Monday Mornin'

A visitor to Gallery 17 Peck in downtown Providence looks at one
of the prints on display.

Well I have yet another slow Monday so I am putting up a new post for whoever is looking at this thing (Hi mom and dad!). Only the last one actually made the paper, the others are just once I took during some downtime.

A worker at the Babson College dining hall sorts dishes in the kitchen.

WEYMOUTH, Mass November 11, 2007: Whitman Hanson sophomore forward Marissa D'Angelo (L) holds her head while the Weymouth soccer team celebrates its double overtime Division 1 South Sectional final win at Weymouth High School.

An Update

Well I am back. I know you all missed me. Right?

I just looked at one of my invoices for last month and I was pretty damn busy. Which is always great. I was getting nervous there for awhile after being told that three of my 'clients' who are now owned by the same company were told by said company that they cannot use freelancers for the entire month of September. When did said big company announce this? August 28th. Real nice of them to give us notice like that. I got the call as I was moving into a nicer (read: more expensive) apartment.

I knew that this one month off that they were trying out would most likely last longer than a month. I knew it was just a test to see if they could get by without freelancers. Turns out I was right....partly. They have slightly lifted the ban, but only slightly. Work from them is very sparse.

But things have turned out okay so far. Well, I do have established relationships with the editors and certainly liked working for them, I have been able to find other work.

For starters I have been working a bit for a company in Providence that publishes a business newspaper every week. They have been fairly consistent.

Then things with UPI started to pick up. I have been covering the Patriots this season and of course the Red Sox. UPI usually has a hard time getting me into Sox games but they make room for a lot more shooters during the playoffs and series.

I have also started freelancing for the Boston Herald. One of their regular freelancers got hired full time and they needed some people to fill her shoes. It's been great working for them, I have learned a lot in a short period of time, and everyone has been very cool. The stress factor is a bit high because it is a daily with an early deadline and I am filing from my car or wherever I can but all part of the job.

For photos, I guess I will start with the Red Sox. So I had known that the Sox had been doing well but really hadn't planned on covering any of their playoff games. As I had said, the Red Sox credentialing process can be strict and I was rejected for quite a few games during the regular season. But for the playoffs they add a ton of space for photographers. The regular photo pits are just past the home dugout and just past the away dugout. For big games it gets very very cozy in there. For the playoffs and ALCS and World Series they add auxiliary spots that are literally on the field. One on each side of the field on the inside of the dugouts down towards home plate and one further out on the left field side past the regular photo pit. When I say on the field, I mean you are sitting in the dirt. This is the only photo I have from what I believe was the ALCS. I was sitting in the aux spot for the first inning so that I could get clean photos of the two starting pitchers, then run back to the third base well and transmit them and shoot the rest of the game from there. I dont know why the photo is backwards or why I didn't smile. Think its because I couldn't figure out how to work my stupid cellphone camera.

Anyway it was pretty great to be able to watch the games from these spots. For the World Series I got to sit in the third base line auxiliary pit next to the Rockies on deck circle for both games. I shared the 4 foot by 4 foot space with one of the Boston Globe photographers and in the next space was a guy I know from US Presswire. Both of them had at least three photographers there along with an editor. I was flying solo. Not the only one I am sure, but having at least one other photographer there would have been nice. Oh yeah and I guess I had a bit of face time on Fox because of my spot. I have heard about it from quite a few folks, which has been very weird.

Oh I forgot to mention one other thing....THE FRICKIN WORLD SERIES!!!!! W...T...F????

Seriously, two and a half years ago I was working my first newspaper assignment shooting a basketball game for the Holbrook Sun. I left my office job right at 5 ran to my car, drove to Hollbrook as fast as I could and shot the heck out of the game. The next week when it was published I drove down to Holbrook and bought 5 copies when I had some time off. I still have them all.

My first published pic. I remember seeing this on the LCD of my 10D
during the game and thinking "Wow". Still love this one.

