Ritterbin Photography Blog

The Ritterbin End Card

2011-12-22T08:34:00.005-05:00

I really enjoy creating my year end card to send to clients. Over the years, I've done odd fashion shows, a Being John Malkovich type scene with me being everyone in a restaurant, mob hits, and now this year's general financial angst. I try for them to be topical and or humorous. For this year, the one-liner is "I'd rather work with you any day."

So, to make an image like this:
1). Browse Alamy, DreamStime, and Corbis among others looking for royalty free work. Royalty free means you can use the image for whatever you like (including alter it) after the initial purchase without having to pay for each usage or type of usage.
2). Dance and smile when after hours of searching you find an image that will work perfectly. There are two serious financial dudes who are diligent but also seemingly confident in what they are doing. They're the perfect set up for your exasperated clown. And, it's like the photographer left that seat in the foreground open for you to take center stage.
3). PAY for the rights to use the work. This can seem quite odd to many folks, especially the younger you go, but for photographers, musicians, creative types, and more and more just about anyone, to continue their work they must get money for it. Think of it like a public radio donation if you have to. Yes, if you listen to them, you should donate.
4). Set up a table and chair in roughly the same position as the photo. Put your camera on your tripod correctly framed. Put a slight fill flash on the camera and set up another flash across the table from yourself. This is the key light and it should mimic the light in the photograph. Rack it out a bit to make it a harder light but keep a diffuser on it. Also, put up a gobo to block the bottom part of the light. The guys bottom halves are blocked from the light by the bank of monitors. Luckily, you don't need an expensive monitor, just a piece of black foam core.
5). Pre-focus and set your camera to timer.
6). Think about your IRA, 401k, house value, bank fees, career politicians saying Washington DC is the problem, how does one lose $1.2 billion?... alright, stop, stop! That's too much. Take a breath, think about kittens and with your proper level of anguish set, go about mugging for the camera.
7). Snap out of it. This is fun... and hopefully darkly funny. Pick the pose you want to work with, use the Pen Tool to cut it out in Photoshop, and drop it into the royalty free image you PURCHASED.
8). Write a blog about it and share with your mailing list.

A Christmas Story in Milton

2011-12-22T08:02:00.008-05:00

This year I held the Ritterbin Holiday Card contest. Ideas were had, votes were cast, and Cher-Marie came out on top with her idea to stage the flag pole scene from A Christmas Story with her son.

We met at Milton City Hall just a decent rain started to fall. Cher-Marie had most the props ready. I brought along the bomber hat for her Flick and the glasses for her son's Ralph. The town flag pole was wood and kind of gross so we looked around for other locations. I'm not a fan of lots of post work but sometimes it actually frees you up rather than trying to find all your elements in the correct positions. Now we could just get all the pieces and blend them later.

The red brick town fire hall served well as a school building. I set up the tripod for consistent framing and because it was pretty dark. It was unseasonably warm but the winter clothes made it look cold. First I had Cher-Marie's son stand in and act like he was looking at her stuck to the flagpole. He did a pretty good job since nothing was really in front of him. I enjoy talking people up into somewhat exaggerated poses or expressions. Next I had Cher-Marie stand in on the left side of the frame, stick out her tongue, and give her best anguished bet-regretting face.

I had read that the flagpole in the movie actually had a small hole with suction to grab Flick's tongue. I figured maybe I could recreate that with a straw on one end of Cher-Marie's tongue and a thumb on the other but it didn't work so well. I would later pull her tongue with Photoshop's Liquify tool.

Our shoot done, we hustled out of the rain to the cars. The next day I found a bike rack in the shade that would serve as a good, clean flagpole. With all my elements I went back to the computer to get what you see above. I hope it brings lots of laughs for Cher-Marie's family and friends.

Beaujolais to You

2011-11-28T16:57:00.004-05:00

112911_Blog_BN - Images by Mike Ritter

Took the photobooth to the Second Glass' party for Georges Duboeuf's Beaujolais Nouveau earlier this month. In case you as rough around the edges as I was a year ago when I first did this, a Beaujolais Nouveau is the first press of the year and a good sign of how good this year's wine quality will be. This year, we were at the Artists for Humanity building. The Second Glass' Morgan and Tyler put on another show and it was a pleasure being there.

Boston Book Festival

2011-11-21T21:30:00.004-05:00

111121_BBF_Blog - Images by Mike Ritter

More and more things are going digital, but I believe there will always be a place for book with a spine and pages. Last month, I was privileged to shoot the Boston Book Festival. While plenty of e-stuff was happening, I saw plenty of people buying the real thing from the various vendors on site including the Harvard Bookstore.

On Friday night, there was a Wire symposium. Among others, Jaime Hector who played Marlo was there. When I met him backstage, I was a bit intimidated having only seen him in (scary) character on TV before, but he was the nicest guy.

Then on Saturday, I bounced between 4 venues downtown stopping in on discussions on Steampunk, writing Memoirs, How to Live (not a very ambitious topic, I know), the Civil War, children's author Mo Willems and Sports Writing. Even though I was moving all day, I don't think I saw 20% of the things going on. By day's end, my path would cross with WBUR's Tom Ashbrook, Bill Littlefield, Richard Russo, Governor Patrick, and Michael Ondaatje. I also got a good excuse to get into the tower of Old South and look out over all of Copley. It was an exhilarating day. Kudos to the BFF staff for pulling off another festival of fascinating programs and people.

Family Day In the Poconos

2011-09-14T06:09:00.007-04:00

PA Family Day Blog 2011 - Images by Mike Ritter

Back in June, we continued what has become an annual tradition since my Dad ran for state rep in '08. We ran a family day to raise money for the campaign and three families have stuck with it ever since. Two work with my biggest promoter (Mom), and one is an old high school friend. Another high school friend visited with her new daughter as well. I've gotten to see these kids grow over the past couple years and siblings be added. I've seen painful shyness turn into uncontrollable glee.

This year we shot at my family's cabin in the Poconos. There was great greenery, buildings, and a lake to work with. The three blonde sisters remained absolutely cherubic with an occasional crying session. The two brothers weren't as interested in photos this year; but once we gave them things to do like throw rocks in the lake and throw apples at the photographer, they settled in. And my buddy Ben's two daughters remain the most hands on sisters I know. They will run with, chase after, collide into, roll over, and hug each other all day.

As Ben's family packed up to leave, his oldest daughter made me smile when she turned and said, "OK, see you next year."

Flashes of Hope

2011-08-25T10:37:00.009-04:00

Blog Flashes of Hope, Ritterbin Photography - Images by Mike Ritter

I'm currently reading a terrific book called "The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World" by Lewis Hyde. It's not just for artist types. Hyde talks about the concept of a gift from various angles and the differences between a gift and a commodity. This is quite relevant for anyone trying to put value on their work which in our information / digital age is more and more of us.

The concept that is sticking with me most is the contrasts between a culture of commodities and a culture of gifts. Like most anything, the extremes are not the way to go. A purely gift culture would literally be anarchy with no money or contracts and everything governed by judgement calls and dependence on our better nature to win out. A basic idea of the free market is that it frees you from responsibility. A value is placed on something you have (not necessarily by you), I pay that value, and I am not beholden to you for anything else. Yet, ultimate freedom leads to ultimate isolation with everyone more and more operating out of solely their own self interest free of responsibility for their actions beyond the value they paid. How else could our market have acted the way it did in 2008 without the people making awful decisions not feeling in any way connected to the people who would be harmed by their reckless actions?

As a photographer, one of the trickiest things is judging what your skill is worth and getting clients to understand why. There are whole seminars etc. on pricing. But, if we become too good / obsessed with this, we will wither and our work suffer. Hyde stressed that sharing your gift whatever it is, is not only a way to bond you to other people but indeed the only way your gift can thrive.

And as a photographer, there are so many outlets to do this. Flashes of Hope is one of my favorite. The other week, I shot for them for the second time. Flashes of Hope pairs photographers with hospitals to create portraits of children in treatment most often for cancer. The portraits are meant to help them become comfortable with their new appearance and possibly lift some of the embarrassment, fear, frustration, and anger with what is happening.

I headed to the Cam Neely House at Tufts Medical Center and was introduced to six kids fighting cancer. Jonathan, Sebastian, Stephanie, Michael, little Maggie, and Shelby were in different stages of treatments and surgeries but all in good spirits. Each was surrounded by family and portraits came easily.

There is a power to being in the moment, and that is where these kids and families are. Everything boils down to the essential. As my Dad says, "Nothing is life and death but life and death." There are none of the little worries or distractions that we find time for when we are healthy.

I wrapped up the day and headed back to the studio grateful for the chance to share myself and to bear witness to the some of the best things life has to offer - what truly sustains all of us to which no value can be applied.

The Beginning of Elizabeth Warren's Senate Campaign?

2011-08-19T10:52:00.010-04:00

Elizabeth Warren Listening Tour's First Stop, Ritterbin Photography Blog - Images by Mike Ritter

Years ago, over a Dorchester Arts Collaborative breakfast at Gerard's, I met a walking Boston institution. I just didn't know it at the time. Her name is Joyce Linehan and she runs Ashmont Media. Over the years, I have shot various jobs with her from bands to politics, and she's shown me what it is to do meaningful work and be a true part of the community. I can hear her blushing now so enough about Joyce.

Joyce asked me to run to be a delegate at this year's Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Lowell (I was elected!). While there in early June, candidates more or less kicked off their campaigns as to why they should be the Democrat to run against Scott Brown next year. But, the buzz in the crowd was about Elizabeth Warren. At that point, she was still in the running to be the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and hence only a hypothetical candidate. Earlier this month, President Obama nominated Richard Cordray to the post leaving Warren free to run if she decides to do so.

This brings us to Monday of this week. Joyce hosted Warren's first Listening Tour stop. Between Joyce's living room, dining room, and hallway about 50 staunch Democrats filled the room to hear what Elizabeth Warren had to say. She gave a brief introduction of her personal life but mostly focused on her time crafting the bank bailout and helping create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

She began taking questions. One listener pointed out that fiscal responsibility is something Republicans lay claim to and that while the regulations of the CFPB are good, how will she keep from being portrayed as a bleeding heart shielding the incompetent from the consequences of their irresponsible decisions? She replied it was about fairness - one of her main themes.

More and more, things are stacked against the middle class. Did people who knew better take out mortgages they never should have years ago? Yes. Is she looking to save people like that? No. At the same time, did many people get tricked by intentionally confusing and misleading fine print in their credit card contracts, mortgages, and student loans? Yes. That is what she wants to fix through the CFPB and the type work she'd like to be part of as a Senator. Giving normal people a shot when it seems more and more leverage goes to the big guys these days.

I realize now, I recognized her from Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and from the documentary Maxed Out. I also enjoyed finding this YouTube clip with Elizabeth Warren grilling Tim Geithner over the seemingly preferential bailout terms of AIG and Goldman Sachs in comparison to the car industry.

In the end, she said she could settle back into her academic life at Harvard. She could spend more time with her family. But, when she thinks about the future of her granddaughters, she knows there is an unbelievable amount of work to be done and who else is going to do it? These are the options she is weighing now.

What's on everybody's mind these days? Debt and uncertainty. To me, it seems Elizabeth Warren has worked hard to address these issues for Main Street America and in Washington. She left that night with people pledging to work hard for her campaign if she does in fact run. I'd be one of them.

"Red" Art Beat Photobooth

2011-08-05T13:00:00.012-04:00

"Red" Art Beat 2011 Ritterbin Photography Photobooth - Images by Mike Ritter

Somerville's ArtBeat is a local legend. I first started selling there with my friend Brian Beaucher in the mid 2000's. Brian has gone brick and mortar with his Boston Coasters / Ward Maps company co-owned with his brother Steve. And, I don't do nearly as many art shows as I used to compared to those first couple barn storming summers, but ArtBeat remains a no-brainer.

Davis Square is always hopping, the community really supports this show and comes out for it, and they make up a new theme each year commemorated in cool little collectible dog tags. And, somehow, it's always incredibly hot and sunny each time they have it.

Last year, Mere and I put a twist how I participated at an art show. We set up a custom photo booth along the lines of the instant photo booths we've been doing for The Second Glass and their Wine Riots. We would give people web res versions of photos for free to use on Facebook etc. and have them for sale if they wanted an old fashioned print out. It was a hit and a new Art Show strategy was born.

This year's theme was Red which is appropriate if you've been watching the markets lately. One big difference between Wine Riot and Art Beat (aside from one being kid friendly and the other being... not) is there's no power at ArtBeat. So out went the Alien Bees and their power cords and in went the battery operated Nikon Speedlights. I taped my main SB-800 to my recently re-celled Quantum Turbo Battery in the framework of tent over. Another SB-800 was racked out to 105mm = harder focused light and gelled red. From my camera, I controlled by SB-800s with my SB-700. The booth was in one tent and my photos were in another and yes, it all fit in my Honda Fit.

A stop in at Dorothy's Boutique took care of the red props. Glasses, fishnet gloves, fireman hats, Raggedy Ann wig fit the bill. The knee high, faux red leather platform shoes did not (family event). I drew up a Red Line car on foamcore for people to play with as well.

We settled into a groove after the parade and some interesting costumed folks passed by and people started lining up. It's fun taking all the pressure for looking good out of the photo and let people just have fun. It's kind of like how everyone see something different in a photo. People use props as I never imagined. Cats wore glasses, twizzlers helped re-enact "The Lady and the Tramp," many near T disasters were narrowly averted, lobsters became bulls, sleeping kids were posed with fake parrots, and social commentaries on the general disposition / texting habits of T operators were made. It was a great day.

Bad Break for a Good Chef

2011-07-29T14:19:00.008-04:00

I wrote about 5 Corners and its chef / owner Barry Edelman earlier this year. We met last year on a Zagat shoot. Barry is one of those self-possessed, unassuming people whose age and accomplishments don't line up. He saw the opportunity for a fine food restaurant in downtown Marblehead which surprisingly was lacking, hung up his downtown Boston apron, found the space and built it out, and opened 5 Corners all within 6 months. He's why you have to believe in small businesses.

At the end of June, Barry had hired me to shoot more for the website. He wanted a candid style capturing the feel of the restaurant and food without any focus on the people. I got to spend a night at 5 Corners grabbing shots where I could and creating others while the restaurant hummed along.

I started off at the bar before it got too crowed. Matt, the bartender, put together plenty of drinks made from his years of experience. He could keep the orders coming but never seem rushed while paying attention to his customers.

From cold to hot, I headed to Barry's domain in the kitchen. His arms have various burn marks from the years but you could tell he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Kitchens are hot but it goes to the next level when you're in one as small as 5 Corner's and you're doing your best to get the shot while also not interrupting the delicate chain of order, cook, and prepping.

Luckily, my photographer friend JD had loaned me his Nikon D700 for the night. I wanted lowlight capabilities beyond what my cameras have and yes, I will be upgrading soon. In this kitchen, there's no way to set up strobes without being in someone's way or with them falling into a cooking meal. Have to just grip and rip and because the d700 still gives a clean file at ISOs well north of 2000, I could concentrate on the image in available light. It's an amazing feeling when gear opens up a new style / method of working.

I almost felt part of the staff and part of the line. At one point, my restaurant instincts kicked in and I called out, "behind you" as the sous chef turned from one range to prep. We slid by each other as he complimented mine having a clue. I took it as a huge compliment.

I came back out to the restaurant to look for some graphic shots. This window light and the women's high heels didn't hurt. I also liked the flow of the restaurant with cups waiting for after dinner while clean glasses headed out to the wait staff station.

