About Us

2 Guys Photo, the early years

2 Guys Photo is a website dedicated to emerging photographers everywhere.  The 2 Guys are Ed and Rey, brothers living in New England (United States) who fell in love with photography as young boys and who have continued to be in love with it since.

The web is full of resources for hobbyists and professionals, but most tend toward advanced techniques or serious gear discussions.  If you are not advanced (yet) and/or believe that you don’t have to get on a merry-go-round of continued high end equipment purchasing in order to be good at what you love, then our hope is that 2 Guys Photo will be for you.

Here, we delve into the actual task of creating images, letting you in on the sometimes unsophisticated ways we capture them, e.g., on our iPhones… and sometimes on the more involved set-ups and post-processing techniques we’ve deployed.  We discuss gear, learning resources, and other related photo topics.  We also try to balance the scientific with the artistic in ways that honor the very balance between the seemingly opposing perspectives that comprise the photographic craft.

We often receive emails from visitors about the possibility of bringing 2 Guys Photo out into the real world, via meet-ups and guided photo jaunts.  Check back… we’re working on those!

Hope you enjoy.  Please always feel free to comment on posts or to give us feedback at espadon9@yahoo.com.

Thanks for visiting.

Ed & Rey

About Rey by Ed

Rey has been making images for most of his life.  Like me, he was exposed to photography by our Dad, a long time amateur photographer who shot with all types of cameras.  We became used to flashes and spotlights (Dad made movies too) going off all around us at an early age.

Rey’s first serious camera was a Petri 35mm rangefinder, which Rey reminds me, I gave to him after a friend gave it to me.  From there he stepped up to the venerable Pentax K1000, with which he shot for his high school newspaper as editor and again for his college newspaper as photo editor.  As a kid, he assembled a darkroom in the basement, where magical and mysterious things happened.  He developed photos there too.

Rey has evolved into a fantastic landscape photographer, and is mastering his HDR skills. His work has been exhibited in a recent show at a local coffee shop, and he has many followers at his photography website: ReySpadoni.com.  He has done some paid work for clients though he is quick to admit that he’s not giving up the day job.  He is also a well known and regular contributor to the forums of DPReview.com and other online communities.

As much as he enjoys making images, Rey is also a true “techie”, keeping up with the latest in camera and lens developments and trends.  Because of his deep product knowledge, he has long been my regular source for recommendations before I commit to a gear purchase, and he can reliably predict the next hot camera or technology.  He is an early adopter of gear as well.  He was one of the very first to get his hands on a micro 4/3 camera and has shot with every brand of camera and lens out there.  He can speak with first-hand knowledge of features and form, quality and advantages.  (Watch for this in future gear reviews for 2 Guys Photo!)

Philosophically, Rey and I sometimes differ on the importance of gear versus skill, Rey seeing the gear as slightly more important than I do (though I expect he’ll come around).  This, coupled with our shared passion for photography, makes for some lively discussions and I think we provide good counterpoints for each other.

If I were to summarize Rey’s photographic “quest”, it’s to improve his image making skills while continuing to remain at the leading edge of photographic advancements.  And, to continue sharing his love for photography at 2 Guys Photo, over on his website and over a good cup of coffee.

About Ed by Rey

Ed was first exposed to photography through our dad who experimented with various Kodak cameras, including the venerable Brownie and Retina.  Ed dabbled in 35mm film photography with a Minolta XGM and then a Canon Rebel system.  His introduction to the world of serious digital photography came with the purchase of a still-in-the-family Nikon D50.  Eventually he sought greater creative control in the form of better autofocus, higher resolution and enhanced low light capabilities and purchased a Nikon D90 digital SLR.

Ed is a staunch advocate of “the best camera is the one you have with you” and “the camera doesn’t matter” schools of thought.  He’ll be quick to roll his eyes at the suggestion that a new piece of equipment will make anyone a better photographer and, more convincingly, will show you the images he’s captured with his decidedly low end Canon A Series Powershot point and shooter or iPhone (not the latest generation, of course) as the case in point.  A quick glance through Ed’s galleries will sway anyone to agree with his contentions, (EdSpadoni.com).  His work has been featured online at The Iphoneography Blog and The Photography Corner.

Ed’s photographic style defies simple categorization as he’s at home shooting landscapes, portraits, architectural, macro, and nature photographs.  Some of his work explores the rich textures of natural life while candids and street photography also fill his galleries.  If pressed to describe Ed’s approach, I would say that Ed has mastered the art of composition, often finding beauty within the mundane… utilizing a cropped perspective to draw a viewer’s eye right to the heart of the matter or alternatively selectively manipulating the depth of field to make sure that the sometimes unnoticed stands out.

Ed enjoys the weekend photo jaunt, posting on his popular Smugmug site where he is a long-time and trusted community member, and sharing his skills and perspective with friends and colleagues.  Key word here: sharing.  2guysphoto.com is Ed’s way of sharing his lifelong passion with those who can benefit from his experience, while also hoping himself to improve his technical skills and artistry.