I never in my life thought I would end up doing something like this. For the first 6 months when I went freelance full time I would leave an assignment and drive to the next one and every now and then just burst out laughing in the car. I couldn't believe I was getting paid to shoot photos. It was surreal. I have kind of lost that feeling a bit, gotten a bit more settled down, its become a regular job now, not regular in the traditional sense, but the dream has settled into reality. I don't or rather didn't view the World Series games as anything other than work. Chance and luck had a lot to do with how I ended up there, as well as help from really good friends and family. You know who you are.

Okay I have to admit, that when I walked into Fenway for the first game and saw the absolute media zoo that was in front of me it kind of hit me that this just wasn't a regular game. Oh and did I mention that the press dining hall had free lobster rolls, sushi, and beer? Yeah cause it did. I only went once though.

Anyway, here are some photos. We all like photos right? Trying for diversity here.

Some guy from Baltimore that was at the game with his son.

One of the first pitches of game one of the World Series.

Hi Papi!

Lugo

Pedroia.

I dont have much from the Patriots on this computer right now. But will put some of those up when I get a chance.

I will leave with a shot from an assignment for the Patriot Ledger. A guy named Domenic Yaniero from New Jersey who impersonates a once very famous professional wrestler 'Ultimate Warrior' who was huge when I was a kid. Now this guy dresses like him and bills himself as 'Warrior' and wrestles at semi pro matches held all over the place. They never actually mention that he is an impersonator at these shows just that 'Warrior' will be there. So people come from all over to see 'Warrior' thinking it is the 'Ultimate Warrior'. Some of them know it may not be the real thing, but don't care, others don't have a clue and hound him for his autograph and a Polaroid photo for a price. It was a great assignment. Seriously.

I photographed 'Warrior' behind the scenes walking through the upcoming match with his opponent. Another wrestler saw me do this and told the manager of the show. The manager asked me about it and I played dumb. He wanted me to delete the photos of them walking through the upcoming match because his opponent is a 'bad guy' and people will see them working together and may think that they are not really enemies. I was later told by the reporter that the manager follows old school pro wrestling rules and that no one pretends that whole bad guy good guy thing is real except during the actual matches.

QUINCY, Mass. - October 19, 2007: Domenic Yaniero, left, AKA 'Warrior' to wrestling fans, prepares for his match behind the curtain at the Quincy Armory while his opponent 'Prince Alad' watches the current match through an opening in the curtain. Yaniero who lives in New Jersey wrestles on weekends as his 'Warrior' persona.

Bingo!

This was an assignment for The Patriot Ledger. Bingo has been played in this Knights of Columbus hall for 35 years. This was the last night. They had to close it down because no one was showing up. Of course everyone came out for the last night, so it was packed.

Marie Stevens of Dorchester plays multiple bingo cards at once on the last night of Bingo at Knights of Columbus Hall on Hollis Street. Stevens has been coming to the Wednesday night Bingo games for thirty-five years.

Ann Cutter of North Quincy, looks up at the called Bingo number and the Red Sox game while on the last night of Bingo at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Hollis Avenue. Cutter began coming to Bingo with her mother when it first started thirty-five years ago. She continued to attend after her mother passed away but she chooses to sit apart from the crowd to honor the memory of her mother.

Bingo caller at the Knights of Columbus Joe Donnelly calls out a number on the last night of Bingo at Knights of Columbus Hall on Hollis Street.

Edna Hackett, right, of Dorchester, and Eddie Govoni, of Wollaston, play their Bingo on the last night of Bingo at Knights of Columbus Hall on Hollis Street.


Dell Alban of Wollaston plays multiple bingo cards at once on the last night of Bingo at Knights of Columbus Hall on Hollis Street.

Good weekend

13 assignments in 4 days. 600 miles or so on the car.

Not too bad.

Covered everything from pro beach volleyball to a pro-Jesus beach baptism. (see below)

QUINCY, Mass. August 18, 2007: Todd Rogers dives for a ball during the AVP mens final match at Marina Bay against Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings. Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser defeated Casey Jennings and Matt Fuerbringer in two games.

