Occupied

Just one from last month.

Boston, MA - A woman who goes by the name Mike holds up a sign as a pedestrian walks by at the tent city for Occupy Boston at Dewey Square on Friday October 14, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Travelin

Sadly I don't get to travel all that often but like most people I really enjoy it when I do.  I finally married my long time love Christine Hochkeppel (now Healey!) and we decided to go all out with the honeymoon and head to Southern Spain and France.

I always have a hard time deciding on what to bring for a camera when I travel.  I love shooting photos, but it is also a job for me, so it's nice to just step away from the camera and experience life without that urge to document it.  I compromised with myself on this trip and just brought one body and one lens and two memory cards.  I decided to bring a beat up 1D Mark 2 body and the Sigma 30 1.4.  The combo makes for an interesting look.  The lens adds a touch of vignetting and allows me to really blow out the background with the shallow depth of field.  I also chose the combo because it's an older body that is nearing retirement.  It still works well and is weather sealed but if it somehow got away from me then it wouldn't have been a big loss. 

It turned out to be a good decision.  I had a lot of fun shooting and the lens was just wide enough and just fast enough to make it really versatile.  When I was not using it I just broke it down and packed it up in my backpack. 

So here are a few frames from our two week trip.  Enjoy.


Blog 111711 - Images by Matthew Healey

Holga AKA the original hipstamatic

Boston, MA - Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis signs autographs before a game at Fenway Park.  Photo by Matthew Healey

The medium format TLR that I usually keep in my car has temporarily bitten the dust, so I have been shooting with my Holga again AKA 'the original hipstamatic'.  I've talked about it on here before.

The Holga is made of plastic and has a set apeture of 'around' f13 and a shutter speed of around 1/100th of second.  So the only way to adjust the exposure is to use different film, or try and modify the aperture hole.  I usually load it with 400 iso black and white color process film and try not to shoot when it is too bright out to avoid overexposing. 

There are moments when I am using the holga, usually after I get a roll developed, that I question why I should even bother.  Especially when I can shoot an unlimited number of photos that look almost the same for free by using my cell phone.  I think I still like to use film because it brings back that old feeling I used to get before I had a digital camera.  The anticipation.  I know what I shot, I know what to expect, but there is always a surprise thrown in there.  Which I guess is the beauty of the camera.  Forgot to wind the film after you shot something?  Oh well you just made a double exposure (see below).  Pointed the camera into the sun, yeah welcome to lens flare city (same).  Shot from the hip while walking back to your car, actually, that wasn't too bad. 

I learned pretty quickly that the dreamy effect that the camera gives to your photos can only get you so far.  The old rules of content and composition still apply.  A boring photo, even one that looks like it was shot through vaseline, is still a boring photo.  I should know, I have a lot of them.  But every now and then I get one or two that I think are worth scanning.

Boston, MA - A young Boston Bruins fan poses for a photo before a Stanley Cup game against the Vancouver Canucks at TD Garden.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - A young Boston Bruins fan poses for a photo before a Stanley Cup game against the Vancouver Canucks at TD Garden.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - An Occupy Boston participant speaks before the group marches on Dewey Square.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - An Occupy Boston participants march through the Financial District.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - An Occupy Boston participant poses for a photo on Dewey Square.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - A Occupy Boston tents on Dewey Square.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - A man smokes a cigarette in a doorway.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Foxboro, MA - New England Patriots double exposure.  Photo by Matthew Healey

Foxboro, MA - New England Patriots.  Photo by Matthew Healey

The bottom line is, the Holga is fun, and gets me to slow my shooting down, if only for a little while.

A note on scanning: I don't have a medium format film scanner so I have been laying the negatives on a light box and then taking a photo of them with my digital camera.  I then invert the images in photoshop and tone them properly.  Results aren't too bad but the cropping makes the images a bit softer than they are. 

One week apart

Or why I love New England, and never leave home without boots.

Boston, MA - Harvard University junior running back Trevor Scales (24) charges upfield on a carry against Dartmouth in the first quarter at Harvard Stadium on Saturday October 29, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - Jansen Tiongson of Boston reads on the Esplanade on a sunny afternoon on Saturday November 5, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Juxtaposition

One of the most exciting aspects of working as a photojournalist is the fact that every assignment you have is different.  Sometimes they are exceptionally different.  For example showing up at a fancy gala for a celebrity photo after just leaving a murder scene that was only a two miles away.  At the gala, people are laughing, having fun, drinking, eating all while looking their best.  At the crime scene you are sometimes dealing relatives of the victim who are literally having the worst day of their life.  It can be strange and can take some getting used to and you have to learn how to wear different hats.


Back in July I had one of those days.  Was sent to a candlelight vigil for two murder victims and then directly over to a private concert featuring scantily clad 20 somethings downing free rum all night.

Boston, MA - A card written in memory of Hyde Park murder victim Billie Marie Kee is amongst other gifts at a memorial in front of the apartment building where Kee was found as seen during a vigil on Saturday July 30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - Tanisha Dupree of Boston, light candles for Hyde Park murder victim Kevin 'Smiley' Thomas at a makeshift memorial on the front steps of the apartment building where Thomas was found, as part of a candlelight vigil on Saturday July 30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey during a vigil on Saturday July 30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - Friends of Hyde Park murder victim Kevin 'Smiley' Thomas, hold hands in prayer as part of a candlelight vigil on Saturday July 30, 2011 in front of the apartment Thomas was found in.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Boston, MA - Friends of Hyde Park murder victim Kevin 'Smiley' Thomas, from left Robyn Chaney of Boston, Valerie Simpson of Boston, Lisa Dupree of Boston and Tanisha Dupree of Boston, light candles at a makeshift memorial on the front steps of the apartment building where Thomas was found, as part of a candlelight vigil on Saturday July 30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

 

Quincy, MA - A couple dances before Ciara performs at a private concert as part of the Station Invasion presented by Malibu Rum at Oyster Bar on Saturday July30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Quincy, MA - Two women wait on the dance floor before Ciara performed at a private concert as part of the Station Invasion presented by Malibu Rum at Oyster Bar on Saturday July30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Quincy, MA - Fans take photos as Ciara performs at a private concert as part of the Station Invasion presented by Malibu Rum at Oyster Bar on Saturday July30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey

Quincy, MA - A couple dances before Ciara performs at a private concert as part of the Station Invasion presented by Malibu Rum at Oyster Bar on Saturday July30, 2011.   Photo by Matthew Healey