Next came the roof at just about the right hour as the evening light blends with the coming night into a royal blue. It is a truly New England intersection with roads coming at all angles seemingly converging on 5 Corners. Isn't five Corners kind of an oxymoron or at least a bit nonsensical? From there it was to street level for another long exposure where a very friendly police officer told me he'd be getting calls and he just wanted to know what to tell the concerned citizens regarding what I was doing.

After warning all the diners, I set my flashes with a radio sync to get this outdoor shot.

The night was winding down and light was low enough in the restaurant now to get a shot Barry wanted of food whizzing by a blurry background.

I was treated to one of Matt's bourbon mixed drinks but mostly bourbon and Barry's roast chicken. The staff got ready for the next day while cracking jokes. Barry relaxed and plugged in his amp to noodle around on the guitar. I was amazed seeing the restaurant somewhat through Barry's eyes. All the things that have to be in sync and working for your meal to come out at a restaurant really is a marvel. He confirmed he often works all days of the week and I gauked a bit. He smiled though and said it's different when you work for yourself.

Since meeting him, I kept seeing Barry taking on challenges and risks and coming out ahead. Unfortunately on July 13th, there was a fire in the next door ice cream parlor of all places. 5 Corners took on heavy smoke and water damage and will be shut until at least late this fall. When it does re-open, if you're looking for a place to eat on the North Shore, please go see Barry at 5 Corners.

Frog Days of Summer

2011-07-11T18:12:00.004-04:00

I'm a lucky guy. Back in the 1920's, my great grandfather built the first cabin at a new hunting and fishing club in Pennsylvania's Pocono mountains. I remember spending weeks there as a kid with my family during the summer. It has a perfect hill for sledding in the winter that finishes with a bump which launches you onto the frozen lake. In May, you'll hear the Spring Peepers' frenzy. In July, you pick huckleberries. There are always deer, frogs, snakes, and fish to spot. An occasional bear or beaver can be seen as well. And recently a Bald Eagle has taken nest near the inlet.

I have countless special memories at this cabin. As an adult, I appreciate it on different levels. Immediately I feel a relief upon entering the front door. There are updates but by and large it looks a bit like a time capsule from when my parents left it (orange carpet) in the late 70's with me on the way months later to be born in the more civilized Allentown Hospital. Sharing it with friends is a special treat, and each year I'm happier this is part of my family.

This bullfrog has taken up residence in the lake just behind the cabin. He's quite fearless as well making him perfect photo fodder. I was up a few weeks ago for a family portrait day (more on that to come). After the day was through, there he was. He had soothed us all in the cabin the night before with his low song. In younger days, I would have tried to catch him but now all I wanted was his picture and not to cause any stress which might have him pick a new singing spot.

There was a shot I had in mind. I wanted to have his vantage point. I blame it on playing Wolfenstein too much as a teenager. So I stood up from where I shot the first round of photos and stood directly behind him. I shot this picture and then began to stoop; but I pushed beyond his comfort zone, and he disappeared into the muck. Oh well, I liked these shots enough.

The next day was overcast which actually makes for wonderful photos. While it might not have been as ideal as the late afternoon sun in the other two shots. I'll take it. He was ready for his close up, and I got the shot I had in my mind. He's tack sharp and his world from one shore to the opposite falls off softly. Lying in moss, getting muddy, with my camera an inch or two from certain water damage was worth it.

How Many Phds Does It Take to Make Fusion?

2011-07-07T19:07:00.010-04:00

TEDx Boston happened last week (post coming soon). Before that, I got to go on a Pre-Adventure to the MIT Fusion Lab (there are other Adventures you can still sign up for here). I've been in Boston for over nine years now, which is long enough for me to feel I know the city pretty well. But, I do love it when something familiar reveals itself in a whole new way. These are the rewards I think for sticking with something... in this case Boston.

I turned off the Mass Ave and within three minutes had walked up to the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Sounds pretty futuristic and we had better hope it is as this might be our best shot at energy in the future. One scientist was giving a presentation on just what they were trying to do... this must be the mother of all grant writing.

So, in a nutshell, they're trying to achieve net gain fusion... something that will actually give back energy. They can already achieve fusion but it requires dimming the lights of Cambridge to start it and it lasts for less than a second. To me, it sounded like a perpetual motion machine but not impossible.

What will they need to do that? First the plasma must be heated to 300 million degrees F. Problem: no material on earth can hold that. Essentially, they are creating a controlled star on earth and it is as hard as trying to put something on the sun (and JFK just wanted to moon). Solution: create a magnetic field that can hold the plasma. Problem: that's not very simple.

The pluses to fusion are: It cannot have a meltdown like fission. It requires little plasma meaning relatively it requires little energy to start. There is little waste and what there is will render itself safer in much less time than nuclear waste. Amazingly in the span of feet you can go from 300 million degrees to temperatures which can be contained by earthly materials.

After our lecture and a with a basic understanding of what was going on, we headed across the street to see where theory meets the reactor. This is a plasma ray.

I guess this is reassuring.

And this is what fusion can do to tungsten - the toughest metal on earth.

Here we're headed to the actual reactor but first looking at a diagram of it. This guy was funny. Maintenance must be performed on the inside of the reactor but the opening is very small... guys from Wisconsin were ruled out for this job he said.

There were safeguards everywhere - all those buttons and key locks next to the door. I didn't quite understand how but they were supposed to make a Dr. Manhattan scenario impossible so if you want to end up big and blue you'll still have to book a ticket to Pandora.

All kidding aside, I was inspired by this. It's pretty obvious that no matter our efforts to limit our individual consumption, overall energy demand is headed up around the world. In the lecture, the professor said even at $4 a gallon energy was essentially free last century and it will not be the case this century. These folks must solve enormous problems... ones that give mine serious perspective. This can only be achieved through absolute cutting edge chemistry, physics, and engineering all playing nice together. On top of that, they have to convince the public and politicians this is the way to go and they can do it.

We like baby steps into the future. That's one reason other green energy devices have taken off. Have a roof? Put some solar panels on it. Fusion isn't really scalable. If you're doing it, you're cranking out a ton of energy, period. So, we'd just have to dive in on this.

If you couldn't read that slide in the first picture, it says:

"The days of inexpensive convenient abundant energy sources are quickly drawing to a close. We must act now to develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to transition to other energy sources. Policy changes, leap ahead technology breakthroughs, cultural changes, and significant investment is requisite for this new energy future. Time is essential to enact these changes. The process should begin now" -- US Army Corp of Engineers (please hold your Katrina jokes)

Fusion energy was selected by the National Academy of Engineering as one of the 14 Grand Engineering Challenges to improve humanity in the 21st Century... I'm really curious about the other 13 now.

And maybe, we could do it before it's a crisis although I wonder. The question everyone asks these guys is "When will it be ready?" And their answer is "When do you want it?" As Winston Churchill said, "Americans (maybe we could just say people here as it seems a universal trait at times) can always be counted on to do the right thing... after they have exhausted all other possibilities."

Tisch Library

2011-06-21T12:07:00.004-04:00

Tufts University's Tisch Library needed some new images. We first starting talking about this a year ago and in May, I spent two days walking the library and doing some quick set ups around real students doing their last minute cram sessions. Everyone was agreeable to being bothered by a photographer... maybe I was a nice break from the serious and stressful stuff.

Once again, small battery powered speedlights, in my case SB-800s are essential for providing good, quick lighting with minimal set up. I still have plenty to learn, but this is what will make your work stand out as professional while helping you keep the bottom line where both you and client are happy. Oh, and if you need someone to smile while they're looking at a monitor (that you can't see), tell them to look up cat videos.

A Band of Lawyers

2011-06-21T11:26:00.004-04:00

Lawyers Weekly is a local publication dealing in all things law and Massachusetts - I'd subscribe if I was a lawyer. They brought me on early in the spring to begin covering their events. So far, I have done three. Typically, awards are given out, and I get to put some faces to names of local cases of note. Say what you will about lawyers, their work like any profession's is necessary but can also be twisted to ill use. Agreements need to be made and that's what lawyers do in my basic understanding of it.

I've already written about my first event with Lawyers Weekly at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Here's a little on the two more recent events.

Here we are at the Exchange Place Conference Center for the 100 Largest Law Firms event. The Annulments band prove lawyers have a sense of humor (kind of) and rhythm while other lawyers cut a rug / wood floor.

And we wrap up at the Hynes Convention Center for the Excellence in the Law event. The big bank of windows at the Hynes let me keep a bit of a distance and really focus on candids. Here's to long summer days and soft light.

Back to the Books

2011-06-21T10:06:00.005-04:00

Soon I'll be moving into a condo my wife and and I bought last week. I've always had a few photo books lying around but the move is getting me excited to have a nice collection of terrific work on paper for reference, appreciation, and motivation. In that vein, I've started getting some books out from the library along with buying some at bookshops.

I am a photographer just as interested in the words as the image and think when done well, they enhance each other elevating to a whole new type of communication. Now consider the current shift towards multimedia and how powerful that can be when once again skillfully mixing stills, audio, typeface, and motion. I still don't have my iPad, but I am secure in feeling there will always be a place for a bound book just as film will never go away. Frankly, an analog experience of any kind is often a welcome relief to me.

Two books I enjoyed recently were Maine by Eliot Porter and Cityscapes of Boston by architecture critic Robert Campbell and photographer Peter Vanderwarker. In Maine, Porter photographed landscapes and details principally taken on Great Spruce Head Island which his family owned. Porter writes:

"The lobster fisherman is without a doubt the most independent, self-reliant, inflexible Yankee of all New England. He never has a good word for the weather, for lobstering, for the market, or for the future. Although his dour pessimism finds expression in invective against the larger enterprises that market his catch, or what he takes as interference by the government, or against the impersonal forces of nature driving him down, he rarely is discouraged to the point of throwing in the sponge. I have, however, never met a Maine seiner or lobsterman who admitted satisfaction with his operations; something was always going wrong. If lobsters or herring are scarce, the high prices they bring never make up for the cost of catching them, and when on rare occasions they happen to be plentiful, prices are too low for profitable fishing. Why do they keep on, then? one may ask. I think the answer is to be found in the life they lead - they are independent and free from the pressures of society. They are their own bosses, accountable to no other person. Self-reliance has its price in risk and uncertainty and danger, but it is a commodity not willingly disposed of, on which no value can be placed; no security counterbalances the independence of the man in the boat far from shore, rocking on the swell, hauling and resetting his traps in foam and surge around a ledge. The value is written on the man's unshaven weatherbeaten face, his callused hand, and in the knowledge and experience of the sea, of fog and storms, of reefs and rocky islands with their sea birds, all recorded in his mind."

This passage gave me pause with the strong parallels in my mind to freelance photography, freelance anything, or running a business in general, or hell, life in general.

In Cityscapes of Boston, Robert Campbell is not one to suffer weak opinions, and it is wonderful. Various pictures from Boston's past starting in the 1850s are re-created by Vanderwarker. He does so skillfully keeping it from becoming some automatic, soulless exercise. Campbell goes to town with his feelings of what the buildings represent culturally in their design and destruction like spaces being designed more for cars than for people etc. One quote I enjoyed had nothing to do with architecture or photography:

"The greater the speed of travel in a given society, the greater will be the portion of the average citizen's life that is spent in getting from one place to another. Believe it."

So, while I try to embrace technological advance, I do so cautiously knowing every improvement brings with it its own hinderances. We'll see about the iPad for my multimedia, but for now I look forward to a full bookshelf.

Wine Riot, Green on Green Screen No More

2011-05-06T11:39:00.007-04:00

The Second Glass is big, bad and nation wide starting in 2011. They have already taken Wine Riot to LA and have their sights on Chicago, DC, and NYC. Last month, they came back to Boston where it all started. They also asked me to do green screen for them. It's nice when you're finally pushed to do something you know you should learn anyway. Off I went to read about Chroma Key (think weathermen) lighting and processing and Google ads started putting up ads like "single and 40?" What does green screen do to people besides put them on the beach?

It is our first go. The background is a nice graphic skyline of Boston which was more visible with couples. Here's a time lapse video of the whole weekend... you can see me at work in the upper left.

With the groups, oh well, we lose the city. I've learned I need to get the light more even on the background or it slips into green at the bottom but that proved tricky with the flow of drunk people walking by the lights I wanted to do the job... ended up taking them down for their own safety. But, my old neighbor Brad took over processing and did a great job. As far as it being our first foray into green screen and needing to deliver on the spot with no time to make the green screen masks perfect in the computer, I think we did pretty well.

Patriots Day

2011-05-05T15:35:00.010-04:00

I'm not from Boston. While I consider it my adult home, I'm thankful for my outsider perspective which will never really fade. Regardless of where you do your growing up, it leaves an impression, good or bad, whether you know it or not.

And if you grew up in New England, you've celebrated Patriot's Day many times. It marks the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and just how out of touch Michele Bachmann is. Boston knows how to throw a city-wide party. School is out, some work is off, the Boston Marathon is run, and at 11AM the Red Sox always play the only MLB game to start before noon.

This year (Patriots Day fell on April 18th), I decided to get up with the re-enactors who have pesky habit of being historically accurate (speaking of re-enactors, have you seen these terrific Gregg Segal Civil War pics?). The Battle of Lexington happened at dawn, so I got into Lexington around 5AM. It was kind of surreal seeing Redcoats caught in the car headlights marching down the street past 21st century Americans.

I parked next to this guy who was in the process of sending himself back in time to join King George's army through the portal of his car trunk. He said he started as a Minuteman but has been a Redcoat the last few years. From the Redcoats' perspective, he said some were German, Irish and other nationalities and they were far from home regardless of their origination. The whole occupation was no picnic for them either.

Here's Buckman Tavern next to the Lexington Green. Roughly 80 Minutemen waited through the night here on Revere's word. When they heard from a scout that the British were close, they assembled on the Green where the stage was set for a shot to be fired, by whom we'll never know.

If you ever go to the Battle of Lexington reenactment, bring your 6 foot ladder. The Green was ringed by a crowd who all came prepared.

The Battle complete, the reenactors marched through town, did some military drills on the Green, and posed for photographs with the crowd. The crowd followed with their ladders. Some Redcoats stayed in character telling people to pay their taxes and asking them why they are not at work doing their part for the empire. There was another battle to reenact in Concord, but I was headed back into Boston.

On my way back to the car, the American Flag offered two good photo ops.

Once in Boston, I met up with one of my first roommates in Boston, Brian, and his fiance and friends. I'm not good with nicknames but if I could make one stick with Brian it would be Mr. Boston. He just seems to know everything and everyone, and he finds out about it all by actually talking to people and simply exploring - lost arts these e-days in my opinion. I didn't think a ticket to the Red Sox game was possible on Patriots Day. He had one. Didn't think you could ever enjoy yourself in the crush of people at Eastern Standard waiting to get into the game... he had a booth up front. See the peanuts? He bought a 5 lb bag so he could give them away at the game... we had standing room only tix so we'd do a bit of moving.

We watched the Marathon on TV at the Eastern Standard and timed it to see the first runners and wheel chair athletes pass us by. Here's Ryan Hall headed towards his 2:04.55 finish... the fastest any American has ever run but still dropping him in 4th place for the day.

On the way to Fenway, fans did their best not to let theirs be the proverbial Dunkin' Donuts styrofoam cup that broke the camel's back.

Some of Brian's peanuts on the Fenway floor.

The Red Sox were doing well this day and handing it to the Jays. This a picture of the Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" 7th inning stretch.

Seeing a game at Fenway is a treat. I like history, and I like a stadium about to turn one hundred years old still being used. As of this writing, the Red Sox are one game behind my Pirates in the win column. It's no beginning of a history changing war... but it's a big surprise.

Zagat Zipping

2011-05-04T17:24:00.007-04:00

Zagat kept me moving this winter / early spring. Just a quick update of some of the restaurants I've been through in the last four months.

