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Winter morning – NH fine art photography

February 3, 2010 – 4:40 pm

Eleven degrees, wind gusting to 45mph, wind chill around -15….bleary eyed, coffee brewing, wind blew the door open last night, no wonder the house felt so cold

Look out the window, watching the branches sway, rock and roll actually – big limbs still even in the wind gusts, smaller ones doing the dance though. The sky that intense shade of blue that happens at the false dawn, more intense than can be named or if there’s a name I don’t know it..reminds me of being out on the water duck hunting years ago, hearing the birds but not quite seeing them, remembering just how cold cold could be.

WOW its so incredibly beautiful….quick, camera, tripod, memory card…not going out, set it up on kitchen table…shoot few frames…long exposures which I’ve been meaning to play with lately…not even concerned about shooting through the glass…just the need to make some frames, can I capture the mood, the cold, the intensity?

Coffee’s ready – good to be alive!

By Jay | Also posted in Fine Art, Personal Project, inspiration | Tagged , | Comments (0)

New student – NH portrait photography

December 16, 2009 – 1:07 pm

It’s been almost a year since I taught my last class at McIntosh College – the school was closed for corporate reasons I won’t go into but still leave a sour taste in my mouth – and I’ve missed the teaching role.

A few weeks ago I was doing a bit of volunteer work at the New Outlook Teen Center in Exeter, helping out with the beginning of a photo class since the person teaching it had a conflict and couldn’t be there for the beginning. When the teacher got there we had the opportunity to talk and she said she’d liike to do some classes with me…how cool is that, since the person – her name is Jaye Carr – is a pretty darn good photographer already.

Our first session was mainly focused on goals, expectations…and having a love affair with light. I am always struck by how few photographers really take the time to study and either appreciate or figure out how to modify or supplement the light that’s there. While we were talking I grabbed a few frames of Jaye…I was liking the light and the interest that was so evident in her eyes.

I imagine there will be more photos from the classs as we go along – as well as a guest post from Jaye!

Realizing how much I miss this part of my life has me cooking up some ideas for a few pretty awesome workshops I’m planning on putting together for late summer and early fall. Stay tuned for details – and until then, here’s a few photos of Jaye.jaye1002jaye 1012jaye 1026

By Jay | Comments (0)

Elizabeth and Alan – Mass. wedding photography

November 24, 2009 – 11:39 am

Shooting weddings in late fall in New England is not for the faint of heart – you never know what you’ll get for weather. It could be rain, snow or a beautiful day like we had for Elizabeth and Alan’s wedding. Lucked out, no doubt about it. I usually have a plan A and a plan B – but I think I had more plans for this one than I could name. I thought the main in-case-of-weather backup was the best – the reception was at the Museum oif Science in Boston and we had complete access to the museum until it closed. I had visions of bridal portraits with dinosaurs looming over them…couldn’t get it out of my head. The plan then was to shoot a few photos inside the church in Harvard Square, head for Memorial drive and shoot Boston Skyline photos then to the Public Gardens for bridal perty pictures and finally on to the reception.

OK, we allowed for the weather but here’s what we didn’t count on.

Parking in Harvard Square doesn’t exist. Out of desperation I finally threw the car in a garage near the hair salon. And then after the salon I walked to the church because there was no parking anywhere near the church either. Missing the ceremony you’re supposed to shoot isn’t high on the cool list – even with brides as cool as Elizabeth.

The ceremony was over at 3:15, not 3:00, then a receiving line, then a few photos at the church, then a few more…and a few more. Then I had to walk back to the garage for my car, then stuck in traffic because some sort of police activity…got back to the church after 4. Sunset, by the way, was at 4:30. I’m sweating bullets now!

We drive to Memorial Drive ( and actually managed to find places for both the limo and me to park) and there’s now about 10 minutes of shooting time – great light but the Public Garden clearly isn’t going to happen.

Balancing late afternoon/sunset light and a little fill flash is an imperfect science – its just not set-it and forget-it time, so the shooting was slowed down a bit.

End result – way cool photos! Sometimes you can fall in a cesspool and come out smelling like a rose – this was one of those days. And we even managed a couple of photos in the exhibit halls of the museum – the folks there were kind enough to let me park very illeagily to shoot quickly then move my car into the garage.

Couple of photos from the salon, especially the cutest junior bridesmaid I’ve seen in a long time and a photo of this amazing church where the ceremony was held.

