams. It is the Crescent City – it is the Big Easy!” Growing up in New Orleans was great! It was the Sunday morning “streetcar” ride up Canal Street. It was meandering through the French Quarter to the St. Louis Cathedral, and after mass a walk past the artists and musicians that filled Jackson Square. To top the morning off, it was Café au Lait and Beignets (coffee and donuts). One day, I thought, maybe people will hear me play or see my work. As a young boy, I had the opportunity twice to go to a Kiwanis sponsored camp. I loved the camp. Little did I know that it was a camp for indigent boys. Never did my mother or two sisters ever tell me we were poor.

Then one November night my mother and I went around the corner to Miss Rita’s house for the Friday night ladies’ card game. Miss Rita also had a son named Ralph. We always played until we got tired, usually 9 o’clock. Forty-five years ago the streets were safe to walk around the block, until that night.  I saw what appeared to be a very large man climbing out of my bedroom window. The main thing he stole was the one hundred dollars my mother had been saving for Christmas presents. Once again, Kiwanis was there. They found out about my mother’s plight and gave us a hundred dollars so Christmas would not be spoiled. I knew that one day I was going to be a Kiwanian; I wanted to be able to help some other mom and her kid. When I was of high school age, I went to an all boys’ Catholic high school. St. Aloysius was located one block outside of the French Quarter. It was a great school taught by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. With the windows open, you could hear the vendors walking the street shouting, but also singing - things like “I gotta watermelon and I got it now.” I am so appreciative of the Brothers for the education they gave me. They taught much more than just reading and writing. They prepared us to be young men. They taught fear of the Lord and fear of the paddle. Brother Lee Barker was my principal and a fair man. My mother had to visit Brother Lee to ask for a little extra time to pay my $25 per month tuition. I learned a couple of lessons from the two greatest people in my young life; from Brother Lee to be kind and considerate; from Mom that no matter how little or how large the debt, face the person and let them know how you will pay it back. Back then I thought that maybe one day I could pay for some kid’s education.
The best way I could show my appreciation to Mom and Brother Lee was with good grades – I finished with a 3.8. So off to LSUNO I went, not knowing what I really wanted to be. The first semester I got a 2.3 and my best friend from the band Bill LaGrange got a .8. We had found out what girls, beer and fraternities were all about! After a couple of beers that next Friday night, I asked Bill what he really wanted to do. Of course, he was thinking of the next bar. “No, really, let’s join the Navy in the morning.” I said. In his not so sober voice he responded, “If you are crazy enough to go, so will I.” He spent the night at my house and the next morning we were off to the recruiter. After a week of tests and a physical, we once again sat in front of the recruiter. He asked, “What would you like to be?” Bill’s reply was “What do you have to offer?” “How’s about aviation jet mechanic?” the recruiter asked. “No,” Bill replied “we really don’t like to get our hands dirty.” “What about Airman Ordinance?” offered the recruiter. When the recruiter explained that it was loading bombs, Bill once again decided against it. “How’s about a nice easy air conditioned office job, folding parachutes and you go to New Jersey. It’s just like folding towels and you will be home in 5 months.” “Great!” was Bill’s reply. “Heck, we have never been north of Baton Rouge!” Then the recruiter said we get to jump out of a plane with the first ones we packed. Bill then yelled “Hell no! What else to you have to offer?” The recruiter, just about to lose patience with us, said the only thing else I have is photography, but you didn’t declare that as one of your interests. Bill said, “Ralph, tell him about the darkroom we have at your house.” I didn’t even know how to load an instamatic! So, off we went to Pensacola Florida for basic photography training. During our training, I saw a movie titled “Blow Up”. Now 18 years old, this movie about this cool guy, photographing these cool chicks, got me thinking this might be the profession for me. I instantly fell in love with creating images. Yes, I do remember my first shot of the 4x5 camera case. Yes, I do remember the magic of developing the film and seeing the image come up in the pan. After 5 months, 26 days and 10 hours of temporary duty, we were heading home to enroll back in college. The roles now reversed, Bill turned out to be a good student and finished college while I staggered through courses not caring about anything but the camera. Living with a camera around my shoulder, I was in the right place at the right time and the local daily newspaper ran some of my images. Then they asked me to be on the staff. Now I felt like a real photographer. One day I was doing head shots of a debutante in the newspaper’s studio, and they waited for me to process the film and make a contact sheet. The girl’s face showed her satisfaction with my work, and the mother said, “You ought to become professional.” Even though I took it as an insult, my mother taught me to just say “Thank you”. I thought to myself, “I am a professional – I make $125 per week and I have a car allowance!” But I thought more and more about her statement. She really liked what I did – maybe I could be a portrait photographer and own my own studio one day. My new wife was selling bridal gowns at a little boutique and she was able to send leads my way. Soon, I was making more money on the weekends then I was at my full time job. Life was going to be great at $160 per wedding! She was 8 months pregnant with Ralph Jr. when I quit the Times Picayune. One of the first things I did was to join the Professional Photographers of Louisiana. It exposed me to what the lady meant by “professional”. I was consumed with print competition – I knew I had a lot to learn. I then started to travel to the Mississippi/Alabama convention, the Georgia convention; anywhere I could to soak up knowledge. Meisel Photochrome lab started putting on seminars with the some of the now legends: Monte and Sandi Zucker, Leon Kennamer, Joseph and Martha Zeltzman, Frank Cricchio and Al Gilbert. In Atlanta or Rochester, Kodak put on lectures by a gentleman named Andy Purdome. Donald Jack was probably the most influential speaker of all; I thought one day maybe I could be good enough to be a speaker, and be able to share and educate the new photographer. I strongly believe that God’s purpose for everyone is to serve, to share and to build. Now as a grown man, I have had the opportunity to be a Kiwanian, going through the ranks all the way to Lieutenant Governor. Kiwanis’ motto is to serve and to build. Together with many friends, we have built new clubs, built playgrounds, given to orphanages and to serve the less fortunate. On the professional side, I have been very blessed with having made so many great friends over the last thirty plus years, but never did I realize the bonds until August 29, 2005.  