Tico is chef Michael Schlow's latest venture in Back Bay. It's following in the current trend of bringing quality Mexican food and tequila (over 100 stocked at the bar) to the neck tie wearing part of society rather than the young and wild demographic with lurking kleptomanic urges. My friend Geoff, a former bartender, has a hilarious take on the different types of drunk activity brought on by different types of liquor. Come to think of it, the neck tie wearers have their own kleptomania to deal with and it doesn't involve traffic signs.

Seems like there are lots of burger joints making the rounds. 5 Napkin Burger started in Hell's Kitchen NYC. Their first restaurant outside of "The City" is here in "the Hub." The menu was very solid and not too pricey and the bar came stocked with all types of bourbon. Bourbon and burger are a pretty good combo I'm sorry to say I hadn't thought of before. While I happily enjoy a burger out, I did find the rails above the restaurant with faux meat hooks hanging off them a bit intimidating.

Remick's takes its name from an old Quincy department store. Owners Timothy Collins and Bob Palmer along with chef Marc Orfaly built out the old bar space into a very nice restaurant. Tons of meat options here too including suckling pig.

Bosphorus in Inman Square specializes in Mediterranean and Turkish food. My palette doesn't have many gears, and I can't describe food very well but this was some delicious stuff. What's to be expected from a place so many cultures have mixed for so long?

Group Photos

2011-04-22T09:22:00.006-04:00

Today, I'll take you to the exciting world of group photography. OK, it's not the reason people become photographers but it is gratifying planning out the location and lighting to get a good shot of a group of people while taking as little of their time as possible.

For Lawyers Weekly, we had to get a shot of the Lawyers of the Year and the In House Leaders before the award show got under way at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. I put my two Nikon SB-800s on the upper flight of the stairs on either side of the group. It was tight quarters and a bit tricky but it worked.

I visited Akiban Technologies here in the South End. We worked in a conference room. Once again, tight spot but I fit them all in. Those school group portrait skills are paying off. Aside from the main lights, I put those two Nikon SB-800s behind the group and racked them out (tightened the focus of the light coming out of them) to help the group pop out a bit more.

For both images, I did some Photoshop work to swap out blinks and put in smiles on the couple people not quite right in each shot. This is something I used to think was very tricky to do; but after my wife showed me how simple it really is (layers, masking, and painting in the face you want), I'm on board.

MARE Heart Gallery

2011-04-15T14:43:00.005-04:00

Gary and his social worker Jennifer came by my studio a few weeks ago. We were going to shoot some photos for the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange's (MARE) Heart Gallery. You'll see some of these images displayed along with the work of other area photographers around the Boston metro area from malls to Jordan's Furniture.

I had talked to the social worker about some of Gary's interests. One was writing and another basketball. Pretty standard I thought, but when he came in, he went straight over to the desk asking lots of questions about the stack of pens I have there and noticing things about them I never had.

I brought in a basketball from home and realized I had promptly lost it when I wanted to get some pics of Gary with it. He set right to helping me search the studio. Just as I started to seem a bit delusional and wondered myself if I did in fact bring in a basketball, we found it behind the backdrop paper.

Recently, I've started having my first old man moments (basketball situations aside) where I feel completely apart from what kids do and know. I think some movies are too violent or have bad messages... I'm looking at you Kick-Ass. Anyway, something I like to do for a shoot is put on some favorite music of the person I'll be photographing. I had no idea who the singers were Gary liked. Luckily, this old man could work Pandora and I made him his own custom radio station in less than a minute. It pays for me to bite my tongue on technology. Gary was enjoying the music and it helped that Jennifer could make him laugh.

We walked the hallway at the end. Jennifer liked this indentations in the wall and Gary jumped up for something a little different. Other people can make us look good when we listen.

College Graduate Advice

2011-03-17T16:01:00.004-04:00

Bowdoin, my alma mater, recently asked graduates for advice for the Class of 2011. Here's what I said:

Dear Class of 2011,

I say something that took me awhile to realize in the recession I graduated into in 2002... although your recession is bigger than mine. Think broader and be open to unexpected jobs and opportunities.

Being interested in photography and a Bowdoin graduate, I never thought I'd work in a one hour photo lab. But that's what I did for my first real job starting on the counter and ending up the lab manager. My boss became and remains my best friend in Boston. I didn't realize it but I was building skills and relationships that would help me successfully launch my freelance career six years ago. If I went right into working for myself, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have worked out.

And, work for a while in the service industry... a place where you're the one working and the other people are off. I worked at a restaurant before the photo lab. You get to learn a lot about all types of people this way and become good improvising solutions and develop good people skills. And, it will give you perspective when you move on to your career.

Finally, a quick note on money. You're running the business of you now. Do a better job than the recent headline makers. Keep your expenses low. This allows you to pursue what you want to and maybe even have some free time. Be smart with money and a whole lot of other stuff gets much, much easier.

Good luck Class of 2011 -- Mike Ritter '02

Federal Reserve Stamps

2011-03-15T11:10:00.009-04:00

What do Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas and San Francisco have in common? They all have a Federal Reserve Branch.

Open your wallet and see if you have a $1 bill. On the left is a prominent Federal Reserve Stamp showing which branch created your $1 bill. This piqued my interest over the years at art shows.

I almost always stop and read historic plaques. I enjoy reading about the mix of people, places, and current events that created the history. I guess that's partly why I became interested in the Fed Reserve Stamps on $1 bills. Seems they used to be on all paper money, but only the $1 has them now. I learned there are twelve Federal Reserve branches across the country and set about asking cashiers if they had any J's (Kansas City) etc. After about a month, I had collected them all and then set about shooting them in macro in the studio.

I do have one $20 bill from a 1950 series. Look above your Fed stamp and you'll see "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private." On that $20 from 1950 I see "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private and is redeemable in lawful money at the United States Treasury, or at any Federal Reserve Bank." Somewhere along the way, it looks like money became a bit less valuable.

When I was in college, I was definitely a humanities person mixing my Art History major with African Diaspora and Medieval Architecture while dabbling in Philosophy (I wasn't good at that) and Media Studies. I wasn't a money hater but I wasn't much concerned with it.

Maybe partly due to running a business now, I find it fascinating. Definitely the last three years perked my ears and at least has me trying to open my eyes.

When some of the things started coming out from behind the scenes of how big banks and Wall Street were doing business, it rightfully enraged the nation (and should still). How could these guys (and I do mean mostly men) pull this? I think it helped, that unlike me, if they couldn't pay for their mistakes they'd still have their jobs. Have to love when they talk about taking the risks and being big bad businessmen when they will in no way be held accountable when things don't go their way. Of course their risks got riskier. The most succinct summary of '08-'09 I've heard remains this country is Socialist in its losses but Capitalist in its winnings. End scene / tangent / diatribe.

The fascinating thing with money is that is has value - mainly, these days, because the Fed says so. Banks can create money out of thin air every time they make a new loan... it's like they already have that money in the bank (couldn't resist) - much the same way the Fed kept us from going over the edge just a few years ago. I still have plenty of Planet Money to listen to along with other research to do before I can write much more. In the meantime, just remember "money is fiction."

Street Auction

2011-03-14T17:41:00.008-04:00

I've shot auctions before... some run by Mayor Menino. He could turn the screws on bidders. About a week ago, I was hired to shoot Dan McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Co. in action. We were in Chinatown. I went to the address: a parking garage. This would be different.

Dan found me and I jumped in his car to hang out with his co-worker and avoid the cold. People started showing up with sizable deposit checks to show the co-worker in order to be able to bid. I found this fascinating. Who'd get it, what would they pay, what would they do with it?

Dan started promptly on time and gathered everyone outside of the garage in front of a Vietnamese Sandwich Shop. I borrowed a five gallon plastic bucket from a local restaurant to give me a higher view on some shots. He read through pages of legal stuff detailing the transaction, the history of the land the building was on, and of course the building itself.

Then, the bidding started. It was the biggest auction money-wise I've ever shot or been at. A photographer buddy I met through a street photography group years ago, stopped by and was shooting it simply for himself. He later explained to me he was doing his "rounds." Have to love the sense of obligation photographers have.

The auction ended, the number was well into the millions, I turned around to return my plastic bucket to its owners as they cleaned out the fish tank in the window of their restaurant.

My Take on Photography

2011-03-10T17:06:00.010-05:00

I recently was invited to be guest speaker and judge at Boston Camera Club's monthly get together. Categories are chosen for each meeting and folks bring in prints that they think fit the bill. After everyone gets in their votes (as judge, mine counted for three I think), I reviewed each image before the crowd. Despite having difficulty sometimes in figuring out what to say or how to critique, I enjoyed this very much. And, I learned from the members who were clearly into their craft.

More daunting was giving a talk on my work. I have done projects but nothing longer than 2 weeks (look for that to change this year). But, I did see a theme running through the images I was most proud of; and for lack of a better term, I believe they are all "In the Moment." They are the images most my own.

First of all, the moment and the unplanned make the photograph and the photographer. If the only things we captured were things we thought we’d capture, our work would be awfully simple and not very exciting (and we’d probably quit photography out of boredom). The moment is what is real / true, the thing we want to capture. Real is timeless. If we get to have a say in the image beyond capturing, we will begin molding it to our own preconceptions.

I decided three characteristics make up the moment:

Lucky
We have to be open to what is happening and admit that luck plays a part in it. The more you shoot, the more lucky you get. And, a lucky photograph shot with available light and general intuition by a Photo I student can easily show more heart than a carefully crafted shot that took days to produce by a world renowned photographer.

Fast
When we are in the moment, we have to move fast. Take advantage of the split second when you are as much an object of fascination / oddness / interest to the subject as he is to you. Linger beyond that and let the posturing begin. We get one shot for these type pictures.

Present
Go blank. Our mind is quiet, and we are nowhere but in the present. Any artist, athlete, performer etc. will most likely talk about being lost in what they do and them doing their best when this happens. Photographers are no different. It helps to try and be singularly focused in whatever it is you are doing… multi-tasking and technology be damned.

These are some photos I feel have these elements.

What happens when you simply ask for a smile in Guatemala?

I will still look through this image just going through the details. The flying banners, the action, the smiles / wonder / joy and excitement of the kids, the luck in getting the composition where barely anyone is blocked and the boy in front anchors the whole thing.

What can I say, it's easy to get lost in the moment at Safe Passage in Guatemala. The kids had made a ring dancing and singing. I was on the outside. I began bouncing to the rhythm and waited. There was an opening and I launched myself forward on my knees. I think because I was actively participating / dancing and these kids weren't very self-conscious, they kept doing just what they were and I was able to get this shot.

These sisters just wouldn't quit. They ran with each other the whole hour plus I was with them. This was at my parents' house and they had an old hula hoop. We got to throwing it and them chasing it. When you've got fast subjects, you might just want to put on a long lens and go on safari. They collapsed momentarily. Could I have imagined, asked for, and shot their happiness, how perfectly they're linked by the hoop, the touch of the older sister on the younger's knee? Hell no.

I totally knew her lips would turn into flower.

I was shooting a commission piece for a retirement home. It's New England, and they wanted lighthouses. I went off to Scitutate Light. The light that day was beautiful, and I already had some standard nice light but not much else photos. Then, this girl comes ripping down the jetty towards me. I'm still in my controlling mode. I'm about to ask her to stop and we'll do some passes. I snap out of it, get down, and start shooting the real thing as it bounds past me. The retirement home chose three lighthouse photos and this is the largest one hung in the middle.

And sometimes you just stop the car and shoot a very ambiguous photo.

I'm going to stop here. I hope we all occasionally have our fast moments of luck and presence in what we do and with who we love. The final image I'd like to share is one of my Dad when he had leukemia.

It's true the camera can be a shield from what you are looking at. I wasn't ready to see him like this. As I look at this image now, what I see the most is him hanging on. And in photos, sometimes the most important stuff can be the things you don't see when you are shooting.

Genuine Networking

2011-02-15T11:38:00.005-05:00

I got an email from HelpAReporter.com asking for help in how to go about networking and not making yourself sick. While, I know this is never easy... often seemingly harder for artists but a much bigger part of the game (business) than most want to admit is pressing flesh, promotion... networking. As my musician cousin once joked, "Kissing hands and shaking babies."

OK, I know it isn't easy for most of us to do this... if it was easy right off, I think you might have bigger problems. It might feel like a junior high dance in the beginning but, it gets easier with practice. You're promoting yourself and your work. Two things you had better believe in. And when you believe in something, it's not so hard talking about it. I believe David Byrne said that he was extremely shy but because of his music, people came to talk to him. It's a bit of the same thing when I have my camera at an event vs. just being out. With the camera, I can approach anyone and have a reason to do so. I am a different person. Your business / idea is your camera and it gives you a reason to talk to anyone at all... particularly at a networking event.

And, while I know we have endless options for doing this online these days, I will always take a real world connection over hours spent adding contacts to my profiles. We crave community and yes, there are online communities and they're important. But, if you had to choose between them, what would you pick? It's good to, you know, interact / be with people without the electronics... there goes my premature old man.

Anyway, here's the official question:

Do networking events feel phony, self-serving and even a bit predatory? Guess what: There’s more to face-to-face networking than handing out your business card, talking to powerful people,
or trying to manipulate casual chit chat into a sales pitch. I need some 3-5 detailed tips on “genuine networking” that builds relationships and will help artisans build and sustain their
artisan business.

1). Don't be negative... oh this economy, I'm worried about sales, the job / business isn't what it used to be (often relating to technology). I have these concerns but they are for me to work on, improve etc. and often the people who can help the most are right in front of me at a networking event. In the technology case, think of something amazing it lets you do now that wasn't possible just years ago... don't talk about how it's seems to be upping competition and lowering prices.
2). Be informed and be helpful... know about the latest tax legislation for small businesses etc. As you talk to other people, maybe they'll learn something from you and for that they'll be grateful.
3). Share who and what you know. If someone is looking for a business solution... i.e. it's expensive running my credit card service swiping customers cards. I'd ask them if they've heard about "The Square" which lets you run credit cards through your smartphone and only charges fees on each transaction, not monthly fees and transaction fees.
4). Go in with a problem yourself. Once I wanted to my tweets to go to LinkedIn, Facebook etc. I figured there had to be a way to type it in one place and for it to post on various other places. This is a bit outdated now but one computer guy (there are lots at networking events) knew about PingFM which took care of my problem. If the guy runs a nursery, ask him about easy, hardy flowers to plant in the spring. If she's a financial adviser, tell her your strategies and see what she thinks. You'll learn new things, reassure yourself you're on the right track or learn where to improve, and throw out what you don't need. And, they'll be talking about themselves and their business. It's a bit like improv always throwing it back at the other person... leaving the door open for the next conversation thread.
5). I hand out cards if I feel I'm doing well with someone. I'll follow up with a Nice to Meet You email and ask them if they'd like to be on my email newsletter list. This is as far as I let pushing my own business go for the night. If they suggest a job I might be able to help with, we talk; but I don't want to ask someone if they have work they think I could do for them or needle them etc. Go in with an open mind for sharing, helping, learning and you'll come with with a few real world contacts each worth 100 online networking contacts.

Amari and Alexis

2011-02-14T15:16:00.005-05:00

This past summer, I shot for MARE (Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange). I got to meet Amari and his sister Alexis. They are not being adopted together so we took their pictures separately.

Amari was a pumped up, and I decided to take advantage of that with this picture.

Towards the end, we got Alexis and Amari to pose together for a picture. They fought it but I told them it would mean a lot to them 20 years from now. They dropped into a relaxed, beautiful pose almost immediately.

Yesterday, I was happy to see Amari in the Boston Globe's "Sunday's Child" column. Here's to Amari and Alexis finding new homes.

*Addendum: The week after I wrote this, Amari's photo ran in the same column so I've added it.