The volleyball was fun. Good light, great action, got to sit right down on the sand. Wish I could have covered the women's final too. Above was one of my better shots although its not as sharp as I would like it to be. Something to work on.

MILTON, Mass. August 18, 2007: Patrick Ross Neal, left of South Boston, and Dennis Peter St. Rose of Brockton, smile after being baptized in Houghton Pond

This was a feature that I was sent to. There were actually two baptisms going on at the pond this morning. One was a large group of people. The second was the one I was assigned to, just the two gentlemen above. The Pastor was a bit strict with his rules on what I could do and how close I could get. I was hoping to get in the water with him but he wasn't letting anyone else in the water. This moment above was when they walked back to shore and were just standing there smiling. They were both so honestly happy. Regardless of my religous views it was a nice moment to see these two grown men just beaming with joy. Wish I got more of them in the frame but I was already lying in the sand on my stomach and the trees are just below the bottom of the frame there. Oh well.

Feeling inspired

Well I am up looking at blogs from other photographers and I was inspired to change mine a bit. Okay, all I did was change the name of the thing. The old name just annoyed me, but in my defense I was trying to be clever. I am also just considering what I should be writing on here. I would like to include some more stories about work and maybe some helpful tips or something about photography.

I am including a bunch of pics from the past year or so that I dug up while searching for photos to enter for an upcoming contest. So have a look and I hope you enjoy. To make up for the lack of names in the captions I will try and write about the photo a bit.

Skateboarder
This was for an article in the Allston Brighton Tab. The story was about a large group of early teenagers that skated in and around Allston Brighton. They were interested in getting a skatepark built in their area because the places they do skate are technically off limits and they always get kicked out. The kids were showing off for me jumping this little gap. I was having a blast, I love shooting non-traditional sports. I went for the sillouhette as you can see. Its an easy shot but I am still a sucker for them. And yes the photo is straight from my camera so that is dust that you see in the sky.

Tennis Feature
Feature, Found Art, Enterprise photo they all mean the same thing. Its when your editor calls you up and says 'Go find me something in (insert town name).' In the above case it was Newton. I and many others, struggle with feature photos. If you are smart (sometimes I am) then you will keep a notebook of ideas for features that you can use when you are called upon to find one. I did not have ideas and had to rely on my trusty map book. I pulled it out, found a big park and drove there. I think I got a shot of some kids playing soccer, and then I walked down to the tennis courts and found this boy playing with his dad. I scaled the fence and started shooting.

Hockey
One of my better hockey photos. CM player on the right just snuck one past the Malden Catholic Goalie and raised his stick right in front of me.

Ice Menorah
A girl admires a giant ice Menorah on Needham Town Common.

Dancing
Same event as above. They had one work light lighting the whole event. You can just work it out in the background there. This family was dancing under the light. I was standing on a bench.

Manger Scene
Another feature photo. This time in West Roxbury. Found this guy taking down his large Manger scene from his front lawn and getting many hands from his children. After I photographed him I asked for him and his children's names. Turns out he had been in the media a lot because someone stole baby Jesus from his lawn. He was even on the Today Show. My editor was annoyed by it because we had already covered him I guess, but they still ran the shot.

Hero.
Former fire chief in Watertown. Happened to be in Boston during the infamous Coconut Grove fire. He personally pulled six people from the inferno.

Some a dis some a dat

I have exactly 5 minutes to kill. So I am putting up a few shots from here and there. First one is from a trip to Vinalhaven Maine that Christine and I took. It is a photo of the harbor taken from the ferry over there.




The next group of photos are all from a little league game I covered a week or two ago. I have kind of hit my limit with little league games so I get bored quickly. This one was wrapping up right around sunset. Just a few patches of golden hour light were hitting the field here and there. So I used it in a few photos.

Newton, Mass - July 20, 2007 - The umpire of the Walpole vs Parkway Little League playoff game stares off into the sun during a lull.

Newton, Mass - July 20, 2007 - Fans watch the Little League game from the outfield.