My great city was devastated by the largest natural disaster to ever hit America. Katrina took away our music, our art, our restaurants and our people. Ten months later over 200,000 folks are still not home. New Orleans will never be the same – ever. Hopefully it will be better, but it will take a long, long time. It took a week to even get internet service 80 miles away where we had evacuated. There were over 400 email messages with prayers and well wishes from photography friends. Many photographers graciously offered us work and their homes. Ralph Jr., Ryan and I went to California to work and just get a break from the rebuilding work we had been doing. Randy and Linda Brister gave us a place to stay and fed us. We were able to help him with his very busy season in October. It had been two months without clients; multiply that by four studios and you can feel the financial pinch we were experiencing. Twenty six photographers and their friends from all over the United States and Canada, some I knew and some I met for the first time, came in during Thanksgiving week to help build out our outdoor studio. Organizations like PPA and WPPI sent in money as fast as they could. Many of us were on unemployment and food stamps not knowing when or if we would be back in business. I will never forget the efforts of Cheryl Ridgeway and Johnny Burroughs; so many of our vendors came to our rescue, like Off the Wall Productions, Norman and Kodak. I had a meeting, trying to see what the needs of the local photographers were. It was great to see the faces of my friends. The best quote of the night was when George Kushler, a young photographer, said, “I now know why I pay my dues.” More than a magazine, more than the competition, more than any convention, our friends are what we gain by belonging. I have traveled extensively since the storm; everywhere I go the question “How is New Orleans?” is asked. It is impossible to put the answer into words. You have to see it and live it to believe it. No way can anyone understand, feel the pain, or the sorrow. You just have to live it. In my travels since the destruction of my city I have never felt so much like an outsider, displaced from what I love and remember. As Fats Domino sang: “No matter where I roam, New Orleans is my home.” So I must say; “ I do know what it means to miss New Orleans.” My joy is that God continues to give me the opportunity every day to make music and art through my photography. I hope I make Him proud.
The Young Leadership Council
Terry Deglau, director of professional relations for Eastman Kodak, asked me to be part of the mentor team. It was quite an honor for me; there I sat with some of the best photographers in our business. I was so pleased to be part of an organization that was dedicated to educating the professional photographer. It was 1994 when Michael Taylor showed his images of the “People with Passion for Pasadena”. Terry said that all of us should find an organization that we could help through professional photography. Dr. Merv Trail was an acquaintance that loved New Orleans. He was instrumental in bringing the Final Four basketball tournament, the Superbowl and many other events to our “Big Easy”. I explained to him what Kodak wanted and he got me in touch with the Young Leadership Council. The Young Leadership Council is a non-profit, non-partisan civic organization created to develop leadership through community projects. These projects center on youth education, youth enrichment, leadership development, arts and culture, community service, and economic development.  A few years ago, the YLC started a campaign called “Proud to call it Home”. This theme has a renewed meaning in this post Katrina area. There has never been a better time for New Orleanians to remember their pride in their city and give comfort to so many still unable to return. Each year, the YLC hosts an elegant $150 a plate formal gala honoring 25 of the best role models in New Orleans. In the months preceding the gala, I have the opportunity to meet some of the more prominent citizens who would normally not have portraits made. The organization makes all the appointments, emphasizing the honor it is to have their image included in the walk of fame that evening. For me, it is an exercise in professionalism, to be able to walk in their office and leave with a beautiful portrait in less than 10 minutes. It is an exercise in choosing the correct lighting, sometimes available and sometimes with strobes. Many of these images were taken with one portable flash bounced into a corner of a room.  I have now had the honor of photographing over 250 role models. The twenty-five images I selected were not based on the best photography but on the passion and heart of each person that came through in my short time with each person.
The Role Models
Like the city herself, the role models are a variety of folks like artist, musicians, chefs and entrepreneurs. The collection includes the likes of Dr. Bob Roberts. Dr. Roberts gave up his dental profession to help convicted felons rehabilitate after their stay in Angola, a jail for the most hardened of Louisiana criminals. Dr. Robert’s success rate is in the 80% of men that do not return to prison. The portrait has meaning to me because of the young gentleman in the lower right corner of the image. One week after I made the image, the young man was killed because of a mistaken identity.  The center image is of Irvin Mayfield, a very talented musician and the cultural ambassador for the state of Louisiana. In the few minutes I had with the gentleman, it was a pleasure to hear him play the trumpet and piano. Mr. Mayfield lost his dad to the waters of Katrina. His father’s remains were not found for three weeks. The lady with her leg folded under is Ruby Bridges. It took a lot to get Ms. Bridges and my schedules to match. Finally we meet on the steps of the New Orleans Museum of Art only to encounter rain. Two frames were all I got of this impressive and important lady. The image next to her is a Norman Rockwell painting of her being escorted by FBI agents to her first day of school. She was the first black child to integrate the school system. Larry Gibbs was impressive to me. I went to his very typical large contractor’s office; I asked him if he was to be in his favorite place where would it be? He said on the ball field with his young daughter. Perfect I said ; let’s go there. One of the images is that of Sam LeBlanc, an attorney who would much rather do his metal art than be in a courtroom.  Dr. Mayer Heiman is a retired physician who collects repairs and sends medical supplies to South American countries. Marc Cooper is the head of the Vieux Carre commission. It is the commission that oversees all renovations within the French Quarter. What each of these role models share are a love and a passion for our fair city. As we approach the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we all realize that it will take hard work and persistence for many years to be totally back to normal. What the heck, we want and we will get a better New Orleans. For now, we all “Know what it means to miss New Orleans.”
Resume of Ralph Romaguera, Sr.