One Fancy Pig

2011-02-02T15:05:00.005-05:00

Zagat sent me back to Davis Square for Foundry on Elm - a very large, clean and nice bar / restaurant. It photographed very well for such a large space with dark walls.

It's comfort food with quality ratcheted up a bit. In the back booth area, I liked getting my flash to catch all the little ribs in the wall.

Next I went to Bondir in Cambridge run by chef / owner Jason Bond. This place was very cool and very small and very busy. 28 seats total. Pews came from a church. Plates came from all over but all with an old, antique kind of vibe. I don't know, think of a cool grandma. And Jason comes from the old school. Everything is local and fresh and therefore changing out every day. And on that day, they weren't quite open yet. A computer guy was setting up the network and charge system. A wine guy came by making choices for the selection. And outside an artist was at work on a mural she was making from some photos Jason gave her.

This fireplace is in the waiting area. There are plans to have a kettle for hot drinks... tea or mulled cider etc. on it and people can ladle out a drink to pass the time. There was no fire in this day but I had my flash and a Color Temperature Orange gel. Shot the light from below through the grate to get a cool splash on the back of fireplace and had another bare flash to the left to pick up the matches.

Jason brought out some guanciale or cured pork jowl. It was seasoned and cured for over a year. Before that, he had selected the two pigs it came from... some special jowly breed not seen often around New England. And in between, he was the one that butchered them. Like I said, Jason's local and hands on. He sliced it paper thin and it was melt in your mouth delicious. But, after only 2 pieces, I felt I had better stop. Felt it could be easy to overdo it with something this rich. I just wish I was able to pull myself out of my guanciale coma enough to realize a pink dish didn't work so well in this shot... should have been blue or green.

Anyway, the whole thing reminded me of having burgers from my friend (and terrific photographer) Julie Melton. She grew up in Montana (Jason in Wyoming and Kansas) and the family still runs its wheat farm there. They also have no illusions about where meat comes from as they butcher together. We all said the burgers were terrific. She said that's good... it's Pat and Mike. Who are Pat and Mike? The cows we raised from tiny calfs up through adulthood. She said it's so cute when their eyes roll back in their head when you give them a bottle... but, we all got to eat right? Those western folks... a different breed.

Here's what the muralist was working on as I left. Check this place out. Very unique and more personal touches than an overdone wedding.

The Boss, Crayfish, and a Third Coming

2011-02-02T14:08:00.010-05:00

Where were you the day George Steinbrenner died? I was working with this crayfish dish from Brother's Crayfish in Dorchester. I also remember I was in a cigar bar in Charlestown when Captain Sully made his landing on the Hudson. Maybe it helps that when I'm working for Zagat, the restaurant TVs are normally on so it's easier for these memories to be linked to what job I was shooting that day.

Anyway, these crayfish were pretty good (but a lot of work) when I got them home. A fusion of Cajun and Asian flavors. Although, I recommend doing the trash the night after you eat them.

I went to Canary Square in JP next. I was sent here in 2005 when it was the legendary Triple D's run by pro boxer / prison guard come bartender Joe Devlin. I was shooting for the Weekly Dig and we were looking to get a shot of the end of the line for yet another real bar. The Chopping Block in Mission Hill was another one that went the way of a little too nice. Boston's limited liquor licenses and the prices they fetched were proving too tempting to long time owners looking to enjoy their retirement.

I wasn't sure how I wanted to communicate the end of Triple D's and just hung out with my friend Mouse for the night. Last call came and most people had left. The bar was a big U in the center of the bar and boxing posters and pictures hung on the walls. On one corner of the bar, 4 or 5 people had left. Each had pushed their stool out as far as they needed to leave and left their empty bottles on the bar. Over the bar I could see the black and white checkered floor. It was the shot. The paper made it black and white, cropped it a bit closer, and then put a vignette on it all adding to the feeling in the shot.

Took this bartender's shot flipping chairs up afterwards, but he probably looked too happy for the article.

Triple D's went on to become the Alchemist. And now, 5 and a half years later I'm back to take pictures of another transition on the corner of S. Huntington and Centre Street. The Alchemist is now Canary Square run by the same guys running Coda and Common Ground. While I was shooting, a waitress from the Triple D's days came in with her husband just to see the space. They were impressed. It's wide open and there are a ton of taps. But I (and I'm sure the waitress) can't help missing the old boxing posters where a bare brick wall is now.

Zagat Swank to Real Deal

2011-02-02T12:04:00.006-05:00

The new restaurant march continues in Boston, and I get the front row seat with Zagat.

First up was Sam's down on Fan Pier... very close to the Innovation District. Have to love all these neighborhoods in what used to simply be the waterfront. The place is beautiful and lit itself for the most part. Normally a shot like this with indoor and out can't be done in one exposure; but with a little help from the flashes indoors, I got there. It's so airy with the big windows, the difference between indoor and out was close enough to get this in camera (much better than in computer).

They put out this nice seafood medley plate. You're in Boston and could throw stones in the harbor from here so this dish is mandatory. The restaurant sits on top of Louis Boston which I feel unable to even window shop at. It's OK, they're not my style anyway.

Next was Posto in Davis Square. This is a great part of the Somerville and this pizza place looks like it will be in for a good run. It's all about fresh ingredients to make the Italian food that reminds you why everyone likes it so much.

Anthem down in Faneuil Hall adds to the mostly Irish restaurant empire of the Briar Group.

And finally, I went a bit further than usual up to Marblehead because I liked the looks of 5 Corners Kitchen. Anyone doing their own thing with their own butt on the line has my vote and that's chef / owner Barry Edelman. I stopped by on his off day as he did all the behind the scenes stuff. His wife and daughter stopped by too. He whipped up little pasta dish for his daughter. He's only a year older than me and joked he gets to be the "cool" dad at day care etc. since most of us put this part of our life off these days. I like how Barry seemed to throw himself into whatever he's doing. Planning it all out can get a bit stifling sometimes.

The space was an old bakery. Barry and his father-in-law did a bunch of the renovation. He had gotten tired of the commute into Boston working at some very nice places so he decided to do his own thing. I saw some of the old photos... makes this shot even more impressive considering what it looked like just a few months before.

First up Barry brought out this salmon dish with chick peas, bulgar wheat and tahini, sumac, & garlic vinaigrette. I tried a bunch of things but ended up really enjoying the shallow depth of field in this one and having the plate kind of sloppily in the front bottom to really push your eye onto the fish.

This is pork rillettes with pickled shallots, cornichons, and whole grain mustard. So the pork rillettes are made something like this: hand pull the pork, cure it, and let it become pretty much a paste. It was delicious served on bread.

5 Corners sits at a busy intersection in downtown Marblehead. For fun, I shot this out one of the windows. Barry and I then hung out finishing off the two dishes and talked art / passion meeting the real world / business and making sure you don't forget the former as you improve at the latter.

Over a Barrel

2010-12-23T18:52:00.008-05:00

It's that year end business holiday card time of year again. I like to try and send my clients something a bit different each year and here's what I did this year.

So, the old "barrel because we're too poor to wear anything else" thing is nothing new. I had this idea for a while staring at a barrel my landlords had out back. Of course they threw it out by the time I got around to doing something about it. That's OK, it gave me time to make it a bit more of a concept rather than a self-deprecating thing with me in the barrel and something about a poor freelance photographer.

So we're all wading through these economic times and excess is on its way out. Most any good photograph for me is a juxtaposition. I figured why not put the barrel exactly where it shouldn't be... a fashion show. The inside would read, "Aren't you glad things are getting back to normal." I don't want it to be negative... but it is something I feel in a positive kind of way: we're not headed back to the way things were because we can't. My generation will live more like my grandparents generation than my parents generation (not that my parents were extravagant). I'll let you know when we have a store of canned goods in the basement like Grandma. OK, back to the photography.

First up, I need a barrel. Luckily Boston Winery's Ralph Bruno was happy to help even though we had only just met. He also let me have some of his fresh made pizza. Have to love Italian hospitality. My car smelled kind of like a big loaf of bread driving the barrel to the studio. My friend JD helped me load it in. He recounted his grandmother saying teenagers should be put in barrels and fed through the bunghole until they were in their 20s.

Then I got my friends Steve and Mouse to come along and luckily Mouse knew a friend with nice legs. Last stop were some props like glasses and clothes from Aunt Sadie's and Boomerangs to give Steve and Mouse a softer edge.

We're off and shooting. First up I set up the lighting so there was some on the guys but the focus was on the barrel and legs. We put Mouse and Steve in various poses of fashion pit reporters / photographers. Steve used the first camera I learned on in college, the one my dad got back in the 70s. We decided we didn't want them to look too silly or like rubes.

Next up we set up the barrel on a stool to be removed in the computer. This was at a level that would make sense on a model since our barrel was whole and we couldn't hang it on suspenders the way I hope it looks in the final version. Next up we brought in Olga who did great posing with her arms and legs. I wanted to do the barrel and her arms / legs in one shot but it was too tough for her pose to look natural without being in the barrel. So, we ended up shooting her separate from the barrel and the profile shot worked best.

Last stop was some blending done in the computer. It worked out pretty well. Here's to 2011.

10 Ways to Make Someone Smile without Saying Cheese

2010-11-30T23:44:00.008-05:00

I'm wrapping up my stint working with Coffeepond Photography this year doing school portraits. School portraits are all about in and out. But they're also about a genuine smile. Two things kind of running in different directions. But, not really. Oftentimes, your best shot of someone will be the first.

People are all different, and we all have a different sense of humor. As a photographer, you're trying to get your subject to forget about the camera, in a way forget about you, but to somehow connect with you. They have to feel at ease. If you're good, they become present with you and you're present as well knowing when to hit the shutter. The good news with kids is they're present a lot more than adults and are most likely less self-conscious.

There are tricks I've learned from other photographers and some I started making up myself. This might not apply exactly to family portraits / headshot sessions but certain methods could work.

10). Call and Response
It's kind of like a conversation. I tell them, "Say, What's Up? / What's Happening? / What's Shakin'?" repeat "Not much" repeat. Or "Who are you?" repeat "I don't know" repeat.

9). Jingles, Nursery Rhymes, Pop Culture
We all come a bit pre-programmed with things from innocent childhood rhymes / exclamations to various jingles provided to us courtesy of 5th Avenue to something from a favorite TV show that might set off a smile. I like having the kids say, "Rootie Tootie" then "Fresh and Fruity." Or "Heads, shoulders, knees and teeth." Or "J-E-L-L-O" or "Happy Halloween" or "Ring around the rosie..." or "What'u talkin' about?"

8). Series
This gets them thinking wondering what you could come up with next. The anticipation often brings a smile. Say, "Apple sauce" "Apple fritter" "Apple turnover" "Apple juice" "Apple pancake" "Apple pie."

7). Be a Wise Ass
You put on a bit of attitude and it might crack them up. "Excuse me, waitress. I ordered some teeth with my smile" or "One more time, with feeling... and by feeling, I mean teeth."

6). Classic Words
These words just get kids and adults to smile. Pickle, Boogie Woogie, Happy, Stinky, Candy, pick a color and a zoo animal like Purple Monkey.

5). Whistle While You Work
This might be one of the hardest ways to get a smile but if you're on, give it a shot. If you communicate in an unusual way, some people will get a kick out of you. Lead them to the chair with something peppy, I like that song you hear at the circus. You know, "da da dada da da da da da da, da da dada da da da da da da, DA, da da da da, DA, da, da ,da ,da, dadadadada da da da da." Mime like a clown when you want them to smile.

4). Remind Them It's No Big Deal
Some people are legitimately terrified of the camera. They just want to slap a phony smile on and hope it turns out OK. Have them say, "This is easy" or "Easy, peasy" or "Piece of cake."

3). Self-Esteem, Addressing Insecurities
This can be one of the reasons people hate the camera. As photographers, I think we have a duty to tell people they look good. So many times, a person will say they're ugly, they don't like their teeth, they don't photograph well. Look them in the eye and tell them to relax. Tell them they look fine and mean it. We all do in our own way. Have them say, "I look good" and then "I look really good." And, we should all watch "America the Beautiful" which I think shows very well the unrealistic goals set for men and women in the How I Should Look Department.

People want to get out of there so use that to your advantage. Have them say "Just take the picture" or "Hurry up" or "I'm out of here" sometimes, saying "You're done" brings the biggest most natural smile. You should have an acceptable photo in the bag before trying these because they only work once, but they could get something much better.

2). Look Them Over
Having them realize you're paying attention to them can make a huge difference.

Maybe the kid broke a wrist or had a scrape on his knee etc. Have them say, "finger splint" or whatever they're wearing for an injury. Ask them if they had a fun summer while eye-balling their cast. Once the pain is gone, kids are generally pretty proud of their bumps and bruises. Be careful though, if a kid seems sullen, this is probably not a good approach.

If the kid is wearing a Red Sox shirt, have them say, "Go Red Sox" or "Yankees Stink." If they're a financial adviser, have them say, "Compound interest."

1). Italy, My Favorite
Italy can put a smile on lots of faces. It does for me as long as it's not when I'm watching them play soccer. You want your words to end in an E sound to make a smile, and man does Italian deliver. Canoli, Ravioli, Macaroni, Rigatoni, Burlusconi, Maserati, Bugatti, Ferrari etc. etc. Even if it doesn't end in E like Olive Oil or Pizza Pie.

Channel your favorite gangster movie and talk like you're at least 150 lbs heavier. "How you doin'?" "Pretty good, pretty good" say "What's a matter you?" just mumble like Brando. Older folks and film aficionados will get the reference. The younger ones just laugh because if you pour it on, it's funny.

I hope this helps. It's very gratifying to capture a real smile of a person not used to cameras. You've done your job as a photographer.

Instant Fotos, New Lights, New Backgrounds

2010-11-23T16:39:00.013-05:00

The Second Glass recently held two events and brought us in for the Instant Photos. The Fall 2010 Wine Riot at the BCA confirmed the event is a hit here in Boston and hopefully beyond now as plans are in motion to add Wine Riots in Chicago, DC, NYC, and LA next year. Yup, in some way, Boston will be teaching LA how to be cool.

As usual, The Second Glass added a few new props / costumes. And I added a new lighting set up with a light on each corner of the square people posed in. The two lights on the folks were diffused through umbrellas and the two behind them were bare. I was happy to see the backlights really "rim out" (yes, this is photography talk, and yes I think it sounds a little dirty too) the subjects leading to a punchier look... kind of like movie super hero posters... always thought that specially crafted light looked funny in dingy alleys and dark rooftops.

And just last week, The Second Glass was invited by Georges DeBeouf to put on a party for their Beaujolais Nouveau wine at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts. What's a Beaujolais Nouveau? I didn't know either. It's a celebration of the completed harvest and the first wine to come from the grapes of the current year. By French law, it may not be released before the the 3rd Thursday of November. So, only 6-7 weeks earlier these grapes were on the vine.

It was quite a show. There's a circus theme to the wine. So, The Second Glass' Morgan and Tyler brought in performers from the Boston Circus Guild. Stiltwalkers and jugglers worked the crowd while apps were served by Sel de la Terre. And, two women performed an aerial dance high above the crowd with silks and hoops. Morgan added another facet getting ribbons in the color theme of the bottle's design to act as the background. She improves my work every time we work together. And Tyler worked the cotton candy machine saying "I'll always have a job." We all need a fall back.

The Kids of Mass Housing's Annual Report

2010-11-10T15:02:00.007-05:00

Kids and were some of the best part of shooting the Mass Housing Annual Report this summer. There's not much of a wall to break through for access... you just have to be ready and in moment... you've got to be a kid. And, they might just be the biggest beneficiaries of all Mass Housing's programs helping first time home buyers make their first purchase. The chance to grow up in a quality home can make a difference in so many ways.

