slow.rewind

B-I-N-O-C-U-L-A-R-S

2009-03-18T22:01:00.004-04:00

I'm exhausted. After steadily shooting with a 300mm padded in mufflers at the State Spelling Bee for 3 hours and then editing photos and audio for the slide show, I'm ready to close up this laptop for the next week which means I should post this now. Luckily for me, these kids tell the story. The faces, expressions and reactions are priceless and it's what gets me in gear to shoot this annual event. Some of these guys surprised me as they sat quietly and stoically (I needed spell check for that one) all night until one little tweak of the eyebrow clued me in that there was going to be a major upset. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. And also, take 2 minutes out of your day to watch the multimedia piece I spent oh so much time producing. The alphabet is swirling in my head and singing me to sleep....good night. Spell check. Done.

The Spelling Bee Slideshow!

shooting the pipe.

2009-03-06T10:00:00.004-05:00

I had a pretty awesome week. I was busy but on some fun assignments outside and in some of the most beautiful places in Vermont. I started my week shooting the Vermont High School Alpine Ski Championships (photos to come!) up at Stowe Mountain Resort. The girls were competing in the GS Giant Slalom on a very windy, cold and blustery day. But, I donned by snowpants, thermals and base layers and found a sweet spot by the final gate with the 300mm to capture some dramatic images. On Wednesday I was off to shoot at Stowe again, but this time I was hiking up their Lower Standard trail in search of the mountain's rail park and halfpipe. The Vermont High School Halfpipe Championship was going on and it was a beautiful day. The sunshine left me with a few freckles on my nose. I wasn't sure what sort of skill level I would find at the high school level and knew that the pipe would prove a difficult shooting scenario. Where would they pop out? There were no Shaun Whites in the crowd as few of the riders managed to get out of the pipe. A bit disappointing, but the ones that did find some air managed to give me some great images. This first guy completely caught me off guard as I have taken a break to warm my numb fingertips but I heard loud cheers coming up topside so I knew this kid's run had to be promising. I shot this as I fell backwards since I was a bit too close to the edge, thank god for quick focus. I was happy with my takes especially being my first time shooting halfpipe. Enjoy!

Town Meeting Day

2009-03-06T09:30:00.006-05:00

A year has passed since I came on staff at the Burlington Free Press. I started last year on Town Meeting Day which is one of our biggest coverage days of the year. Last year I covered Brookfield and kept my head above water, but this year I covered Franklin county and racked up some miles on the car between Montgomery, Bakersfield and Sheldon. In Vermont, Town Meeting Day is a special reminder of how small town politics still thrive. On this day, even the tiniest of towns will gather all together at the town hall or village school or local grange to discuss the annual budget, vote on elected officials and then crowd together to share a potluck meal perhaps in the nearby historical society hall. Wooden benches, tattered American flags, little kids bundled up nestled in their parents arms, 89-year-old voting officials, Girl Scouts hawking their cookies, and the smell of cow manure are all things that greeted me when I entered the quaint and quintessential Bakersfield Town Hall on Tuesday. The hair styles are dated. The eyeglasses much too large. The rubber boots tall. And, the trucker hats worn proudly and without a single notion of who Ashton Kutcher is. This is Vermont, preserved, quiet and friendly. We're old fashioned in many ways, but isn't that makes us great?

The various towns each had their own way of voting whether it was through Australian ballot, vocal voting by "ay" or "nay", paper ballot, or a raise of hands. The hot button issues: salting and grating the dirt roadways and finding the capital to buy that new truck the maintenance crews so desperately need. Practical concerns for practical needs. The budget amounts were reasonable and not inflated...it was refreshing.

The most challenging part of Town Meeting Day (besides not having cell or internet service for miles) is capturing an image, or images, that stands above the rest. How do you find a moment that is different than all of the years preceding it? We're talking about people sitting in chairs or benches voting. I found the details most interesting and focused on those since if you look at the big picture you're really just looking at a bunch of seated people looking very plain. These are my favorite takes. I shot hundreds of photos that day, as did the rest of the photo staff and our freelancers. Three huge online galleries later, the photo staff swept Vermont for a massive blanket coverage of Town Meeting Day and our hard work showed.

the final edition of The Rocky.