Romaguera began his photographic career at the age of 18 in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Following active duty at the Naval Photo School, he obtained a part time position with United Press International and later became a full time photojournalist for the Times Picayune Publishing Corporation in New Orleans, LA.
In 1971, Romaguera opened his first portrait studio in New Orleans. Presently he and his sons own and operate three studios in the Greater New Orleans area. His exhibition prints have been accepted in the General, Loan and Masters Loan Exhibits of the Professional Photographers of America and a ten-time winner of the prestigious Kodak Gallery Award, given for photographic excellence. Romaguera has been honored numerous times with Master of the Year for the state of Louisiana.
Romaguera has received his Masters and Craftsman Degrees and is certified from the Professional Photographers of America. He has served on the Wedding Group, chairman of the Photographic Exhibitions Committee, the International Committee and vice-chairman of the Convention Committee for the Professional Photographers of America. Romaguera has been honored with the coveted National Award and the International Award from PPA as well as the Service Award from the American Society of Photographers. The Professional Photographers of Louisiana has recently recognized Ralph with the Emile Navarre Lifetime Achievement Award for his long dedication to the profession and recent activities he handled for New Orleans area photographers following the Katrina disaster.
Romaguera is currently a member of the PPA Board of Directors.
Romaguera has served as President of the Greater New Orleans Guild, the Professional Photographers of Louisiana, the Southwestern Photographers Association and the American Society of Photographers.
As a platform speaker and a judge, Romaguera has lectured throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Korea, Germany and Great Britain. He has been a presenter numerous times at the National PPA convention, Senior Photographers International and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. He has been an instructor for the Winona International School for Professional Photography, the Florida School, the Mid America Institute of Professional Photography, the Mount Carroll School, Mid Atlantic Regional School, the California Workshop and the Texas School of Professional Photography.
Romaguera was chosen to represent portrait photographers on the NBC Today Show in a series celebrating the 150 Years of Professional Photography.