Victor was more than happy to show off his bike with his parents showing off their Springfield home.

When I first came in the their door, I saw a karaoke machine in the corner... one of the things set up as the family was still moving in. Mass Housing told me they wanted people doing what they do in the home and for things to be casual / natural. I knew there was potential here.

I was surprised Mass Housing was also up for gelled lights. But, I can see why... just to give photos a bit more of a kick, make them a bit more graphic and attention grabbing.

So, two birds with one photo. I gelled the strobe on a stand to camera right to bump up the blue coming from the TV and had my assistant, Thomas, hold the soft box to camera left. Then, we just needed to cue Victor and his Black Eyed Peas rendition. Everything faded to smiles, laughs and flashes.

Isaac from Plymouth would like to know if you'd like a cookie. He's got to store up his strength because he'll soon be a big brother.

Isaac's parents bought their home with the help of Mass Housing as well. And, despite his dad's steady job and their responsible financial habits, things weren't looking likely until getting the chance to work with Mass Housing.

Isaac gave us the tour of the toy / living room in their cozy house.

Afterwards we headed outside to get some shots in the swing. Dad had rigged the swing to be detachable to avoid sap as it hung from a pine tree. For whatever reason, this has stuck with me now months later. I just thought it was touching as he hung up the swing, and after we were done pulled it back down and tucked it away where it had come from. A proud new home owner taking care of his son and his swing.

Bergamot

2010-09-23T22:53:00.010-04:00

What's a Bergamot? It's a flower and a fruit also known as bee balm. But, if you're looking for a great, new local restaurant it's also....

Zagat sent me to the new Somerville Bergamot in the old EVOO location. Bergamot is run by co-owners Servio Garcia from Craigie's on Main and Keith Pooler from Scampo. Servio runs the the front of the house with a big smile and eye on every detail. Keith runs the back making terrific dishes of a constantly changing menu.

The place is very inviting and open. When I visited in May, I shot the scallop dish and the room along with the detail of their red couch. I really liked the way this one worked out and it was my last grab as I was leaving. Just turned and saw this view when I thought I had pretty much covered every angle.

Last month, Servio called me back to shoot some portraits of himself, Keith, and other staff members. The folks are as good as the food. Mere and I went at it with the two small Nikon SB-800s so we could work quickly and as unobtrusively as possible... very much in the style of the Mass Housing Annual Report.

Just last week, we did the last staff portrait... the whole staff. To give a good variety in the 15 minutes there were, we had an indoor lighting set up ready next to the bar. And outside, we shot with the two handheld SB-800s. Used the old school portrait group shot trick of two rows of chairs to pack the folks in on the sidewalk. Won't bore you with the details... will just say not everyone is sitting on chairs. Was happy to see the staff of 30+ fit into the relatively small space and having the group build up towards the restaurant's sign.

On the way back in, walking past the flower boxes where Keith grows herbs for the restaurant, we saw a preying mantis. She's grown up with the restaurant this year. The mascot of the restaurant is a bumble bee... you'll see it on the web site. But, you won't see one in front the restaurant anymore because one day they found the preying mantis eating the wings off a bumble bee making herself the new mascot by default.

Have to say, we've enjoyed three dinners at Bergamot now and it is a place you should check out. It's one of those places it feels good to spend money because they're doing it right. And if the duck meatballs are on when you stop by, give it a shot!

TEDx Boston Adventures #2, Media and Pointed Shoes

2010-07-29T07:34:00.008-04:00

On Day Two of the TEDx pre-adventures, I headed to WGBH headquarters. How cool to get to see where Frontline, American Experience, Antiques Roadshow, Masterpiece, and Nova. The shows that come out of here have always impressed me with their quality and depth. We came into the auditorium and heard about WGBH's original location on Mass Ave. in Cambridge and then it burning down. And the construction of its high tech and beautiful HQ on the Mass Turnpike.

We got to see the set where they filmed Greater Boston among other things. The set was very cold because the lights, despite being modern, still get very hot. We got to see the the rooms where the producer and their team do their work.

Then we saw the servers where they keep everything organized and archived. My mind was spinning thinking of all the content coming out of there and then trying to keep track of it all.

We headed over to the radio side next with 89.7 which wakes me up each morning. We got to see the main room where The World staff works. We met the producer who joked he produced The World. Back in the Auditorium, we got to meet The World host Marco Werman. He talked of how unique the show was as they had over 3 million listeners but also got to make all their own choices on what stories to follow and how. Sounds nice, right?

Next, I rushed into the city to Boston Ballet where we learned about their school (in full swing right now with over 300 kids dancing) and the professional company which just toured Spain and performs at the Opera House when in Boston. We toured the costume shop and got to see some of the costumes. In the shoe room, each dancer had a box of numerous pointed shoes, character shoes, and boots. Each shoe is marked with the "Maker's" name. Our guide told us of one of the ballerinas going to London to meet her Maker so to speak and tell him she didn't like his shoes. Some things you just have to do in person. The logistics of taking the shows on the road was staggering.

I think I broke the screen on my phone leaning over to get this shot.

We went upstairs to the main studio where there was a class in session. The teen girls were, well, much shorter than me. But, when they'd go up on their toes it was almost like they were on stilts. It was really exotic. Our Ballet host talked about how it was moving art and the dancers could become nearly creature like, and I think that kind of made sense standing there flat footed watching them gracefully float by.

Then we met the Executive Director Barry Hughson who talked about what it takes to keep the business side going. He talked about a re-branding so the Ballet wouldn't look like a "dancing bank" as artistic director Mikko Nissinen called it. He also talked about the challenges of doing Ballet in the States as it's seen as an upper class, white, snobby thing while in Europe you get a much wider slice of the population at shows... maybe even Jose the Plumber.

I was struck by how any organization arts or not, big or small is always striving to stay relevant and competitive. There is no easy street and on these huge scales, I could see parallels to what I do and how I run my business. You never really arrive... would you want to anyway?

TEDx Boston Adventures #1, Earning My Wings and Wheels

2010-07-28T22:28:00.011-04:00

I've always enjoyed a lunch break with TED.com. It's about spreading ideas in Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Artists, politicians, scientists, activists, authors etc. give a talk on their area of expertise. Thinking differently is the norm.

TEDx (organized locally instead of by TED National) is coming to Boston this week, and I've been shooting their pre-adventures around the city.

First up, I went to North Andover Flight Academy for a helicopter tour of the city. Coincidentally, Laura Bartsch and Helen Fairman of Millville Partners who I've shot for before arrived for the same flight. We met our pilot Steve and got into our four seater (after signing our waiver). We took off and followed 495 down to 93. Yes, to make sure we stay in the right airspace, even a helicopter cannot fly as the crow does.

On the way down, Steve filled us on on learning to fly in the military. He also told us about saving an apple orchard this Spring by buzzing the trees and blowing warmer air down onto them for a morning.

We came in on the western side of the city with Fenway on our left and then down past the Hancock and the Pru. We came over Fort Point and wrapped around the Financial District getting a good view of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and headed North over the Zakim Bridge.

This was my first time in a helicopter and a first chance to get aerials of the city. While I know it so well after 8 years here, seeing it this way showed how physically beautiful the city is.

Later that night, I went on a Trolley tour of Boston with Christian Vanderslice of CityView Trolley. He took us through the Black Falcon Terminal where the cruise ships dock, past the Rose Kennedy Greenway, into Charlestown, and back into the city via the Zakim. It was a bit like the helicopter tour but from the ground. All the while, he played music he felt matched the mood... some Boston favorites like Aerosmith and the Dropkick Murphys. He wanted to capture that feeling of a Sunday morning when Boston is quiet and your own.

From Hoarding to Annual Reports

2010-07-14T11:17:00.007-04:00

Back in April, I shot an event for Mass Housing. It was for landlords and had seminars on bed bugs, what to do about hoarding, and some financial assistance programs. I shot the initial talks in the ballroom and then went between the tree different seminars. Standard event stuff.

A few weeks later, I heard from the in house designer at Mass Housing saying she was looking for a photographer for their annual report. From what she saw, she thought I could do it. I interviewed with her and set up a test shoot with one subject. Mass Housing wanted the photos to be natural and of people really doing things they do in their home... not being too statically posed.

The test shoot was with Emily Judd of Quincy who had just (with the help of Mass Housing) bought a cute, little house with views of the water. She was very nice showing Mere and I around. There were three cats to work with as well.

We started off watering some plants.

Moved on to playing with the kitties. Emily got the cats while going to school in the South and swears the cats are bigger down there (I think she's onto something).

Then we found some nice features in the house.

And finally we ended with a potato salad being made.

We had a great time with Emily and these photos got me the job with Mass Housing: my first annual report. More updates to come.

Zagat Latest

2010-07-14T11:16:00.006-04:00

It's winter. I'd been meaning to write this blog from when I shot these pictures last spring / summer (hence the funny date). Zagat sent me around town and I was introduced to some very unique restaurants. First up was Stoddard's. It had been in the making for awhile and finally opened with a decor that only comes with time.

The owners take beer very seriously here with 20 taps and non of them run of the mill. There's also up to 5 cask conditioned ales. I remember those from my days as a host at John Harvard's. A good beer should still taste good... even better when served a few degrees warmer than usual. Bud, Coors etc. would never want this test.

There's a balcony up above the bar. The railing comes from Filene's and ceiling pulley from the MBTA. The owner trolls for historical things non-stop apparently. Eventually they'd like to rig it so that kegs are picked up from here and carried to the bartenders behind the bar.

And the bar comes from England. It was too big to be used for real over there and just became a showroom piece. Once again, Stoddard's pounced to help make it feel like 100 years ago on this side of the Atlantic.

Next I went to Mumbai Chopsticks and saw the newest mash of fusion food. Or that's what I thought. It's Chinese food but with Indian spices and touches. It comes from 19th century Calcutta's Chinese immigrants.

I enjoyed the South Asian / Asian decor fit into a former Boston townhouse.

The final stop was Basho. It's a "Japanese Brasserie." I'm not too schooled in this type of food, but I'm going to guess it's a suave / sophisticated take on Japanese food.

I can speak for the interior. This was the private dining room encased in this funky heavy plastic screen. It was fun playing with flashes in there and seeing the light come out of the slots.

Quality Time with Inanimate Objects

2010-07-14T11:15:00.011-04:00

This is my last post from July done in February. I was tinkering in the studio working with some product photography more or less. I was working with a tie clip from each of my grandfathers, the watch my grandparents gave my dad, and a family ring from Grandpa with a knight etched into the stone after the family's German namesake. My Grandpa George worked in the Pittsburgh steel mill Jones and Laughlin. My Grandpa Clarence was a car salesman. I love wearing one or the other these clips to my event work.

In younger, more heady days, I would think photographers who did still life work were taking the easy way out not working with people. I realize now that it is a whole different ballgame. Arranging, planning, and thinking through the light, the arrangement, and what exactly you want to communicate. Our natural skills and strengths can be so drastically different. You need to learn what yours are and then work hard to improve and harness them.

Well, this is the arrangement I settled on trying to give each piece a say in an overall grouping. I'm happy with it and some cropping could ironically add to it. For now, it's a bit of a photo sketch of some family items I'm proud to have.

Dentists Have a Sense of Humor

2010-07-14T11:15:00.008-04:00

Tufts graduates a handful of new periodontologists each year. They make sure your gums and teeth are playing nice and if needed will make and do implants. Shooting your first job can be a bit nerve wracking but the worst you can do is get something out of focus... can't really imagine your first implant. Anyway, I present to you the Tufts Peridontology class of 2010.

The graduation party was at Granite Links... it used to be a quarry until it became the site where most of the Big Dig fill was dumped. Now, it's a golf course and condominium complex. You can just see Boston off in the distance on the right of the horizon.

This the dental school's admin. I asked them to show the kids how to have a good time and I think they did a pretty good job.

We went inside and proceeded to the embarrassing powerpoints led by underclassmen. Only periodontologists could laugh looking at a diagram of screws holding teeth in place, but some of the things they talked about and the way they shared it were pretty hilarious.

You can really tell the admin and the students love each other. Lots of the students are international. When they first came to Tufts, some were learning English, some were in culture shock, some were starting families, oh and then there's the workload. The admin folks know they're there for lots more than just paperwork, and it always comes through on this last night together.

Lynette and Jim, Married!

2010-07-14T11:14:00.007-04:00

Lynette and Jim were married at the end of May. Lynette is a friend I've known through the art show circuit for years. Jim is a carpenter / woodworker. I say that out of admiration; and I think creating a physical, 3d object with your hands is very gratifying experience (or at least I imagine it to be since I'm not that great at it). I watch This Old House in awe.

They picked the Essex Conference and Retreat Center. The grounds are beautiful. One of the founders is an artist and the grounds are full of pieces ranging from large hands to nail sculptures. I loved this wood circle and am glad we made time for it at the end of the portrait session. Doesn't Jim look like he's in his element?

Jim had made these little candle holders for each table.

A beautiful first dance.

I got a little more experimental with my portraits through the night.

Seriously, hats off to anyone who has been pregnant and more hats off to anyone that dances through it.

Dancing during your pregnancy has been known to cause flying baby syndrome.

We rounded out the night in the wood circle. Kind of felt like a house made out of candy that you start eating while you're inside... but there were specific stacks you were supposed to pull from for burning. We left Lynette and Jim with their guests and headed home through Essex where whole blocks remain the way they were in the 1600s.

Tea Party... We're All Schmucks

2010-07-14T11:13:00.006-04:00

This guy broke up some heated debates with his pressing issues.

I love a good show; and when the Tea Party Express veered through Boston this Spring, I decided to catch a good show. And, Sarah Palin would be in attendance. I came over the hill on the Common past the Soldiers and Sailors Monument to see the crowd. As the theme would be, the Tea Party would claim one thing and the liberals would claim something else. The Tea Party wanted to say the crowd was 15K + when other estimates were as low as 5K.

The crowd had plenty of protesters like this gentleman.

And these guys.

Rumors abounded of Democrats who would run through the crowd with particularly preposterous signs to just simply give the Tea Partiers a bad name. I didn't see it happen; but if people were actually doing that, I believe most anyone can do a good enough job of embarrassing themselves and doing it for them only makes them look good and you not so much.

Don't forget your money... I mean your flair.

Alright, at this point Sarah Palin has taken the stage. You couldn't hear anything she had to say because of there not being enough speakers. We already had the crowd warmed with tour lackies reassuring us this was a movement of the people. This wasn't a political party... this was grassroots populism. Next up was a Mom describing losing her son to the Iraq war. It was a moving story, I was sorry to hear it twisted into the Tea Party's service. And then some seriously hokey and awful music courtesy of Lloyd Marcus. And before our fearless ex-VP nominee, ex-governor, now media pundit who complains about the the media, we had one last guest to listen to. Boston's own conservative radio host, Michael Graham took the stage. Same old, same old.

"You know, you're all schmucks. You all get up in the morning and send your kids off to school. You then go to job and slog away all day for a hard-earned paycheck. You get home, have dinner with the family, help the kids with their homework and put them to bed. All you want to do is relax. You turn on the TV, pop open a beer, and what do you see? You see a politician asking you for money. Don't you hate that... them thinking they know what to do with your money more than you?" This is all just memory... but, yeah it's not hard to tap into the usual stream of this stuff.

With that tired crap which you couldn't even hear well, walking the crowd was the way to go. I particularly enjoyed this satirical group posing as millionaires saying they're for the Tea Party too and that the things it stands for are good for them. Please vote for the Tea Party and let me keep my money etc. etc. Some Tea Party folks wanted to make sure I didn't think these were real Tea Party folks and brought signs over pointing signs saying "Imposters" on them. Thanks for setting me straight guys.