Great way to wrap up the season…and now I should have a little more time to return to a regular schedule of posts. Enjoy the photos.11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN 0659_60_62_64_tonemapped11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding 11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding EXETER HEALTHCARE11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding 11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding 11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding 11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding 11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding 11-21-09 ELIZABETH and ALAN Wedding

By Jay | Comments (0)

Kiara – Mass. portrait photography

September 25, 2009 – 2:27 pm

I know this guy, Seth Bodie – he’s an amazing talent, a performing artist,actor, producer, writer – and with all that stuffprobably the biggest thing about him is his heart. Seth just finds ways to help people, especially those he believes in.

So, Seth approaches me this summer and tells me about two kids he’s working with – he really believes they can go places in theater, on stage, in front of camera. They need head shots and how much would I charge, they don’t have a lot of money but Seth will pay. . .

You have to understand, only a rock could remain unaffected by Seth’s enthusiasm and beliefs. I’m no rock, I say let’s do it, the money be damned.

I’ll introduce you to Kiara today, Casey at a later date. Keep your eyes on this young lady – you’ll see her name on a marquee or in the magazines in the future – sassy, irreverent, personality plus and uncontrollably beautiful. we found some interesting backgrounds, some cool light and shot tons of photographs. Everything was done available light – not my standard approach – but I thing the light worked. Here’s a few photos from the shoot.

7-30-09 KIARA and CASEY

7-30-09 KIARA and CASEY

7-30-09 KIARA and CASEY

7-30-09 KIARA and CASEY

7-30-09 KIARA and CASEY

7-30-09 KIARA and CASEY

By Jay | Also posted in Personal Project, portraits, senior pictures | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Body Flow – NH portrait photography

June 29, 2009 – 9:20 am

Last week I was shooting photos at Synergy Health and Fitness in Exeter, NH. The photos were to be used as part of a project to update their website.

Its always a challenge to shoot and give a sense of people using a  facility without having the clients be identified, so mentally I was prepared to shoot lots of silhouettes and backs of heads.

When I wandered into a spin studio I saw an instructor doing what I thought was yoga amongst the stationary bikes. Although there wasn’t a ton of it, the light was really cool, the colors of the room and bikes were outstanding and the instructor, Michele Tillson, was so into her routine of stretching that she barely noticed I was there.

Turns out it wasn’t yoga but Body Flow, which as Michele explains is now being taught all over the world. Originally the program was started by a gentleman named Les Mills,from Australia. Its described as controlled breathing,concentration and a carefully structured series of stretches,moves and poses to music that creates a holistic workout that brings the body into a state of harmony and balance. It has 10 tracks to go through: first is a Tai chi warm up, next…sun salutations,yoga standing strength , Balances, Hip Openers, Core Work, Twists and Forward bends, followed by mindful relaxation.

Looked pretty amazing to me, made some neat photos – want to check it out? Synergy’s website is http://www.synergyfit.com6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY6-23-09 SYNERGY

By Jay | Also posted in Personal Project, commercial photography, photojournalism, portraits | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Ashley and Shaun – NH wedding photography

June 16, 2009 – 1:00 am

New Hampshire weather being as fickle as it is, Ashley, Shaun and I kept getting weathered out on our plans for an engagement shoot, but managed to squeeze it in short days before their wedding. We caught a beautiful day to meander around Portsmouth’s Prescott Park and the area around it. Highlight of the day was a boat of fisherman watching the shoot and yelling their congratulations to the couple.

The advantage to doing it so close to the actual wedding day – it was a great way to relieve the stress that builds as the date approaches. 6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN6-2-09 ASHLEY and SHAUN

By Jay | Also posted in esession, inspiration, portraits, wedding photography | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Winter – still

February 22, 2009 – 1:01 am

Took a walk today with my wife – out on  snowmobile trail so the dog could have a run and we could get some fresh air after spending most of the day in the basement trying to make some progress in the madness of the chaos.

As we walked by a frozen beaver pond she remarked that it had been a great winter – lots of snow, cold, no slush. It made me think about the complaining I’ve done this season because, you know, she is right – its been a great winter. Lots of snow, cold, no slush.

Made me appreciate perspective and what I’ve got.

The economy may be in the tank but we’ve got it pretty good – as we suffer through the recession, depression, whatever you want to call it, we still have it better than so many other places in the world – its just we’ve come to expect luxury.

Perspective, what a great thing.

Thanks Donna.

By Jay | Also posted in Personal Project, inspiration, photojournalism | Tagged | Comments (0)

George Antoniadis

February 11, 2009 – 12:23 pm

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph George Antoniadis, the CEO of Alpha Flying ( http://www.planesense.aero/ in Portsmouth, NH.