2009-02-27T17:47:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted in a while, call it a lack of inspiration. But, I think I've had other things on my mind lately. The economic downturn is affecting everyone, and now today it has taken away a 150-year-old institution, The Rocky Mountain News. The Rocky published their final edition today and it's a huge and unfortunate loss for not only the residents of Denver, Colorado, but this country and certainly the newspaper industry. Newspapers have been battling to survive for several years now as the old business model strains to embrace today's fast, instantaneous methods of information delivery. We are losing the population charged with the responsibility of finding the truth. As internet bloggers, live chats and Twitter feeds supplement our news feed, we are forgetting who and how this information is collected. I fear we will accept hearsay and gossip over top notch, in-depth reporting.

I'm posting this video produced by the staff of The Rocky Mountain News not only because it is incredibly informative and visually interesting, but also to show how much they cared to deliver such an introspective piece knowing their days were numbered. Please take a few minutes out of your day to spend with them. The industry needs it.

Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

lauren.

2009-02-07T18:11:00.004-05:00

Meet Lauren. She's my niece and she's pretty much the cutest thing around Vermont these days. You ask, "Why haven't you posted about her sweetness before?!?!" I know, I know. I have thousands of photos and she hasn't even hit her first birthday yet. I've got a gallery set-up with her photos and I have to limit my obsession there. Tom and I had the honor of babysitting her today and we played some power rock ballads on my piano, typed out some emails on the broken keyboard and did some bouncies on my BoSu Abdominal Trainer. Because, let's face it, somebody's got to use it and we're lacking in the baby toy department. Lauren's the cutest and most precious baby and so easy to hang out with and I just try to document every moment with her because these baby years pass way too quickly. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Babies make the best subjects, right?!?!

free time.

2009-02-05T08:25:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. I haven't posted in weeks. My excuse? I've been busy. Incredibly busy. Between work, wedding planning and that dwindling thing called a social life my blog really hasn't seen much love this year. But, I'll leave you with these photos from a walk Tom and I took with Bear. We've found a new favorite Sunday walk spot with LOTS of puppies for Bear to romp with. I've got lots of photos to post and am taking a long weekend this weekend so MAYBE I'll get around to working on them. Crazy 2009 has just begun.

Enjoy!

weezer weezer

2009-01-19T17:07:00.003-05:00

So, I met and photographed the bassist from Weezer today. Good start to the week. Mikey Welsh played on the Green Album that topped the charts and brought hits like "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun" to instant stardom. He didn't, however, play on my favorite album, the Blue album, that I've been listening to since I was nine-years-old. Pretty amazing that a single CD could withstand 16 years of listening, abuse and love. My tastes have changed considerably but that album still makes me happy. So, I'm working on collecting some multimedia for this piece and will post the completed project later. But, I'll leave you with this single image to whet your palette. I know you check my site every day.

...and thank you.

six voices, six votes.

2009-01-15T20:42:00.009-05:00

(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

I have spent the last two weeks traveling the state with Free Press reporter Sam Hemingway (whom I worked on the OxyContin series with) collecting interviews and photos from six Vermonters who are headed to DC next week for Obama's Presidential Inauguration.

Sam has a real gift for delving into people's lives and finding the heart behind a story. I try to pick up interview tricks from him as he is a true veteran of the field and I'm a lowly greenhorn, so maybe someday...someday...I'll be able to draw such poignant and meaningful responses from my interview candidates. For now I'll focus on producing top notch multimedia content which is an enormous task within itself. Hundreds of photos and hours of recorded interviews later, I had all of the components to make an in-depth multiple-perspective multimedia piece on why each of these six Vermonters are driven to attend the Inauguration. Each person has their own, unique and touching story that gives them a slightly different lens from which to experience the event. I wrapped my project earlier this evening after several grueling days of sitting inside editing. I picked a good week to plunk down with the computer though (for all you non-VTers) as temperatures dipped below zero for most of the week. Please take a few minutes of your time to sit down and enjoy the audio slideshow (link below). It's a bit longer than the rest, but for such a historic moment as this, I think it rightly deserves the attention.