This family was the real deal.

And this guy.

So many times throughout the day, I'd see people on opposite sides trying to have a conversation. But, never getting around to actually listening to each other... like the folks above. My favorite for instance was when one lady tried to ask some Tea Partiers if they were OK with Bush's first bail out. They hemmed and hawed that this isn't about Bush... it's about how Obama is destroying this country, spending too much money, and how his stimulus was wrong etc. etc. They could argue the points of why Bush's bailout was smart and how the stimulus wasn't. But, politics has little room for genuine debate. A canned response for a canned response.

I started to leave. On the way, I heard calls from the stage, "We can't do this without your help. Please pledge online or here today." Well thank goodness the Tea Party isn't a political party and that they don't ask for my hard-earned money like those sleazy politicians I see on TV when I'm just trying to enjoy my beer.

What Do I Know?

2010-07-12T16:43:00.005-04:00

My friend, Edson Dias, brought me on to co-teach a class on marketing your photography business called "Building Better Buzz." Sometimes, you can forget how much you've learned over the years. I think the best way to remember and to be forced to present it in a cohesive manner is to teach it.

Edson came at it from a wedding photographer's perspective with some neat tricks I might try where they work. I'm already now handing out cards with links and the date the photos will go live for purchase at events where that makes sense.

I came it from the generalist photographer's perspective... the guy who does events, portraits, architecture and most anything else. I recapped my days from being lab manager at Stone Photo to gallery manager at the Lee Gallery to how I now work. My focus was on personal touches with hand-written notes and using a sense of humor whenever appropriate. I was the resident expert on the e-newsletter. When it came to blogs, some photographers thought they could get off easy and rely on the photos. I insisted that your words should be just as important as your photos because it's a terrific opportunity for people to understand you better.

To perk the class up we did our "class" photos right after lunch, and of course you have to have the goofy one. Thanks to Edson for re-assuring me we could fill up 8 hours.

Family Day: Lord of the Shutterbugs

2010-06-09T11:33:00.008-04:00

Mere and I recently wrapped up our first Family Day shoot at the studio. We worked with each family in the studio a bit and then took a walk through the courtyard and sometimes into the South End to wrap up.

These cousins were high energy and much more suited to the outdoors. Here they are getting ready to charge. I remember reading a book by Joel Sartore on photographing your family. Here's a guy who has shot all types nature / editorial photography, and he said photographing kids is harder. Mainly, kids take some of your best laid plans and make you think of other ones on the spot... but that can lead to photos where they are themselves and not a potted plant... like this fire escape one.

Here's a family in the studio. I like how the son and daughter both look out to the camera while Mom and Dad dote on them.

Don't forget the small details. This little girl's hair was very cute and deserved a picture all to itself.

We walked this family through the South End a bit. This little girl was pretty playful and when I turned around she was doing this.

Here she is with her sister in a playground... I did give them the assignment to roll the log / seat we found there from one side to the other. A few seconds later, the older sister was asking what the point of this Sisyphean task was, in her own choice words of course. Well, to get this picture.

We had a great time shooting the families' portraits and look forward to having many more family days in the future

High School Cliche Saves Money

2010-06-09T11:31:00.003-04:00

Working out of an artist building I'm pretty sure will increase the odds of me shooting more product / craft photography. A boom is necessary for this and the serendipity continues here at Studio 209 as one of my studio mates already had one.

Now for my practice shots, I called up potter friend Steve Murphy and he loaned me a few pieces to mess with. I particularly enjoyed working with his incense house. And, luckily, I still had some incense I got as a high school birthday gift which somehow had survived all the moves between Pennsylvania, Maine, and Massachusetts. And, it still lit. The studio took on a smell that conjured Toad the Wet Sprocket albums but the images turned out well.

Learning As I Go

2010-06-09T11:24:00.009-04:00

I first met Judy Jones at an art show in a church at the end of last year. She is a fabric artist who weaves some very pretty and colorful scarves, jackets, shrugs, and tops.

You might remember Jessica as a Playboy Bunny from the Playboy Surprise 40th birthday party I shot earlier this year. I don't often shoot with models but we exchanged cards, and then Judy asked if I knew anyone who could model her artwork. Who would have thought church and a Playboy party could have gone together so well?

When Judy asked if I could do this, I was confident I could even though I hadn't ever before. I told her I would do some research and show her my plan. First off was figuring out that snazzy background. I'd seen it plenty in product / craft photography and until being forced t0 think about it, just chalked it up to other photographers making Faustian deals to get it. That or spending ungodly amount of time in Photoshop... which makes a Faustian deal look pretty good to me.

I learned after asking the king of craft photography, Steve Meltzer, there are two ways to accomplish the gradient background. One is to boom a light and make sure you gobo (block the light) so that the background falls off into black behind the subject. I ruled this out because of having to set this up each time I wanted to work, and it was trickier shooting pictures of a model than a vase. Two is to buy your background pre-fab... there are plenty to choose from but none much wider than 3 and a half feet. Once again, good for a vase but not very good for a model. Or so I thought.

Steve told me to put on a long lens and it will work. And it did. Sure, I couldn't have Jessica spread her arms but many of her poses fit just fine on there. Oh, the things you would see if you could see a foot wider on my images... and anyone else's.

This job had me pretty happy. Jessica was very professional and good at listening to me and Judy. I was getting the work done in camera and in one shot. I had figured out how to shoot it with a minimal investment in new gear and was pushing my gear some new limits. It reminds me, as photographers, we want to take any job that comes our way (unless if its a warm and fuzzy PR job for BP) but there's no point in getting in over your head. So, an honest discussion with the client can still get you the job and pay you for learning a new technique. Just make sure you do your research into how to shoot quickly.

From My Living Room to the Orpheum

2010-06-09T11:19:00.007-04:00

My cousin, Josh Ritter, played a show at the Orpheum last month. He started his career a decade ago more or less. And, it has been a homegrown production ever since. Watching the band add members, instruments, and fans over the years and Josh go from acoustic folk strummer to some legitmate electric rock has been a treat (and a lesson in getting better but remaining yourself as well).

Zack the bassist, lives here in Boston when not on the road. Keep an eye out for a sharp dresser with a mustache from another era.

"My orchestra is gigantic. This thing could sink the Titantic!"

I was very happy to get this shot with a little help from the Orpheum lighting crew. Josh was in the spot light for just for a brief moment, they brought up the lights on the audience. The light levels worked well together, and I just had to sit back and click. To me, this photo means two things.

One is the way a concert forces a photographer to work. You aren't setting up anything other than compositions. From there, your job is to be receptive to the split second moments happening on stage and the lighting. It's all there for the taking but you have to be ready (and most likely with your camera's exposure set to -1 to -3 stops). It's a welcome change in pace from other ways of shooting.

And two is how cool it is watching Josh play these big venues. When he was in college, he would spend Thanksgiving with my family in PA often because Idaho was a haul. I remember him quietly strumming his guitar and trying things out in our living room as most everyone else had gone to sleep. I wasn't into photography back then, but sometimes the memory is better.

Here they are closing out the show with the opener Punch Brothers. Check Josh out if he's playing near you... I know I'm biased but I think he's worth it.

Trinity Support Group

2010-06-09T11:15:00.002-04:00

The Trinity School is where Trump sends his kids. It's also where John Werner, the Executive Director of Citizen Schools went. He had a get together for Trinity graduates who are making the best of the boondocks (read Boston). Having gone to a large public school in Pennsylvania, I always enjoy a peek into a private school education.

Everyone introduced themselves and got to recount their favorite memory / teacher at Trinity. Which had me trying to recount some high school memories... they did eventually come. Did you know I was the National Honor Society Vice President in high school?

There is a level of organization / pride at these private schools I find pretty amazing. They got a graduate from each decade for the 30s to the 2000s along with a grandmother of someone who will graduate in upcoming decade. I particularly enjoyed talking to John, the 30s graduate, who talked about working on Wall Street during the Depression and what was happening in the banks then vs. now.

Wine Riot

2010-04-20T09:15:00.005-04:00

The Wine Riot put on by The Second Glass didn't disappoint. They were sold out for all 3 tastings between Friday and Saturday, and Mere and I sold more prints than ever before. Like usual, I didn't get to sample anything really other than the near by cheese. More photos are at the bottom past my ramblings.

I'm always impressed by this event and the fact that it's only in its second year and the people who put it on are my age or younger. They're also very good with technology and had a new app where people could mark down in their phone which wines they drank and what they thought of them. While a paper and pen would have done in the past, I think it was a pretty good use of an app.

Not to be outdone, we unveiled a new system of shooting tethered into one computer which was networked to another computer where Mere did the printing. I won't bore you with the details but after trying to work with wireless connections at various venues, I was proud enough of my hardwired solution to get goose bumps as I watched it work for the first time.

Funny thing was the first thing suggested to me at the Mac Store, when I tried to start figuring this out a month ago, was to buy an iPad. And this was by a guy who said he had been a freelance photographer for over 25 years but said digital has made it nearly impossible to earn a living at it. I opted for the $18 cable instead.

We had a primo spot right in the middle of the floor behind the check in desk and judging by how many photographs we had at the end, I'm pretty sure we shot pictures of just about everyone who came.

We had some great volunteers who helped get people into costumes and out making things run as smoothly as possible. They would later come back to have some fun themselves like sisters Autumn and Sharon above.

In such a controlled shot, catching the unexpected is what makes for a memorable shot. I liked it when the crown slid over this woman's head, and got the shot before she fixed it.

And, I couldn't resist putting in a few odes to our new Senator Scott Brown and was surprised by how many people asked who that was... The Wine Riot really does reach the younger crowd of wine drinkers.

This guy's got some moves.

People seemed very happy with the photo booth... one even slapped my butt.

Birthday Blow Out... On My Birthday

2010-04-14T18:41:00.004-04:00

On my birthday last month, a Harvard alum hosted his own 70th birthday party at the Harvard Club in Boston. The Harvard Club is already a pretty fancy place but it was decked out for this party with the whole main ballroom full of immaculately set tables.

The bars were set outside of the dining room next to ice sculptures and food spreads. I was needed only to photograph the event company's layout and hit the road before the party started. That was fine by me as my friends were waiting for me up at Spike's Hotdogs to see if I could get on the wall of fame by eating 6 in one sitting (I did it). It might not have been salmon, but I was happy with my hotdogs.

New Baby Clothes from Hoosier Magnolia

2010-04-14T18:40:00.004-04:00

I met Michelle Jones at one of the area art shows. She runs Hoosier Magnolia, making baby clothes and accessories by hand. She's been expanding her line so we shot some new stuff this winter, and I really liked her new hoodsies.

Earth Wind Rider Teams Up with Lance

2010-04-14T18:38:00.003-04:00

Bill, the Wool Guy from Earth, Wind, and Rider, and I took the same class offered by the state on starting up your own business when both our fortunes changed (and jobs disappeared) back in 2005. He was one class ahead of me but we've been in touch since he presented to my class.

He's a biker (pedal bike), and he went into the bike jersey business. He works with merino wool which does a good job in cold and hot conditions. He had a bunch of new designs to shoot. Typically, the jerseys are done for biking clubs around the country, and they have cool names and designs all of which, please forgive me, escape me now nearly a month later as I write this on a bus.

One of the designs was this Mellow Johnny's done for the bike store Lance Armstrong runs in Austin of the same name... I hear it's his nickname. And, George Carlin's thoughts on Lance Armstrong (and prophetically on Tiger Woods) aside, I'm glad Bill is running with some big fish (how's that for mixed metaphors for a biking company no less).

More Light, More Headshots

2010-04-14T18:37:00.002-04:00

I recently got to shoot headshots of this business man in the studio.

I made this headshot a little more punchy by adding a foam core reflector to his left, positioning the main light very close to him, and putting a hair light over his left shoulder with a grid on it to give a good back light.

I like the way they turned out and after looking over the edits, I feel like he looks a bit like Paul Newman.

Zagat: Second Go Round and Good from the Start

2010-04-14T18:34:00.004-04:00

Barbara Lynch, born and raised in Southie, has opened her seventh brick and mortar restaurant in Boston. I'm amazed by her taking on one project after the next and finding a way to hire the right people to take care of things for her... probably one of the hardest tricks for any entrepreneur. I wonder what a day with her would be like bouncing all over Boston checking on who knows how many different details and projects. How does someone become so driven? I'm pretty sure if I was a chef / owner, I'd be a one restaurant type guy.

For now, I'm happy to have gotten to shoot first Drink, then Sportello and now Menton for Zagat. Menton is the Cadillac of the Lynch Gruppo... if that expression still applies. There's a four course Prix Fixe and a seven course Chef's Tasting. That's it. They change the menu of course but if you're going here for the night... this is the show... there is no play or concert to go to next.

Menton is located in the block Lynch seems to have bought up with Drink and Sportello sharing a wall. It's named for a French town near the Italian border meant to evoke the menu of French and Italian cooking. Lynch says she had come to this building as a girl when it was a vintage clothing / dollar a pound type place. It has half the seats of her original restaurant No. 9 but twice the space.

I didn't get to shoot any food there, but I did get to take in the decorations and decour. The place was gutted and everything was designed / picked to work with everything else. The bathrooms looked futuristic and smelled better than clean laundry. There were candles with Menton's signature scent there... seriously, they created these candles and only they can get them from a supplier in New York. The dining room nearly looked like a black and white photograph oddly modern and classic at the same time.

The place was very minimalist with a muted color pallette and it nearly dictated how to compose it's own photographs. I think the classiness wore off a little bit on my photos. It could be a stretch for the Boston market; but I guess if anyone could make it happen, it would be Barbara. If you've got the money, it would have to be worth at least one visit.

Ever walk into a restuarant and wonder how long it would be around? I shot Jury in Quincy about two years ago and that's the feeling I got. But, upon returning to shoot the location again for Zagat, I found Bistro Chi and the Kama Lounge. I didn't get that same feeling from the staff, cooks, or food this time.

Bistro Chi is more of a restaurant with a small bar in the back. The Kama Lounge takes over for the late shift as a bar / clubby restaurant. The food was great and they brought out a ton of dishes to photograph. I liked this seafood mix in a noodle nest. I've never seen, or phathomed, "Asian tapas" before, but they pull it off well. The head chef used to have the same job over at Kowloon's on Route One. He could probably serve both Bistro Chi and the Kama Lounge by himself with his eyes closed after taking care of Kowloon's 1200 seats.

After I was done inside, I went out to get the exterior shot. An old Quincy guy who was a bit down on his lucki and not in touch with the latest restaurant trends asked me what was in there. I told him and he said, "Really!? A topless bar!!!" He was sad to hear it was a tapas bar and that tapas were little bites of food and that it was "Chinese" food because he doesn't like raw / live fish like they do.

Surprise 40th Playboy Birthday Party

2010-04-06T21:06:00.010-04:00

The Andover Country Club recently got a jolt to the stodgy system when one Andover wife decided to throw a surprise birthday party for her husband there with a Playboy theme. I was brought in to both shoot event photos and to set up the instant photo booth.

Two models came in full bunny regalia. They told me they often play Cinderella etc. at 8 year old girls birthday parties making them one of the few things middle aged, paunchy men have in common with 8 year old girls.

The rooms were lit in pink and decorated with bunny gobo silhouettes. The band was Night Rhythm and they were pretty amazing. Meyer, one of their lead singers, would take the wireless mic out into the audience and be singing right next to people at the bar. They did everything from rock to blues to Ray LaMontagne. There was a tray of cigars and a birthday cake I can't really show out of respect to the husband.

Speaking of which, husband and wife arrived with all the friends hidden away in the banquet room... he thought he was coming to some fundraiser or something. I hung out at reception as if I was talking with coat lady, and then as they came in pulled my camera from my side and got to work. He was greeted by both bunnies and got a kiss from each and his official Hef robe for the night.