The 'I Know What It Means', full video, is a documentary about the life and times of The City Of New Orleans told by Ralph Romaguera Sr., through his words and photography. It also includes Ralph Sr.'s ASP Thesis. Benefits from this documentary go to a Hurricane Katrina Fund.

Mardi Gras-Romaguera Style

2010-02-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me answer some common questions.

What is Mardi Gras?

The words Mardi Gras is french for “”Fat Tuesday”. Mardi Gras is a celebration that extends from January 6th until the day before “Ash Wednesday” - when you are supposed to repent for your sins!

The celebration has taken quite a turn over the decades. Mardi Gras is made of a bunch of “Krewes”. Krewes are nothing more than adult fraternities or sororities. Most of the krewes are either all male or all female. All that means is that in a female krewe, the ladies ride on the floats but the men participate in everything else - vice versa for the male krewe. The Krewe of Carrollton which is 86 years old is a male krewe that rides on Sunday, nine days before Fat Tuesday.

Mardi Gras is not beads for flashes - that’s is only the way the news media portrays it. Usually it’s out of town guest who shouldn’t be showing anything!

Mardi Gras from the inside is a very family oriented fun celebration. Mardi Gras Romaguera style is three days of intense fun. Most of the guest arrive on Friday for the Ball. The ball is a black tie supper dance where the King and Queen and their court are presented. Usually Carrollton has about 1000 guest at this presentation.

Saturday, after a late wake up, we make our first stop at the den. The den houses all the floats and all the families are there to check out the riders positions. Then we will go to a fine restaurant in the French Quarter for a leisure brunch. I usually suggest not staying out real late because on Sunday morning the festivities continues!

It’s a 7am breakfast at the House of Blues with about 500 guest! This is a lot of fun for the whole family because at nine o’clock we all walk through the French Quarter behind a Jazz band and motorcycle police!

At 11:00am the guys go to put on their costumes. After a pep talk by the Captain of the Krewe, the men load onto buses where they are taken to the beginning of the parade - by police escort, of course.

From noon sharp until 3:00pm, the men will ride through the city throwing beads, cups, dabloons and stuffed animals to over a million spectators!

After a short rest, the ladies will be taken to a special reviewing stand to view the parade and catch an assortment of trinkets. They get to see the entire parade with all the floats, mounted units, and marching bands.

It’s not over when the parade ends - its time for the after parade party!

I strongly suggest that you don’t fly out until Monday afternoon. With all the excitement and all the throwing and catching going on - you will be tired!!

I promise this will be an experience like you have never had before! Here are a few comments from some of the previous guest.

Hanson Fong (rode three times): Carrollton Experiences- the best of times with coolest crowds. I love it and want to do it again!

Sue Steakley: It was SOOOOO much fun!!! Being on the "inside" definitely has it's perks! The costumes was incredible. I loved seeing the dresses with the LONG trains of the Queen nominees - I can't imagine how long it took to make them and the imagination and creativity that was involved - WOW! I loved going behind the band parading down Bourbon Street early in the morning throwing beads

to those watching. It was just a great experience all around - the meals, the friends, what more can I say?????

Doug and LaVelda Box: LaVelda and I had a great time at Mardi Gras - From the Ball to the parade, to the great fun and food. Thanks!

Larry and Karen Peters: What a blast.....From the time we arrived until we went home, we were treated to New Orleans like no other experience could offer. From the ball (first class) to the parade to the tour of NO plus all the great food and entertainment. It was first class all the way. This was an experience we will never forget and have beautiful pictures to remember it.

