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.

Since we last spoke

11:50 on Sunday night. And I am looking at photos, others and mine. Decided to update this thing. Since we last chatted I have shot six assignments, two per day. Here are some outtakes.

Friday - Two Assignments

1. High School Volleyball -West Roxbury

Catholic Memorial Senior Jeff Aucoin gets some serious air during a match against Brookline.

No ball in the shot, which is a no-no, almost always. Especially for volleyball. But I am putting this up here because this kid just looks like he is soaring.

2. Tribal Dance Class - West Roxbury

Women dance during a tribal dance class at the West Roxbury Community Center.

The dance thing started a little late so I went and sat with the women in the class. Mostly late 40's and up. One woman jokingly said 'Just don't laugh at us.' I told her I would never do that, and that I think any different way to get people up and moving is fantastic in my book. Treadmills and stationary bikes bore me. Which is why I usually do nothing at all. Anyway the women at this thing were a bit leery of me and my camera once the class started. The above photo was from when the class just kicked off. A few minutes later I moved to the corner and tried to to work that patch of light in the back there. After losing myself in that light for awhile I eventually looked up and noticed the entire class had moved to the other side of the gym, away from me. Eh, such is life.

Saturday - Two Assignments

1. Teen Center Open House - BraintreeKris Federico fills out a membership form for the Braintree Teen Center for her children during an open house.

The editor actually requested photos of parents hanging out on couches. It was a little nerve wracking because they told me they are running an entire package of photos for this assignment (5 shots). I got there at 6 when it was supposed to start. Sat in my car for 15 minutes and no one walked into the open house. Decided to walk in myself, and finally people trickled in. Notice how empty the right half of the frame is. Was trying to make a point with this one. Think only 5 or 6 families showed up in the hour that I was there.

2. Fundraising Party - Milton

Paul Freman, left, rolls the dice while Brendan Glynn, looks on during a Casino Royale fundraiser at the Forbes House and Museum.

Ah party pages. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love surfing. But few of my friends know just how much I love schmoozing. It's true. Beneath this taciturn exterior of mine is a small talking, business card exchanging, corny joke telling machine! Okay, I lied. I don't like to schmooze. But as far as these people at these parties are concerned I am just one of them. Well except for the jeans, sneakers, and shirt with the stain on the front (seriously). The parties used to be stressful for me. Grouping people together and having them look at you and smile is so contrary to the day in day out photojournalism work. But that was then. Now I can bang out 10 group shots in as many minutes and be on my way home. If I am getting paid by the photo, thats a good chunk of change. The above party called for more than just group shots. They wanted something a bit different. People actually partying. So I tried, but also sent in 5 group shots.

Sunday - Two Assignments

1. Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast - West RoxburyFirst photo of the day. The job was to shoot these two brothers that are both eagle scouts. You can figure out what that looks like. Actually only have two photos of them and they are both going to run in the paper, and I didnt want to put them up here yet.

2. May Fair - Cambridge

Beth McGurr of Boston works on some chalk art on Church Street at the Harvard Square May Fair.

Well it is now 1:11 AM and I am going to go to bed.

Two more jobs tomorrow (today)......so far.

From the archives

Been pretty busy with work the past week or so. That makes me happy. Havent had time to post anything lately.

I was just archiving some photos onto dvd's and searched through some of my older shots that were never published. I am posting a couple of them here. Actually there are three shots, one was published now that I think of it (the kid with the book) but the others werent for newspapers so I have no caption info.

A couple dances under the lights at a wedding in November.
This was shot when I was working as a second shooter for a wedding. The guy I was working for was blasting away with the flash. I told him that the overhead lights were fantastic and that he should work them. He didnt. Although the pressure was on him to make the shots, cause it was his client not mine, so I can't blame him for taking the safe route and blasting the flash.



I'm so lonely.
Half time at a football game. This was inspired by a shot that Christine took. Wish the ref's werent behind her and that the shadow of the person to her left wasnt there, but whatever. I still like it.


I like books!
This is a shot from a spelling bee class at a library in Boston. Fifth graders that get tutoring for some spelling bee that takes place every year. No longer have this kids name.