From there it was on to the friends and family, and there were lots. The band got fired up and then I got the instant photo booth started. People were loving the costumes (even though I forgot to bring the riding crop). The Dame Edna glasses were a hit too.

The crowd ramped up as the night wound down... one guy went up to his room and came down in his Chip 'n Dales outfit. Hubby got kisses all around and everyone had a good time. And, the bunnies helped everyone loosen up... not that really anyone needed that.

It was a different kind of night.

Featured Artist

2010-04-05T17:00:00.002-04:00

I was happy to hear while on vacation last week that I have been selected as The Art Connection's current featured artist. I enjoy making donations through them to inspiring area organizations and was touched by what they wrote in the first and last paragraph... the others are mine. Check it out.

Citizen Schools Mag Covers and Basketball

2010-03-17T13:23:00.007-04:00

I've shot Citizen School's Bridging Magazine since 2006. Thing aren't what they were in the heydays, but I got to do a few jobs this year... most recently being an attempt at this year's cover. The covers have been kids intently writing and *we hope* learning. I was happy to hear this year they wanted to include the teachers in the learning process.

I rotated between a few downtown law firms looking for the same shot but working with the different physical locations, kids, and their lawyer writing coaches. I was excited by the tight subject parameters / guidlines in which we had to work. Once you accept the box you're given, no matter how small, with some time you'll find there's still plenty of ideas to explore.

While plans for a third flash loom, I still marvel at what can be done with two the hand held Nikon SB-800s. I diffused and warmed the light which would light up the faces of the teacher and student and then focused the other light behind them to get a hard rimmish light and separation from the background. Another enjoyable day spent in law firms of all places.

Before the law firms, I got to shoot some pics of the Citizen kids playing basketball with and against the Acton-Boxborough High School Colonials basketball team. My concerns were getting close to the action and not losing any equipment. I worked with one eye in the viewfinder and the other eye scanning the surroundings for incoming basketballs etc. One of those skills that comes with a few years of doing this. I'm always amazed by how close people will let you get as long as you have a camera in your hand.

Adventures with Burgerman

2010-03-12T13:59:00.005-05:00

Sam Novey, AKA Burgerman, came down from Harvard a few weeks ago to the studio. We were going to do some shots for him to help promote his cause. Sam's looking to raise 100K for Citizen Schools... one of my first clients ever.

Sam was fun to be around and he totally understands marketing and promotion. He rode down from Harvard on his bike in his Burgerman suit. I was expecting him to change at the studio but it made perfect sense when he walked in scraping the burger buns on either side of the door frame. He had gotten comments and contacts all along that three or so mile stretch from Cambridge to the South End. I'll have to start thinking about a Ritterbin suit.

We tried a couple different poses and set ups. I wanted the lighting and color to be punchy... kind of like a comic book or one of the millions of movies now inspired by comic books. While it would have been fun to have Sam standing on the corner of a building overlooking Boston with the American flag in the breeze, we were shooting for a website that needed white around him... and I didn't want to Photoshop a harness out of a picture.

He got involved with Citizen Schools when Executive Director, John Werner, was in residence there last year. As John does, he brings people into the fold. Sam has taught Citizen Schools apprenticeships where a citizen teacher shares their expertise / passion with inner city kids over 10 weeks. Sam's passions are running, burgers, and education.

He taught his apprenticeships in nutrition and is partnering with BGood Burgers to help raise money for Citizen Schools. Every Saturday, he does a two mile training run in Cambridge which finishes with free burgers for all participants at the BGood in Harvard Square.

So go out and cheer him on, participate, and donate. It's fun and it's for a good cause. And, I grabbed my first BGood burger in awhile yesterday and man they are good... veggie, turkey, and beef.

Above the Fold's Joe Baz

2010-03-05T09:57:00.004-05:00

Joe Baz, founder of the web design firm Above the Fold, needed some new headshots. Once again, we needed to do some more formal business shots although you can see Joe can go both formal and informal. And, we needed some social networking shots too where we could free up the wardrobe, setting, and pose a bit.

We started off in the studio with the business shots. Joe came ready with a bunch of different suits, shirts, and ties. We picked out a few that we thought would work best with the gray / black background. Joe didn't need much talking and stayed loose in front of the camera the whole shoot. He also gave me his best "traveling salesman," just imagine seeing this after opening your front door... it's dark outside and dinnertime. But, really Joe is nothing like this and has more slick online marketing tricks up his sleeve than I'll ever even read about. I look forward to bouncing some marketing ideas off him in the future.

After we were done in the studio, we headed down the hall and stopped off in a stairwell. The bricks, window light, and bricks all added to make a nice setting. From there we crossed Waltham St. to a garage with a funky futuristic door and then around the corner to the Sahara restaurant's staircase. The Sahara served Syrian food and looks like it's been closed for over a decade. I would have liked to see it in its prime. It's a huge space and it just makes me wonder what it's like on the inside. Anyway, Joe did a good job of looking warm despite it being the middle of the winter and white balance / gels on the lights took care of the rest. I hope it looks like Spring.

A Torturing Conundrum

2010-03-03T14:48:00.008-05:00

I recently made donations through The Art Connection to The Philip C. Bradley Housing Partnership and the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights.

The Philip C. Bradley Housing Partnership provides affordable housing to low income families of Roxbury (one of the poorest sections of Boston).

Among the many worthy causes of the BCRHHR, they look to aid refugees and torture victims. When my BCRHHR contact came to pick up the piece, she talked about the difficulty she had in not feeling hypocritical or at least entirely justified in her work until her own government stopped using torture itself. She's more at ease with the new administration's policies in this regard.

JD and the Gradient

2010-03-02T16:36:00.005-05:00

I think I'll have some product / model work coming up where I need a smooth, dramatic gradient background. For product, you can do this with some lighting... which I'm still working on. But, with people in a smaller studio, it's easier just to buy the gradient instead of create it. Now, I'm the proud owner of a gradient background. No, I don't want to do a green screen drop in post production... more in the camera and less in the computer I say.

JD was over for a Chinese lunch earlier this week. His knee is doing much better... says the trick is now teaching himself to walk normally and not favor it like he once did. I showed him some software stuff, he sat in for my gradient experiment. I like it. Showed the photo to Steve Murphy, a potter letting me borrow some pieces to improve my craft photography, and he said JD looked like a guy who picked his pocket. It's the winter, things are slow for us photographers!

Judy and Jeff

2010-02-27T14:14:00.008-05:00

Recently headed down to Plymouth to photograph Judy Jones, who I met at Art on the Pews, and her husband Jeff. Judy is a fabric artist who makes beautiful scarves, hats, and shawls on the loom in her home studio. Jeff is a pastor and instructor at the Andover Newton Theological School.

They both wanted something a bit more formal along with something a little more free form with some personality... seems to be a typical request as more and more professionals have both online and print obligations which both come with their own persona expectations.

I set up the mobile studio up in Judy's studio to do the business headshots.

Afterwards, we moved the lights around and arranged to have a more environmental shot of Judy in her studio. In a dorky visual sense, it was very exciting to have all this rhythmic color and her loom to help place her. We also pulled out a mannequin, which after you get comfortable posing with it, plays a good straight man to Judy's funny man / smiling woman.

Afterwards, we took Jeff outside. Their home was very pretty and we set him up on the front stairs.

Then we took him out back to the woodpile for some more manly shots. Jeff and Judy were both pleasant and easy to work with. I also got to try my first bourbon-vanilla tea with them... they were also tea freaks.

Bankers, Take Notice

2010-02-26T10:58:00.004-05:00

Zagat sent me a calling to two restaurants lately. The Bombay Club is right around the corner from Studio 209. I could really get used to this studio thing. The Bombay Club operated out of a very successful location in Harvard Square for over a decade. But, when the old Pho Republique locatione opened up, the draw to have a restaurant in the South End was too alluring for husband and wife owners Vinod and Shikha Kapoor. I enjoyed reading on the Bombay Club website that when they took out a family loan in 1981 for their first restaurant (since three banks turned them down) they paid off that loan in two years. Further proof that banks didn't know their various orifices from their elbows even back then when it came to a good loan. If only more of us treated money a bit more like the Kapoors...

The location was very nice and the staff all happy to help as we arranged things so I could make the famous buffet table the backdrop for this food shot. I've made a bit of a New Year's resolution to shoot more food for these Zagat jobs, and this was a great start with a delicious lamb dish.

Earlier in the day, I went to the Symphony 8 which is, you guessed it, behind Symphony Hall. There were two bars upstairs and a restaurant along with a clubbish basement with its own bar. My head spun thinking or trying to run all these things out of one location, but I can be a bit one-tracked and simple-minded in regards to business ventures. I liked that access to the stairs going down to the club was hidden behind a bookshelf in a little ode to the speakeasy days.

I got a haddock dish with three mini-guinesses to shoot. I'm not very good at remembered food names, recipes, or mixed drink concoctions but the mini-guinness was a couple different liquors that came together to look pretty much just like a beer. Two bad I still had to drive to the next shoot.

Sister Act

2010-02-25T16:51:00.005-05:00

Sisters Eileen and Dannya stopped by Studio 209 this week. We wanted to get some headshots to help cover their singing and acting aspirations. Having a sister for a peanut gallery was fun throughout the shoot. Family members can bust on each other like no one else.

I'm continuing my transition in more studio photography as I still sometimes find myself wondering where the sun is and what I'll do to make it work with me when I find it... then realizing the sun is wherever I put it because I'm controlling all the light now.

We tried various outfits and poses. I got some make-up pointers. And, I tried a fan for the first time. Making sure it looks subtle and not like Dannya is about to become Dorothy is tricky.

With all this lighting... there's some type of perfection about it... nothing beats a candid moment.

Sex Toys Aren't Boring

2010-02-01T16:57:00.005-05:00

We did the Instant Foto booth at the Boston Wine Expo again marking a year of instant foto work with The Second Glass. I didn't know this, but the Boston Wine Expo is the largest in the country. There it is, something bigger here than in New York. We had a great time with our subjects, inebriated and not. I worked in some different lighting on the background looking to make it pop a bit more. I like it much better than the original gray background... so last year. I also started asking for a few more action poses and things requiring some balance (I was careful who I asked) to change things up a bit. We've got some new ideas for shooting and showing photos at the upcoming Wine Riot on April 16th and 17th so keep a look out.

Towards the end of a day shooting like this, I need to tap into some extra energy just as my most intoxicated booth visitors reach their feverish finale pitch. One woman nearly clocked me flailing around telling a story. Got her picture and as it seemed clothes might come off, a crowd of men had gathered. I was glad to see her friends start leading her out. Then, for some reason, she called some other women waiting "boring," to which they replied "we sell sex toys" to which she said "what do you have?" to which I said as merch bags were opened, "Can you take this out of the booth?"

2010-02-01T16:29:00.008-05:00

JD, the guy who showed me the freelance life and business ropes before I was even a full time photographer, was in the shop in early January. A new knee was in order. He's doing very well, and I'm doing better at stifling my high pitched shrieks when I see human flesh stapled together.

Until he's up and going, I'm picking up some jobs for him. In mid January, I went to two CWC Construction sites. Appleton Mills in Lowell has been completely gutted down to only the walls. They're holding onto the metal support beams to sandblast and put back into place. The place is huge and so is the machinery.

We all need a plan to get us through various projects but keeping track of this stuff seemed pretty Herculean to me. I enjoyed walking up the same stairs countless textile workers did nearly 100 years ago. I wanted to imagine what it was like to come to work each day in exactly the same spot in very difficult work conditions.

It was a bit ironic that the mill across the street from Appleton is now a school. Lewis Hine, the famous turn of the century child labor photographer, shot picures of boys who worked in the city's mills. This isn't the best example of his work but they still have those life worn faces and eyes.

I was happy to go up in the crane which I could see miles away from the city. Seeing the back hoes up close on ground level felt half like walking among some large and scary dinosaurs. And getting to see the old floors of the mill contrasted with the new ones being dropped in as I shot, kind of brought home this building's transition from workplace to living space.

Next, I got to visit New Bedford where Regency Towers was getting a full facelift. It wasn't quite as photogenic as the mills but interesting nonetheless. I slowly caught on that the pink toilets and bathtubs meant you lived in one of the nice units. It was pretty interesting seeing high end residential urban living that once housed gold chains, acid wash jeans, mullets, and who knows what else frozen in time. I asked the super if doing projects around the house was easy compared to what he does for a living. He just smiled. I guess home projects are tough for us all.

Privately Instant

2009-12-28T09:30:00.003-05:00

Shot my first instant foto private (hence the lack of photos in this blog) party. The house was beautiful, and we were plugged right into the traffic flow. People came in, dropped their coats, headed up the stairs to see me and then down the back stairs. The band was ripping along so I had to tell the couples to smile when I stomped since oftentimes they couldn't hear me. I used a wall in the house with a large vase provided by the owner as backdrop. It was a simple solution and it worked great. Had a great time and Mere had everyone's photos ready as they left. Despite my offer, none of the valets needed to "know what 109 horsepower" felt like as we left the driveway late that night.

Having a Good Time on Spec

2009-12-23T13:02:00.008-05:00

I've shot summer picnics and board meetings at the Milton Residence for the Elderly. Have met some resident characters and always enjoyed my jobs with MRE. Recently, one of the directors left his post for greener pastures in New Hampshire. I was brought in by the new director to see about helping with office decorations.

We talked about the 3 campuses of MRE: Winter Valley and Unquity House in Milton and a building in South Boston (I didn't even know this one existed). They needed a shot from each campus. Something that might surprise residents that whatever was in the photo was right in their backyard.

Open ended can be a great assignment asset, but you want to make sure you have a very good plan headed in. I scouted around Winter Valley and Unquity House after that first meeting to discuss the job. Winter Valley had a nicely maintained back area where residents could garden and beyond that a pond. Unquity House has a stream running along behind it which most of the residents mentioned as one of their favorite features.

I shot at Winter Valley over two mornings. Met a grandmother from upstate New York doing some gardening. I shot the old tool shed which looked like it came out of the Lord of the Rings, some stone stairs / walls, and an interesting vine. On the way out, I asked grandma if I could shoot some pics of her gardening. She said OK as long as it was just her hands.

The new director told me about a shed next to the old director's house you could walk to from campus. There was a ton of character there. It was an enjoyable morning of exploring and shooting. My favorite was this wall.

Just before starting this project, I was a bit worried that I'd have to be up extra early and lucky to get great morning light or wait around for the afternoon light. But, I read Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries which explained how to mimic sunlight with the SB-800s speedlights I already had and some gels from David Honl. It was very exciting seeing my flashes fill in for the sun in photos which would have been very flat otherwise. Save time, punchier photos, more control = happy photographer.

From Winter Valley, it was on to jumping a fence at Unquity House to get up close with the stream. I settled on a view with a boulder and small birch tree. Once again using some flash tricks learned a la McNally, I was able to make it a bit more dramatic than it otherwise would have been.
I also tried up on the bridge looking over the stream. I was looking to just catch the curve of the stone since the director didn't want any people in the shots. But, when this old lady walked by I just rattled off one quick shot without looking through the viewfinder. In the photo, I was happy to see her hand floating just over the stone. And, the director ended up liking this shot very much in the end.
In Southie, I just worked with the exterior of the building. After trying a few different angles, I liked this one showing the building and wrought iron railing. Here I did get some help from Mother Nature with the sun lighting up the top of the building with a pretty pink light at the end of the day.
Spec work is a mixed bag. You've got to do it right but also be very conscious of your time to keep the budget in the black. This job worked out very well. I enjoyed the different pace of it from my usual work: getting to walk around by myself and getting to define something open ended into my take on it.