Newton, Mass - July 20, 2007 - A Parkway Little League player stretches for a ball during a playoff game against Walpole.

Aloha Mr. Hand

Decided to throw up some more pics from the past couple months. I have been shooting a lot of baseball this summer, which is great because baseball is one of the toughest sports for me to shoot. (Not counting golf, volleyball, and plenty of others). I've been able to use my new longer lens and it makes a big difference. Have been able to see some pretty good games too. The top two baseball pics are very recent, and I just really dig them. I kept seeing the dust fly off everyone whenever there was a play on the infield dirt. Finally was able to get a decent shot of it. The pitcher photo was just for myself. I liked the black background (except for that person in the white shirt back there) and the cool light, which doesn't pop as much on the internet of course.


The parade pic is from May and I forgot to post it up here earlier. The original didn't run as a square crop but I decided to crop it for here just because.

The last two are from the debates in New Hampshire back in early June. They are both from the 'spin room' after the debates occurred. The highlight being the blogger that was walking around with an open laptop and with a web cam attached to it who was trying to type on his laptop and record his interviews with the web cam. The web cam kept falling off his laptop. I tried to get a photo of him, really I did, but I failed. I think he knew what I was up to.

We did have access to the debate hall to photograph the candidates on stage. A whopping 90 seconds. We were supposed to have five minutes, but of course they came out late. 20 photographers all squished up against the stage desperate to get a photo of all nine or so candidates together. Fun stuff. Okay so maybe I can only speak for myself, I was desperate to get a photo of them all together. One that was sharp, well exposed, and where none of them were blinking or doing something weird. Stressful as all hell but it was a good learning experience. Have a look http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=533598935&context=set-72157600292995022&size=o

CANTON, Mass. - July 14, 2007 - Second baseman for the Canton American Legion team Ryan Melaugh makes the throw to first baseman Ryan Darcy on a ground out by Morrisette's second baseman Joe Lousararian during the game at Canton High school. Canton defeated Morrisette 2-1 and will now move on to the district 6 East playoffs.


CANTON, Mass. - July 14, 2007 - Canton American Legion team starting pitcher Andy Poliferno hurls a pitch in the first inning against the Morrisette Legion team at Canton High school. Canton defeated Morrisette 2-1 and will now move on to the district 6 East playoffs.


Somerville, Mass. - May 27, 2007 - The Italian American marching band makes its way under a large American flag that hung over Davis Square during the Memorial Day Parade.


Republican Presidential Candidate for 2008, Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA), chats with reporters after the debate inside the spin room at Stoutenburgh gymnasium on the Saint Anselm College campus in Manchester, New Hampshire on June 5, 2007.



Democratic Presidential Candidate for 2008, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), answers a question from a reporter in the spin room located inside the Stoutenburgh Gymnasium on the Saint Anselm College campus in Manchester, New Hampshire on June 3, 2007. The eight Democratic Candidates just wrapped up a debate.

Summertime...like the Billie Holiday song, not the Jazzy Jeff song

Just a little update from here and there. It's getting late, and I am getting hungry, waiting for Christine to come home so we can eat dinner together, should be around 10pm or so. Ah fun. Been pretty busy the past few weeks and wanted to throw some photos up of some of the work I have made.

Wellesley, Mass - June 26, 2007 - A child swims past the head lifeguard at Morses Pond during a beginners swimming lesson.

Yeah I lost her name, and the lifeguards name. Sorry. She was really funny though, she kept just floating around as the guard was trying to instruct the others. Real waterbug. Yes my lens got wet, and so did the jeans I was wearing. Thankfully I had more pants in my car. Always bring more pants with you!

Newton, Mass - Sam Raby, 12, of Newton Corner, plays the 'Water Game' that was set up on Albemarle Field as part of the Independence Day festivities on Wednesday July 4, 2007.

Not sure why but I really dig that shot above. I just like that he completely ignored me and focused on the game. It also looks like he is looking up at the prizes. Carnivals rule.