SIX VOICES, SIX VOTES.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(Gannett News Service, Rob Curtis/Army Times)

gazacrazy

2009-01-12T18:11:00.003-05:00

I'm a little behind with this post, but a couple weeks ago I covered a protest in downtown Burlington in opposition to the recent air strikes by Israeli forces against the Gaza strip. The "usual crew" of local activists appeared as they marched from Rep. Peter Welch's office to Sen. Leahy's to Sen. Bernie Sanders offices asking for their reaction and plan regarding the recent air strikes. The crowd swelled and grew with every stop and the weather got colder...and colder. I couldn't believe the wind whipping off the lake that night - it was unbearable. But, people showed and even a dude on crutches hobbled across Main St. to get in on the action. It's hard to pull unique images from a protest unless something unexpected happens, especially in Burlington where we all seem to know each other and the faces are very familiar. I thought the setting sun worked to my advantage as I liked the light in some of these shots. Enjoy.

DairyDays

2009-01-08T12:50:00.005-05:00

I had an early morning the other day. I needed to be up for a morning milking out in Morrisville just outside of Stowe nestled in our great, Green Mountains. I began my career at the Free Press with a slightly traumatic milking experience up in Hardwick. You can read about that: here. Let's just say this milking trip involved much less pitch black snowshoeing, flash popping and nervous encounters with a strange, woodsy, sugar tapping man. I met up with life-long dairy farmer, Ted Keith, and his 60 Jersey heifers. Ted milks twice a day and carries out hours of farm chores in between. As I told Keith, I truly admire any individual who works in a tangible profession. Good hard work and manual labor is so often overlooked, so I admire those that have the gusto and willpower to take on these jobs. So much of our days is consumed with iphones, computers, cell phones, digital everything, ipods and now, now, now devices. I use most of these things everyday for work, but I justify it by getting outside and taking pictures. Keeps me sane. I spent just a couple hours with Ted that morning, but I managed a peek into his world and well, all of the smells that go with it, too. Several loads of laundry later I think I've managed to eliminate that dairy cow barn smell, but I'm not sure how the aroma managed to settle into my cameras. Shooting portraits two days later I had to apologize because the stench was so strong. Turns out I was the only one that noticed. Oh well.

Watch the audio slideshow I produced right here: DairyDays

white, wintery Vermont

2009-01-07T09:08:00.004-05:00

Here are some snowy Vermont scenes I've collected on my travels while on assignment at the Free Press. I went up to Sugarbush Ski Resort a couple of times with my good friend and reporter, Lauren, to take some rides up the lift lines and even caught a few trail runs along the way, too! We've had a pretty white winter so far, let's hope it stays that way! Enjoy.

sledfunrun

2009-01-07T09:01:00.002-05:00

Came across this little guy on my way to work the other morning speeding down the hill at our neighborhood park, Landry Park. He flipped his sled every time he got to the bottom of the hill and would start screaming and wailing. I eventually learned that's what his laughter sounded like, terrible but true. He was having awesome time. And I was a little late to work that day.

polar express

2009-01-07T08:31:00.002-05:00

Back in December I took a ride on the Polar Express! It's a tradition around here in Burlington to set up the Champlain Flyer train service to look like the Polar Express from the famous Christmas book. Hundreds of volunteers dress as elves and await the arrival of the train from the North Pole. When the children and their families arrive at the station they're greeted with cheers and hugs and are shuttled inside for hot cocoa and a fireside storytelling of the book. When the story wraps up Santa arrives and of course all of the children run screaming to hug him. It was quite a scene and very, very cute. I am really behind in my blog posts as the holidays seemed to consume every free moment and quite honestly, I didn't feel like sitting on the computer after logging long hours of photo editing and multimedia production at work. Hope your holidays were great and you managed a few hours of relaxation. Onto the next post!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T12:39:00.003-05:00

11:23pm. We had an eventful evening.

merry xmas y'all

2008-12-25T22:41:00.004-05:00

With our bellies bloated from brunch, we all decided to hit the local sledding spot to take a spin on some old, plastic toboggans (and even some inflatable tubes that popped but Todd still found their deflated carcasses useful for sledding) There really is no good way to explain this video except that my little nephew, Charlie, is one tough-@$$ kid.