WOWs a la Citizen Schools

2009-12-23T13:01:00.010-05:00

Citizens Schools has been a client for nearly all of my 5 years freelancing. Citizens Apprenticeship teachers teach their profession or hobby to a class. Apprenticeship classes last for 9-10 weeks with one class a week. This December, the fall Apprenticeships were coming to their end with the WOW presentations where the students present what they've learned.

First up was the Moakley Courthouse and the Legal Apprenticeships. Local lawyers had taught their students all about court procedure. Students would argue their case in front of real federal judges and with full adult juries. One case was about a principal who felt he had just cause to assume a student had graffitied a wall outside the school. After hearing the cases, the jury left to debate and came back with a verdict (which varied between the 3 or 4 juries that heard the case that night). It was definitely more lively than just reading about how the courts work in a book.

At City Hall, the Architecture Apprenticeships presented their work to a panel of architects and city planners / decision makers. The kids' designs stressed green living. Getting in close while they showed their models was no problem. Because they were so excited to share their work, I was barely noticed.

And finally, I got to go to the Federal Reserve. I used to work at nearby Stone Photo and always thought it would be fun to get inside to see the machines that make the money and then the machines that chew up the money taken out of the currency. I didn't get to see that this time but I did get to see the Business Apprenticeships where students showed their ad campaigns for Timberland boots (which benefit reforestation efforts in Haiti) in the main auditorium. In smaller sessions upstairs, students presented on Dunkin Donuts and ways to start a business by selling sock animals they had created themselves. Later, I enjoyed a walk through the museum showing the economic history of the typical New England family from the farm, through the Industrial Age, into the 50's, and later into the Information Age.

I was impressed by the drive and energy the students put into their work and by Citizens Schools' reach and access in Boston. I do think they are able to get kids who wouldn't otherwise, thinking about their future: that they could go to college and onto to a profession of their choosing.

Bat Mitzvah in a Bank Vault

2009-12-23T13:01:00.008-05:00

Got to shoot the Bat Mitzvah of an old friend's daughter at Mantra. Never been to Mantra before and it is a funky place. Used to be a bank and all the old marble walls are still up. Downstairs, where the kids played, was the bank vault still accessed through the 25 ton vault door. Really, I've seen bank vaults re-purposed before (slept in them even) but this thing was huge. They can say they left it for historic detail, but I think it's because they couldn't move it if they tried.

The kids were having a good time. There was the usual mix of hams and young adult energy. Working in a bank vault leaves a bit to be desired as far as light levels but that was for me to work out. Upstairs, the adults enjoyed the drinks and company.

There was a wooden enclosure upstairs where the younger kids were playing with a dreidel and the chocolate coins everyone got. I got a lesson in how to play from a very polite little girl and one of my favorite images of the night.

We finished with the Hora Dance which had more than the usual risk to it as the chair lifts were done over a marble floor. Everyone came away unharmed and happy.

Holiday Henchmen

2009-12-23T13:00:00.015-05:00

It's become a bit of a tradition for me that each year I come up with a Holiday card to send to my clients. It can't be too sentimental, and it's got to pack some type of laugh. Years ago on a portrait shoot in the North End, I saw Henchman St., and I would love to know the whos and whys behind that name.

My first thought was setting up a friend down the street in a trenchcoat at dusk. I didn't know much about flash work back then, and my visual thinking was definitely different. While I don't think I'll ever be a big set up photographer, I am enjoying learning the various things you can do with these amazing small, handheld flashes and putting a bit more production into a shoot like this.

So I rounded up some friends who I thought could act out the part in shadow. JD and Doug are both pretty big guys = bruisers and my web designer Steve isn't = someone not paying up (it's only fair since he kills so many ketchup packets). Then, our luck, I picked one of the first real cold nights of the year to meet up and do the shoot.

So, my material list went something like this:
12 foot ladder a la JD
2 SB-800 flashes
Honl gels
2 wiffle ball bats
1 trenchcoat, 1 fedora, 1 scally cap

I liked the view from the ladder getting me up close to the street sign making it nice and prominent. The flashes were placed low to provide a nice distorted angle to spit the shadows on the wall making them a little exaggerated / cartoonish.

My original idea was to have everything done in shadow. JD and Doug would both be ready to haul off on helpless Steve who only needed until tomorrow to pay up. But, placing everyone so their shadows translated into the story I wanted was very difficult. All of a sudden, with the help of those windows and the street sign post, that at first large-looking wall was like a bulls eye as I tried to tell the guys what to do with their shadows. And darts isn't my game. Really we were moving inches here and there and it was too exact.

I wanted to still have friends after this shoot so I tired to regroup and rethink a bit. I gave Doug a break while I positioned Steve on my Pelican 1100 camera case (one of my favorite pieces of gear). Doug's native Jersey kicked in and he slid right up against the wall like he belonged there. I quit looking at the shadows and realized I liked this set up much, much better. Having one of the "guys" in frame (with his face obscured by the hat) keeping watch out while the other took care of business down the alley was much better in my mind to get across the narrative.

I had Doug and JD switch jackets and got the fedora on Doug. And then, I went to work getting the JD and Steve's shadows right while Doug looked away down the street keeping watch. And man, thank god for digital on something like this. I'm not sure how you could do it without dumb luck on film.

The last part was something I recently learned by reading Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries. His set up of a damsel in distress and an axe-wielding shadow (assistant) was my inspiration and film noir was his inspiration... we all stand someone's shoulders I suppose. Thinking more along the lines of color, I wanted red to frame the shadows where the bad stuff was happening and then blue around the corner leading out to the cold, indifferent world.

Wrapping a shoot and saying you got it often comes as a relief to your subjects but all the more on this shoot for how cold it was and all the fine tuning of positions. My buddies earned their pizza dinner that night... we were in the North End afterall.

What was inside the card?

It's been a brutal year, know what I mean? I appreciate the business.
If there's anyone you need taken care of (photographically speaking), let me know.
Happy Friggin' New Year.

Greener Grass

2009-12-23T13:00:00.010-05:00

Salesmen for the Scotts Company (think Miracle-Gro) came through Boston for their conference this past summer. They were at the JFK Library the night I worked with them. The big shot of the night was the group shot complete with some Minutemen which we did on the stairs behind the library. Not bad for having 10 minutes with a group of 150.

Second Glass Comes to Town

2009-12-23T12:59:00.005-05:00

Local wine knowledge expanders The Second Glass wanted to get a Holiday Card out in the same style as the instant photos I've been doing for them at their two Wine Riots in '09. This was my first official shoot in my new South End studio. Tyler the President, Morgan the Mad Marketer, Designer Holly, Kate the Sales Czar, and Ashley the Wine Riot Organizer all came with some signs and props from the Wine Riots.
There was also a champagne bottle which Tyler opened (we were short a sabre so there was no sabraging... thankfully) and spread around... even to the photographer. I learned from my 5 Drink Minimum stories with the Weekly Dig that photography can be a bit of a drinking sport. You do get a little better with goofy fun people shots like this but be careful because the bell curve is pretty steep once you go one too many.
Anyway, we tried a few arrangements and then towards the end things took a musical turn. Tyler was singing I'm Leaving New York into the champagne bottle, then we did a little rendition of Bye, Bye Birdie, and then as it was the Holidays, ended things with a Rockette style kick line. Good times.

Incredibly Complicated Dear Sir

2009-12-23T12:58:00.014-05:00

I revisited Health Dialog and Network Health in one day last week to shoot some more business portraits. I enjoy hearing the experts' take on health insurance industry in general and the American version. Two of the three new hires at Health Dialog came from England... what does that say? I asked one what he thought of our system and he said in his cheery English accent, "It's incredibly complicated."

I second that emotion, and I'll add incredibly expensive. Small businesses have been hit even harder than normal with increases this year. My rate went up 28%. I am behind the aid Massachusetts provides its residents through the Insurance Partnership and the Health Connector. And, I am behind the Health Dialog's stressing preventive care and cutting wasteful spending. And finally, I am behind Network Health's work through MassHealth and Commonwealth Care to bring health insurance to many who would have trouble finding affordable options otherwise. We can have our debates about how to reform health care but not about whether we should.

In Utero Viewing, Thanks to These Folks

2009-12-23T12:58:00.013-05:00

Morgan Advanced Ceramics, based out of England, is a world leader in the production of ceramic and carbon products. I began going cross-eyed looking over all the various applications for these products... pretty much most anything you can imagine. Oil exploration, airplanes, air fresheners, air bag sensors, body armor, and ultrasounds are just a few.

MAC was having a convention in Boston a few weeks ago. In between sessions, they needed to get a group shot and hired me. We were at the Boston Harbor Hyatt. I got to work with some trusty scrap paper. I knew we'd have about 45 people and about 10 minutes. I picked some stairs as a default easy place to stack a decent sized group. Made sure it was OK to move a bench from the lobby to have a sitting row up front. And, made sure people could stand on a wooden platform to the left of the stairs... it was very solid thankfully.

Set up my three main Alien Bees lights and tested the lighting with a very nice waiter setting up in the restaurant to the right of the stairs. He looked pretty well lit in the various possible places the group would be standing except towards the back couple rows. I set up my two Nikon SB-800s to cover that area.

I was pretty confident with the set up and plan. Some of the folks were from California but most were from England. And, man, it's true, no one queues quite like the British. They got into height order and waited for their instructions. I was a bit beside myself as I had prepared to begin my usual yelling and arm grabbing. We got our people of the "tall persuasion" in the back rows and then of the "not tall persuasion" to the front. I realized, these people took up more room than my circles in my sketch (who knew, they came with shoulders) and ran to grab the second bench from the lobby.
Now with a full sitting row, we had a good view or each person. The last step was taking the lady dressed in yellow (she says hello) from sea of men on the stairs and putting her in the last sitting position. I think her yellow helped break up some monotony.

Group shots are something that in some odd way I really enjoy. The challenge of planning out where everyone will go and then making some last minute adjustments when they're in front of you. Neal Slavin put out a great book years ago called "When Two or More are Gathered Together." Really makes you think about the groups we belong to and the interesting jobs / work to be found all over the country.

Giving and Receiving

2009-12-23T12:57:00.012-05:00

The Art Connection helps place artwork donated by area artists with non-profits in and around Boston. They had me pretty busy this fall.

Four of my photos went to the Hope House, a residential treatment facility for male substance abusers looking for a fresh start.

North Shore Community College in Danvers took another two photos.

The Boston Public Health Commission, which brings health services and preventative care to Boston's most vulnerable, took another.

And, it was a nice surprise when Milton Residences for the Elderly, who I've shot with for awhile, took two more.

I've been involved with The Art Connection for over 2 years now. It's a very exciting thought that some of my work was selected by various agencies devoted to worthy causes because it was seen as healing and inspirational. Knowing that one of my photos might give pause to a retiree, greet an addict in the difficult time of quitting, or give a smile to a scared child waiting for a medical appointment is very gratifying.

And, like anything, these donations are not one-sided. Soon after donating at the Hope House, I was hired to shoot the board's group shot at their newly opened facility. And then some round table shots as drug trends both in addiction and availability were discussed and how Hope House could expect to help.

I was invited to the opening reception for the Hope House. The artists sat with Hope House employees and residents along with The Art Connection employees. It was easy to see the care put into where each piece went. I was told that someone looking in through a window thought the place was a restaurant after seeing three of my photos on the wall.

At this reception, I met a resident who by looking at the cab number in Go Sox, realized he was friends with the cabby. He was a proud man and happily negotiated a price for an 8x10 to give to his friend for Christmas. He also works in a train yard which he invited me out to for some shots some time. I hope to take him up on it this winter.

Sometimes, it seems you can't do any better than the cliche. A reaping and sowing kind of thing.

Upscale Boston

2009-12-23T12:56:00.008-05:00

I remember an NPR story on Boston restaurants awhile back talking about the city being an absolute desert for fine dining with Locke-Ober the only game in town. That was only 20 or so years ago. But, these days, even with the downturn, Zagat continues to get me in the doors of unbelievably nice and sophisticated restaurants just now opening their doors. I hope there is enough of a market for Boston to support this many fine dining establishments.

Bistro du Midi was first up on Boylston St. facing out to the Boston Common where Excelsior used to be. You could watch the swan boats from its second story. If I can't find the door from the outside, we're probably on to a nice restaurant here. To be fair, the normal door was out of service as it was being painted leaving me to find the door that looked like a window, and an art history degree only gets you so far sometimes.

Downstairs is centered on a Zinc bar... not sure what the benefits are to zinc other than it makes someone like me mention it. The wine cellar follows you upstairs because it's two stories tall and enclosed in glass. There were other small wine caches around the upstairs wherever there was open wall space it seemed. The fireplace looked great once I figured out where the on switch was. They brought out a wonderful roast chicken dish to photograph as well. The fare is down homey French.

City Table, located in the Lenox Hotel, also recently opened. It was a very pretty layout and behind the bar were these blue tiles that kind of glowed when the flash hit them instead of reflecting the light. I have no idea what they were made of. The windows were huge, and I was assured looked amazing at night... unfortunately, I have to do most of these shoots in the daytime when the spaces are empty.

Woodward rounded out the list. It is in the Ames Hotel and gives the Morgans Hotel Group (they say they started the boutique hotel craze) its first foothold in Boston. I remember seeing this building years ago while shooting photos of the Old Statehouse. I wondered what was done in that building. Turns out it was vacant and had been that way for years (although it didn't look it). It was a former turn of the century office buiding. It's beautiful from the outside and the inside matches.

As the Ames office building became the Ames Hotel, beautiful original details were discovered like fireplaces and the tiled entry arch. Somehow, I doubt 100 years from now people will be coveting the drywall of our current office buildings.

The lay out was gorgeous. Light poured in through the downstairs windows. But, it didn't overwhelm the scene. If you don't have to break out your flashes until the sun goes down, the place is nice.

Very interesting art by a J.P. artist was all around the staircase. It was meant to look like curiousity collections of the Victorian age. In that arched entryway, there was a chandelier of sorts assembled by artists from East London. It took them over 3 weeks to put it together (had to be done on location) and looks like a Calder mobile on roids. It's thousands of mirrors each left to turn on their own axis. Note to self: become an artist, make work people in far away places want, and make it so only I can install the work. Watching the tiled arch, it seemed there was water underneath it from the way the chandelier shimmered off of it.

Upstairs, we had another fireplace to turn on. Really, on/off fireplace technology has come a long way (have you seen the faux logs in a faux bed of embers?); but having grown up in a house where lots of our heat was provided by wood we chopped, it will never feel right. I understand why restaurants opt towards these type fireplaces but am glad there are still a few places willing to fly in the face of reason like The James's Gate in JP where you can throw all the wood you want on the fire as long as the resident Irish old timers don't get too hot.

There's a tangent for you. Anyway, management was very interested in showing the neighboring (and competing) Custom House Hotel in some shots to give a sense of location for the Ames and because the Custom House is such a Boston Icon. The eye is an amazing little optical device as it objectively brings in and organizes the light for us to see, but it is also hooked up to our ever so subjective brain. That custom house looks huge in the window to your eye, but pull out all your lens tricks and wedge yourself under the bar, get in the way of 5 waiters and somehow the camera still isn't seeing the same thing. Just like when we can look over a really high range in exposure difference (think sunny day) and see it all (we think) at once; but then we break out the camera, and inevitably you're blowing highlights off the histogram or losing details in the shadows.

When something's not working, try looking at it upside down. The Custom House nicely filled up some mirror-ish, small round tables near the fireplace. I was very proud of my discovery that I could fit a 25 story sky scraper on three two foot diameter tables to meet management's request. I didn't get to sample any food but judging by the ambiance, I think you'll be in good hands.