Alpha Flying is, in simple terms, a time share of flying – you buy in and if you need to go somewhere they guarantee a plane within 8 hours. Pretty cool if you’re in the market to go places and don’t want to deal with either commercial or charter services. In this rocky – some would call depressed – economy George is a man with a plan – and as many companies end up belly-up I think Alpha will be a flourisher ( I think I just invented a word, but you know what I mean).

We went into the hangar to do some photos and George, who is very used to being photographer and is in control, struck a pose that really spoke to the confidence he radiates for the company.

The rest is all work in Lightroom and Photoshop.

By Jay | Also posted in photojournalism, portraits | Comments (0)

Lego Robotics

December 7, 2008 – 8:35 am

Yesterday was the NH State lego Robotics State Championship. 51 teams converged on Nashua South High School to compete in robot design, performance, project presentations and team skills. In the past I’ve shot a variety of teams as a freelance assignment for the Manchester Union Leader, but this year they passed on the event so I stuck with just 1 team. Team  FUUSEion, a team from Exeter NH ( OK, my daughter JUST happens to be on the team!) came into the competition with a very hot robot and a track record of stunning  successes at both regional and state competitions.

A variety of issues – a poor cable connection for instance – kept their score down – but not their spirits.

After struggling in the first two rounds they suddenly shot from 44th place to 4th place and earned a trip to the quarterfinals, but narrowly missed making the semis.

A humbling experience but a very full day of meeting new people, seeing some simply amazing robot and attachment designs, and having a blast.

Here’s a look at the day.

[caption id="attachment_76" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The team sees their 3rd round score and reacts"]The team sees their 3rd round score and reacts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Gage and Haley listens to the judge during technical judging.Ben and Roan watch the robot do its work."]Gage and Haley listens to the judge during technical judging.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_84" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The robot completes a set of complex tasks."]The robot completes a set of complex tasks.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_83" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Nick and Ben present part of the project - a solution to drought and a way for apple orchards to conserve water."]Nick and Ben present part of the project - a solution to drought and a way for apple orchards to conserve water.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_82" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Coach Jim samples some of Coach Miranda"]Coach Jim samples some of Coach Miranda's snack.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Ben "]Ben [/caption] [caption id="attachment_80" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Team members urge on the robot as it completes a task."]Team members urge on the robot as it completes a task.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="Eliza reacts after the team"]Eliza reacts after the team's robot makes a good run on the table.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_78" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The FUUSE robot - designed and programmed by the kids."]The FUUSE robot - designed and programmed by the kids.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_77" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Joy at jumping from 44th place to 4th place"]Joy at jumping from 44th place to 4th place[/caption] [caption id="attachment_89" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Coach Jim"]Coacj Jim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_96" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Coach Miranda"]Coach Miranda[/caption] [caption id="attachment_90" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Coach Frank"]Coach Frank[/caption] [caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The team joins hands before approaching the table."]The team joins hands before approaching the table.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_88" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Damon and Nick have a side conversation during the technical judging."]Damon and Nick have a side conversation during the technical judging.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_91" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="In between rounds the team checks and fine tunes the robot in the pit area."]In between rounds the team checks and fine tunes the robot in the pit area.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_92" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Gage and Damon watch the robot on the huge screen behind the tables."]Gage and Damon watch the robot on the huge screen behind the tables.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_93" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Roger and Eliza hustle to change attachments"]Roger and Eliza hustle to change attachments[/caption] [caption id="attachment_94" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Coach Frank gives a pointer to Ben"]Coach Frank gives a pointer to Ben[/caption] [caption id="attachment_95" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Waiting for the results of the judges after a table round."]Waiting for the results of the judges after a table round.[/caption]
By Jay | Comments (1)

Into the 21st Century

November 19, 2008 – 8:28 pm

OK, maybe I came in kicking and screaming, but I’m here – a blog to go with the website that’s been up for a few years – and is undergoing a major overhaul, but more about that later.

I’ll try not to be too serious here, there are tons of people already being super seriouys on the blog rolls. Instead, I’ll share photos – from weddings, engagement shoots, portraits, outtakes of editorial and journalism shoots as well as the ones that get published.

I’ll share thoughts, resources, cool people, information and probably a few rants as well.

The big thing that will make this a success instead of an ego ride will be your comments, feedback and insights. Without that this blog is all about me – and that’s not what the world needs.

By Jay | Comments (1)