Merry Christmas from Emily Nelson on Vimeo.

makes me crazy

2008-12-23T22:02:00.004-05:00

I've got an informal list of things that make me crazy and this is on it. The holiday season is commercial insanity and we all see the same ads over and over and over again - this one stands out. And what's incredibly baffling is that it's been airing since what, 1992? Really? I'm assuming White Diamonds shoppers know exactly which aisle in the grocery store they can purchase this magical scent. This commercial kinda destroys whatever pleasant memories I hold for Elizabeth Taylor. I'll share it with you. And to my girls in NYC...yeah I know.

off to Brooklyn!

2008-12-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

I'm off to Brooklyn to visit my most amazing crew of friends from college. Somehow it all worked out that the dozen or so of them all ended up living the life in the city. I was stubborn and decided to stick to my rural, mountain-loving roots. They're all scattered throughout the city...but we reunite every year at this time to celebrate our birthdays because as crazy as it is, a bunch of us are December babies so it's time to clink our glasses and celebrate. I just hope I can keep up with all the plans and excitement, this little country girl doesn't get a taste of the city too much anymore. I'm gonna be up WAY past my bedtime...but I'll leave you guys with a few photos they sent my way. Would I be friends with anyone else? :)

all red in the face

2008-12-05T08:58:00.005-05:00

I was honored again with a 2nd place win in the latest National Press Photographers Association Multimedia Contest for my OxyContin series that published in October. I am thrilled! The newspaper industry is a very uncertain place right now as lay-offs have been striking newsrooms around the country (including the Burlington Free Press) and the mood within our own newsroom was pretty bleak this week as several of our co-workers received their pink slips on Wednesday. I'm still very passionate about the news industry and am ever curious to see which direction we're headed, so keeping ahead of the curve by embracing the new wave of web-based publishing and multimedia has been very important to me. To be recognized for this work is simply awesome! I've received some great reactions to the project from community members, colleagues, local law enforcement, teachers, principals and families that are struggling with drug addiction in their families and I'm really proud of the discussion it has spawned around Vermont. But now, to have my piece welcomed into a national press forum is fantastic!

pinkpinkpink

2008-12-05T08:34:00.006-05:00

I got myself into a whole mess of pink dresses the other day when I stopped by the Miss Vermont/Miss Teen Vermont USA Pageant at the Sheraton. I really had no interest in the actual pageant, but I really wanted to see what was going on behind the scenes and the girls were kind enough to oblige. When I walked in the room I was immediately greeted by shrill screams of excitement...and no, those screams weren't for me, they were for each other since the energy level was something unparalleled. Was I like this in high school? Was I this hyper, excited, elated and giddy? Everything seemed to be a brand-new experience. I immediately wanted to judge this age-old pastime for its "shallow values" but these girls were having a blast! I might think the girls' most favorite part of the pageant was behind-the-scenes where they could let loose, be silly and play with all their make-up, beauty tools, hairspray and of course, strut in front of the floor length mirrors that decorated the walls of their prep room.

Unfortunately, this photo never ran in the paper. But, that's what I have this blog for, to share it anyway! I thought this one captured the pink chaos I was experiencing. How many layers of eye shadow must one apply before you are really, really ready? How much hairspray to get those curls to bounce just so? How much tape is needed to wrap those little piggies until they're runway ready? The answer: it's never enough until the Queen Bee is crowned.

Enjoy!

O Christmas Tree!