Pat and Mary Cahill: Ralph I would just like to thank you for the awesome experience that I had writing the Mardi Gras parade as part of the Krewe of Carrollton. Being from the northern part of the United States I had actually no idea how awesome Mardi Gras really was and what it's true foundation and meeting was. I can't thank you enough for inviting me to be part of the Krewe of Carrollton I would recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to participate in Mardi Gras with the Krewe of Carrollton and its deep traditions to jump at the chance and experience it.

Don and Charlcey Dickson: What a great time, it was an awesome experience. It was really a great weekend with all the fun events. I hope that we can get a group of photographers all together and ride the float as a group, it truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Here are a few names that you might recognize - some have been multiple times:

Dan and Heidi Beniot, Doug and LaVelda Box, Brian and Deb Cresel, David and Mary Lee, Don and Nancy Emmerich, Hanson Fong, Henry and marion Oles, Gary and Nancy Strain, George Wakefield and Jill Sanders, Susan Michal, Jay and Kathy Young, Peter and Pam Dyer, Joel and Deb Dyer, Charles and Toni Green, John and Cheryl Ridgeway, John and Bonnie Shirilla, Mark and Evelyn Roberts, Wayne Bryne and Pat Summers, Mike and Jessica Ridinger, Pat and Mary Cahill, Paul Bernstein and Caryn Benjamin, Paul and Mary Jean Schulz, Paul and Shirley Skipworth, Peter and Fran Howlett, Randy and Linda Brister, Rich Voorhees, Ron and Carol Nichols, Stewart and Susan Powers, Ted and Jennifer Penland, Thomas and Valarie Wintz, Tim and Sally Mathiesen, Thomas and Tian Thoon, Terry and Sue Harris.

Click here for Mardi Gras packages

Texas School Does Mardi Gras

2010-02-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

February 25-27, 2011

A One-of-a-Kind Experience! Singles or Couples!

February 25, 2011 - See Mardi Gras behind the scenes!
Attend a New Orleans Carnival Bal Masque and Supper-Dance, a part of Mardi Gras
that not even most New Orleanians get to experience! See the presentation of the
Krewe of Carrollton’s Royal Court in all its splendour at the New Orleans Hilton
on the Mississippi River. Then, enjoy a four-course dinner and dance the night away!

February 26, 2011 - Explore New Orleans!
Enjoy a luncheon at one of New Orleans’ most famous restaurants. The rest of the day
is yours to spend as you please! Explore the history and grandeur of the French Quarter.
Take a streetcar ride into the picturesque Garden District. Artists will enjoy
the Warehouse District, where they can stroll through galleries brimming with unique
creations. It’s up to you!

February 27, 2011 - Parade Day!
A day to party! Begin the day with a jazzy breakfast at the House of Blues with the whole
Krewe of Carrollton! From there, we’ll march through the Quarter back to the Hilton
where the guys will don their costumes and board buses that will take them to their
floats. Ladies will have a few hours of down time before they walk to the reviewing
stands to view the Carrollton parade, and catch loads of beads from the guys!
Following the parade will be an After-party at the Hilton to celebrate a fantastic
Carnival weekend!

Click here for Mardi Gras Packages

No Lights Photography

2010-01-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

Ralph Romaguera explains how how to use cheap lights from a hardware store to take professional portraits.

Canon 7D

2010-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the Gym noise but I think if you do schools you will enjoy.

Quantum Video

2010-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Quantum for a successful football shoot this morning.

Mardi Gras Photos Pt.2

2009-11-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Mardi Gras Packages

2009-10-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ultimate Package - $1900
Non Riding Couple - $1175
Single Riding Male - $1670
Single Non Riding Person - $945

Ultimate Package - $1900

Includes one male rider and throws
2 tickets to the Ball
Favor for the lady
2 tickets to The House of Blues Breakfast
2 tickets to the after parade party
2 tickets to Brunch on Saturday
Hotel room for 3 nights

Non Riding Couple - $1175

2 tickets to the Ball
Favor for the lady
2 tickets to The House of Blues Breakfast
2 tickets to the after parade party
2 tickets to Brunch on Saturday
Hotel room for 3 nights