PLYMOUTH, MASS.. - June 2, 2007: Plymouth South graduating senior Hillary Rooslet, left, chats with her girlfriend on the phone before lining up for the start of the Plymouth South High School Graduation Ceremony at Memorial Hall.

Just a bit of color amongst the black robes. Actually all the girls had blue on. Shot on a day of back to back high school graduations, held in the same hall. Ugh. Oh and I checked and she confirmed that she was talking to her girlfriend, and yes she said it was okay to print that, I checked the online edition of the photo and her girlfriend had been changed to 'friend'. We are in Massachusetts right? Whatever.

Watertown, Mass. - Members of the Watertown Reds baseball team watch the game from the dugout during a matchup against the Mooney Dental Tanners on Wednesday June 20, 2007 at Victory Field

An update for my coffee drinking friend

Here you go. My number one photo from a recent assignment in a rose garden, that probably won't even run cause the reporter doesnt like it. It's a long story, and I have to go assist a wedding. Maybe I will do a bigger update next week.

BOSTON, Mass. - June 26, 2007: Volunteer at the Kelleher Rose Garden, Tomoko Seke of Brookline, prunes a Starry Night Rose, inside the garden .

Rock! Rock! Rock?

Looking out at our freshly paved back yard May 29, 2007 11:11pm

Still a sucker for cool night photos so I thought I would share this one. The taggers are really stepping it up this spring as you can see. I just wish it was halfway decent graffiti, is that too much to ask for guys? Maybe they are just using our street for practice.

Anyway I spent almost all day yesterday working on a new multimedia slideshow for the Cambridge Chronicle. I photographed and recorded some audio from the final show at The Kirkland (which is technically in Somerville). It was a local bar that hosted lots of musical acts. I found out it was closing because my dad told me (thanks dad).

Check out the slideshow. Click the link then click the play button. Be sure to have your sound up, but not too loud...don't want you waking the neighbors.

http://media.townonline.com/cambridge/slideshow/kirkland_cafe/

Happy Memorial Day!

Shriners + Segway= FUN!

The Alleppo Potentate of the Wilmington Shriners cruises down Higland Avenue during the Somerville Memorial Day Parade on Sunday May 27, 2007.

I have a day off

I am posting today because I have today off. I am going to write about life as a freelance photographer.

Last week I hardly had any work. Not by choice. It's almost never by choice. It doesn't get any easier, after doing this for almost two years full time. If I don't get a call in a span of three weekdays, then I get nervous. I start thinking to myself "What did I do wrong? Did a subject complain about me? Did my photos suck? Did the editor get pissed at me for (insert insane reasoning here)?" This is normal, but makes life stressful.

There are all sorts of things, like any job, that you just never really thought about when viewing the job from the outside. I am still learning a lot of them.

For example etiquette in groups. At bigger media events there are going to be lots of photographers around you. It is your job to get the shot, and stay out of everyone elses' shot. That's all well and good, but how do you get something different if everyone is packed together chasing the same shot? Do you take the chance of breaking away from the pack and not getting "THE" shot that every other newspaper and wire will get? Or do you stay safe and stay with the pack? Well if you do stray from the pack you had better stay the hell out of everyone elses' frame because you will hear it if you don't.

The pack mentality can happen anywhere. Even smaller local events that are being covered by two photographers. I know I am not the only one that has run into another photographer on an assignment and had them shadow me. I am guilty of doing some shadowing myself, which is another story for another time. Its all about not wanting to be shown up, and not wanting to miss "The" shot.

Well I just realized that I am not really going anywhere with this diatribe, so now I will post pictures. Enjoy.Tenor Sue Goldman, of Newton, rehearses with the Zamir Chorale on Tusday May 8, 2007 at Hebrew College.

Junior at Walpole High Dan Horgan, right, poses for a prom photo with his date Kat Cullen during the Walpole High School Prom at Christina's in Foxboro.

People dressed as zombies yell out a cry for 'brains' at the start of the Boston Zombie March in Davis Square in Somerville, Mass. on Saturday May 12, 2007.

Happy Mothers Day

Some photos from a wonderful Mother's Day brunch.