2008-12-02T08:49:00.005-05:00

My work day is never dull. I often tell people that if they need to work by a strict schedule, have a clue what's coming around the bend, or refuse to work a 9+ hour work day then they should not become a photojournalist. I started my shift at a Winooski trailer park yesterday covering a story about heating assistance programs, but I was quickly pulled off that story and raced to Jericho to meet up with these guys (pictured) to collect donated Christmas trees from tree farms all across Vermont to send to the troops serving overseas - an awesome way to spread some holiday cheer. It was time for a road trip of the best kind. As these guys hauled sappy pines, balsams and firs to their truck I was busy snapping away and collecting audio for the slideshow I'd pull from this. Yesterday was gorgeous, a perfect day for a road trip through the Vermont landscape. We started in Jericho, headed to Morrisville, Cabot and then finally Walden. Stopping off for grinders at a gas station along the way we talked gas prices and Christmas shopping scams. I learned a lot about hunting and of course, a lot about trees and the tree farming business. Being able to sit shotgun with these guys for an entire day of xmas tree collecting was pretty cool and I like the photos I grabbed along the way. Each tree farmer we met was different from the last, but they did all share that great, quaint, kinda-shy farmer vibe that I love.

Check out the audio slideshow I produced for today's paper...and as always...enjoy!

Trees for Troops!

sweetpups

2008-11-30T08:28:00.002-05:00

A new dog kennel facility opened in Burlington last week and I had to shoot it - big deal, right? The assignment might not be that exciting but I got to play with the cutest puppies, including this Boxer named Roscoe. I was in a desperate search all day to find a suitable standalone image for A1 and I was striking out left and right....until I met this guy. This is the last shot I took on my way out the door and when I looked back to say byebye there he was peeking over the wall at me. Always find pictures when you least suspect it!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

2008-11-30T08:18:00.003-05:00

Ok, I'm a couple days late but we've been busy. Seems our family is growing by the second and we shared Thanksgiving dinner with as many as them as we could, before reaching complete tryptophan-induced exhaustion yesterday.

Here's a photo I took when I stopped by the Chittenden County Emergency Food Shelf last week to donate my turkey. Looks like hundreds of other people had the same idea which is a beautiful thing. Hope your day was great and your bellies full!

Zutano: A Palace for Babies.

2008-11-22T09:26:00.003-05:00

I love this picture. I could not have planned this or even thought of it. I guess that's what happens when you spend the majority of your day with babies. Michael Belenky (pictured) is the owner/President of Zutano baby clothing company. Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of making the trip to Cabot, VT to see the Zutano company headquarters. I'll admit, this whole baby world was completely unknown to me before the arrival of my niece, Lauren, so I'm still learning the ins and outs of babydom, but what I do know is that babies are big business bucks. I find myself falling prey to the cute, miniature versions of, well, everything. What kills me is how quickly these little guys grow out of this expensive clothing, but I tell myself: hand-me-downs! I really need to put a picture of little Lauren up on this blog soon. It's her fault. Her little face destroyed me, what with those fatty cheeks. I apologize to you, Dani, because it's "Cheeky's" influence that caused me to shelve the book you gifted several years ago, "I Hate Other People's Kids."

I'm one of them now. A baby adorer.

So you can imagine how much fun this particular assignment was. While reporter Dan McLean interviewed the business owners and a selection of employees, I was free to browse the designs, the in-house photo studio, and of course, all of the babies. We were working on this story because Zutano allows its employees to bring their babies to work WITH them up until the child's first birthday. How amazing. Five women use this program and bring their little ones to work each and every day. What was more amazing was how quiet and peaceful the office was. We all found ourselves addressing each other calmly, using our "inside voices" and even the movement about the place was relaxed. No one was in a rush and there were certainly no loud shouts barking orders. I could get used to this....

Then it was diaper changing time.

Thank god for small reality checks...

YAY Burlington!

2008-11-17T08:12:00.005-05:00

The CDC just ranked Burlington, VT the HEALTHIEST city in the US! I've always had a lot of pride for my hometown, so this post is a celebration of that. Clearly the study was conducted before last night's chocolate binge, but here are some photos to show that Tom and I are trying, trying to be those healthy Vermonters we all love.