Single Riding Male - $1670

Includes one male rider and throws
1 ticket to the Ball
1 ticket to The House of Blues Breakfast
1 ticket to the after parade party
1 ticket to Brunch on Saturday
Hotel room for 3 nights

Single Non Riding Person - $945

1 ticket to the Ball
1 ticket to The House of Blues Breakfast
1 ticket to the after parade party
1 ticket to Brunch on Saturday
Hotel room for 3 nights

For more information about ordering packages, contact Roch Eshleman:
roch@romaguera.com

Mardi Gras Photos

2009-10-16T09:40:00.001-07:00

Local Photographer and Businessman Awarded Most Prestigious Award

2009-10-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

(New Orleans, La.) The American Society of Photographers is a group that boasts the most elite professional photographers in the world. Officially organized on August 1st, 1937, the ASP is “dedicated to fostering the Ideals of professional photography as a science and an art.” To be eligible for membership in the ASP, one must first be a standing member of Professional Photographers of America, one of the largest trade organizations in existence. The most prestigious award bestowed upon a member by the ASP is the Fellowship. In San Antonio, Texas at the Imaging USA Convention in January of this year, Ralph Romaguera, Sr. was awarded this honor. Mr. Romaguera is only the 98th Fellow in the organization’s 70 year history.
Ralph Romaguera, a New Orleans native, began his photographic career at the age of 18 in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1971, Romaguera opened his first portrait studio in New Orleans. Presently he owns and operates three studios in the Greater New Orleans area. His exhibition prints have been accepted in the General, Loan and Masters' Loan Exhibits of the Professional Photographers of America and is a ten time winner of the prestigious Kodak Gallery Award, given for photographic excellence. Ralph has been honored numerous times as "Master of the Year" for the state of Louisiana and has also received the coveted “Emile Navarre Lifetime Achievement Award” as present by the Professional Photographers of Louisiana. Romaguera has received his Masters and Craftsman Degrees and is certified from the Professional Photographers of America.

Romaguera has served as President of the Greater New Orleans Guild, the Professional Photographers of Louisiana, the Southwestern Photographers Association and the American Society of Photographers. Another shining moment in his career, Ralph was elected last year to the Board of Directors for the Professional Photographers of America.
As a platform speaker and a judge, Ralph has lectured throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain and Korea. He has been a presenter numerous times at the National PPA convention and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. He has been an instructor for the Winona International School for Professional Photography, and the Texas School of Professional Photography.

As a local businessman, Ralph has served all parts of the Metro Area, from his beginnings on Dowman Road in New Orleans East to his Victorian Studio on Canal Street and even a studio inside of Maison Blanche. Today he operates his three studios with the help of his four children and their spouses along with a local staff of twenty three full time employees.

The most important part of applying for the Fellowship, second only to the photography, is a thesis that is written. The applicant writes about the body of work that he has produced and explains the art that is then judged. The work is judged as follows according to ASP:

“A jury of peers will judge the portfolio and the paper composed of five who must be members of the ASP as selected by the ASP Board of Governors. At least four of the jurors must hold the ASP Fellowship. The decision for awarding of the Fellowship shall reside in this jury. It is the highest honor bestowed to any ASP member.”

Romaguera’s thesis entitled “I Know What it Means” chronicles not only his life and career in photography, but also unveils moments of triumph and tribulation in the lives of those whose images he has captured. The thesis, which is enclosed talks about Ralph’s work with the Young Leadership Council and the photographing of such New Orleanians as Irvin Mayfield, Erroll Laborde, C. Ray Nagin, Rob Couhig and Lin Emery to name a few.

Currently Romaguera is in talks with Kodak Professional about publishing his works with the YLC in book format. A few copies of this work are available for pre press looks.

Top Ten

2009-05-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Every time any of the RomaGang goes out of town - I insist that if we are spending the money - I have to have the top ten things they (and/or me) learned that will make us money. I will try to post some of the top ten my Texas School class listed. Many times...there are a lot more than just ten.

Links

2006-10-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

ACI

Photo Lynx

Excel Frames

Desktop Darkroom

Kodak

ProSelect

Crop Lines

Quantum

Mac Group

Westcott

Tamrac

Tamron

Larson

Doug Box

Ron Nichols Digital Solutions