:) Now get outside!

oh bear.

2008-11-07T11:46:00.004-05:00

I should've added this to the previous blog about Bear's amazing level of laziness so here's another photo of my lounging canine. Yes, he is using my pillow to rest his head. He has a very clear understanding of what pillows are used for and feels that he shouldn't be left out. Again, no job prospects in his future. I told him the Sunoco is hiring down the street but he wasn't impressed.

koji.

2008-11-07T08:26:00.004-05:00

No story, just cute. This is Koji. He is our neighbor's cat who frequents our front porch, the roofs of our cars and a new perch: strollers. Koji's family recently had their first baby and I think he feels a bit left out. I guess he knows he can't be avoided if he mans the stroller.

Oh, and here's a picture I dug up from this summer. Bear and Koji...always a playful battle.

flipping hilarious. by lauren.

2008-11-05T22:13:00.004-05:00

This is Lauren. I work with her. She's looks like a mess in this picture and she's the most fun person to work with. You may or may not have read my take on election night in the post below (mom), but if you did then you'll appreciate Lauren's take on election night 2008 at the Free Press newsroom. I was out of the newsroom all night shooting at the dems party so I appreciate Lauren's "tour." Clearly the night tooks its toll...

Read Lauren's blog post.

Thanks for being awesome, Lauren.

election night insanity.

2008-11-05T09:56:00.010-05:00

Words really cannot begin to explain what happened last night, but I'll try. I'll admit, I'm not one for politics, pundits and political parties, but this was quite possibly the greatest, most important election in our history and there was no way in hell I was going to miss it. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the Democratic headquarters in Burlington for their election night party. The night was abuzz with excitement and anticipation as state by state results flashed onto the jumbo screen in the Hilton Ballroom downtown.

I was feverishly shooting and running back to the Free Press table to edit and upload photos to the web as we focused our efforts on live blogging, live chat, live feed video and live photo galleries. Reporter Adam Silverman kept the public abreast of the goings-ons of the Dems party even filling them in on the flavor of the evening by capturing snippets of the DJ music choices. Reporter Mark Gould manned the live video feed and even transformed his coverage into a sort of TV news feed - snagging people from the election party floor for impromptu interviews. Technical difficulties aside, the night flew by perfectly. I've included some photos from the election party below. We all know how emotionally charged this election was. When the final countdown began for the west coast poll closings and the results finally arrived the room was screaming, jumping, hugging and crying. I shot in all directions, dodging elbows and a massive swell that was forming in front of the jumbo screeen. I had goosebumps and was shaking and the room was 80 degrees. Congrats Obama. Well played.

And then it was a race to get up to UVM campus as the newsroom heard screams and chants running down Main Street and knew something big was about to happen. Mark and I loaded up our gear and hit the road to find 3,000 students (in UVM fashion) drumming, dancing and singing with great excitement. They were fine on their own, but once we rolled in with our cameras and lights the energy level exploded. At one point I think I lost contact with the ground as we worked our way into the center of the crowd and, well, just went with it. Holding my cameras high above me I kept shooting "hail-marys" hoping I was capturing the action. I forgot to include those photos so I'll run some later on. It was great being in a place where celebrations are happy. Last night's community celebration reminded me of the 2004 World Series play-offs in Boston, but that night ended much differently. Crowds swelled and began torching cars, tearing down street signs, fighting, smashing windows and a full riot squad had to intervene leaving many injured and one dead. Not here in Vermont, we've got great people here.

Check out my boss, Ryan Mercer's audio slideshow of UVM students taking to the streets. I was still at election HQ so luckily he was able to shoot this awesome material. Raw excitement.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/110408rally/index.html

GALLERY: Election party headquarters: Click here!

GALLERY: Obama makes history

VT Secretary of State Deb Markowitz cheers!

Gubernatorial candidate Gaye Symington delivers her concession speech as Gov. Jim Douglas is re-elected.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a fellow shutterbug, collects some photos of party-goers at the Hilton.

Rep. Peter Welch delivers a speech to the excited crowd gathered at the Democratic Election party.

VT Attorney General Bill Sorrell gives a thumbs up to Obama as news of Pennsylvania's results arrive.

bear: the laziest, most spoiled dog alive

2008-11-04T12:41:00.004-05:00

This is Bear. I thought I'd share some photos that have been building up on my computer. See, Tom and I are used to this. Every day when we get home from work Bear is there, excited, waiting, jumping and yelling at us to sit down, relax and cuddle. This dog is incapable of sitting on the floor by himself, he has to be snuggled under your arm, on your pillow, under the blankets or even, on top of you (pictured below). Tom and I have learned how to share over the years, but Bear has taken that to a whole new level. Every night I fall asleep with this drooly snout snoring, groaning and staring back at me. Oh, and as I write this I spy Bear curled up on Tom's side of the bed with his head on the pillow. What a life. Thanks Bear. Go get a job.

I'm fast asleep on the couch, a nightly routine, and Bear doesn't waste an ounce of space.

Passed out with his favorite squishy toy, Bear takes a snooze in his cutest pose.

Thanks for sharing Bear.

Worthless.

the great flaming pumpkin

2008-11-02T16:35:00.003-05:00

Halloween has come and gone but not without snapping some of my flaming pumpkin series. Like last year, our friend and neighbor, Joe, rigged these pumpkins for a fiery display. I'll give myself credit for the carving, but let's face it, Joe "Bill Nye" Bartlett takes the cake getting these gourds good to go. I'm including a slide show on the right where you can see all of the photos, but these are my favorite. Fire photographs so well I couldn't pick just one. I missed so much of my favorite fall activities this year: hikes, apple picking, pie baking, Halloween decorating, costumes, etc. with all the wedding planning that's been going on, but I'm siked I managed to check this one off the list.

Enjoy.

time for trey

2008-10-31T07:52:00.004-04:00

A couple weekends ago I shot the live Trey Anastasio show with Classic TAB at Higher Ground in South Burlington. The show was most definitely sold out as Trey always draws a crowd, even on a solo tour, but especially since PHISH has announced their reunion tour people are going nuts. Luckily I had a front row spot squatting at the foot of the stage, so despite my legs falling asleep and the occasional beer trickling down my neck, I had a pretty awesome location worked out. As most shows work, there is a three song limit to keep us press people from getting too giddy with our cameras snapping away. But, I knew the song limit wouldn't be a problem since Trey's songs are each9-15 minutes long so gave me plenty of time to collect what I needed.

I wanted to make sure I shot enough to make an audio slideshow since after the show, Trey's people were hooking me up with an exclusive live track. So make sure you check out the audio slideshow to get your Vermont-grown jam band fever on.

LIVE: Trey Anastasio at Higher Ground 10/19/08

heads up

2008-10-31T07:34:00.004-04:00

We've been busy over at the Free Press shooting soccer semi-finals for divisions I-III, the big championship match-ups are on Saturday. So, since I haven't posted in so long I thought I'd post some soccer shots and you'll notice a theme: headers. People make the greatest faces when heading the ball so I made it a fun little task of mine to snap some photos since shooting an entire two-hour game, usually entering multiple overtimes. I've got to keep my numb fingers, frozen face and shivering legs focused on something. Oh yeah, we got our first snowfall this week and I'm cold.

Live! It's Saturday Night!

2008-10-17T08:17:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all - little ol' Burlington, VT made Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update on Thursday 10/16. I was drifting off into a cold-medicine induced sleep when my mom called to tell me one of my photos from the Great Pumpkin Regatta was used in a Weekend Update clip with Seth Myers and Amy Poehler. AWESOME! I tuned into their webcast this morning and sure enough, there's the photo of grown men maneuvering Lake Champlain in a giant, hollowed out pumpkin. However, I've had some great fortune lately but this wasn't a part of it. Even though I shot the event, my fellow photographer Andy Duback was there shooting for AP and I have a feeling they used his photo off the wire service. Oh well, I'm still proud of my little city. Today SNL, tomorrow the world.

award winner!

2008-10-08T21:01:00.004-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised at work the other day when a coworker of mine congratulated me on my recent win in a National Press Photographers Association multimedia contest. I entered my Fair Flipbook into the national multimedia contest about a month ago and I figured if I had won that they would notify me - well, they didn't! Luckily my coworker, Mark, was surfing the NPPA website and noticed that I had taken third place! I was shocked! I haven't entered any contests since Nikon's Best of College Photography contest back in, you can guess it, back in college. I was a finalist in that contest, but I hadn't thought much of entering my work into anything else. More than anything I keep missing entry deadlines and I lose track of my favorite photos...but this time around I got organized. My Fair Flipbook was well received at work so I figured maybe somebody else out there would like it, too. Plus, we're always trying to boost online readership and page views so anything I can do to share my work with the public and fellow shooters is beneficial.

The contest works like this:

Any member of NPPA can enter his/her multimedia project following the month of publication. The topics vary from devastating fires to drug addiction to silly neighborhood characters to light-hearted days at the fair! The contest is peer-judged which means other professional photojournalists are checking out the work and placing their vote for their favorite. And then, the big bang, this contest runs nationally which means placing stronger than shooters at the LA Times, NY Times, etc. REALLY puts a smile on my face.

If you haven't watched the audio slideshow, please do so. As always, keep your speakers turned up and have fun! And, keep your fingers crossed for me because I'll be entering my OXYCONTIN: Sarah, 19 multimedia project in next month's contest.

Woohoo!

bear's road trip

2008-10-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

Bear loves riding in the car....

Bear Bear likes the foliage from Emily Nelson on Vimeo.

pow-pow-power wheel

2008-10-04T16:21:00.002-04:00

I was typing out an email the other day and heard the buzz that only a plastic-bodied, gerbil-powered vehicle could produce: a PowerWheel. Awesome, I can live in the 80's again. This little kid was struggling to tank around his well-groomed backyard in his PowerWheel wearing the only truly appropriate attire: Footy Pajamas. He was moving so fast my little point and shoot camera could barely keep up but luckily he tweaked one of his monster plastic wheels on a gum wrapper. Too bad kid.

alexis, 23

2008-10-02T15:54:00.005-04:00

Alexis, 23 is the second installment of a possible four-part audio slideshow series I'm running with reporter Sam Hemingway on OxyContin addiction in St. Albans, Vermont. The OxyContin problem is a growing issue and has already gotten a hold of the youth population in that area. If you haven't visited the posting below, please do as "Sarah, 19" is the first and most compelling segment of the series.

Please take the two minutes to visit these sites. And keep those speakers turned up! Thanks!

sarah, 19

2008-10-02T12:19:00.007-04:00

I started working on this project in June. Free Press reporter Sam Hemingway wanted to explore the OxyContin problem in Franklin County, specifically St. Albans, Vermont. I was asked to shoot this story and I had been craving a long-term, in-depth photo story and this absolutely fit the bill. Sam's interviews were fantastic, he made his subjects feel comfortable delving back into terrible memories of their battles with drug addiction. The sessions were emotional and raw.

I was in charge of photography and audio collection. After sorting through hours of interviews and hundreds of photos, I've edited it down to this audio slideshow:

Sarah, 19

Please take two minutes out of your day to absorb this story as it truly is a nationwide problem and it's happening in all of our neighborhoods.

the milk bowl

2008-09-30T10:12:00.003-04:00

I went to Thunder Road's Milk Bowl on Sunday for the Free Press, but honestly, I could've gone off the clock too since it's always good to get back to those good ol' Vermont roots. Since I don't feel like typing about it, just watch the slideshow by clicking the link below. You'll get the idea.

The Milk Bowl!

standalone

2008-09-22T17:34:00.002-04:00

We were a little thin on art for tomorrow's paper so I was sent out on a standalone hunt. I'm never quite sure what I'll find. I check the parks, playgrounds, the waterfront, skateparks and ball fields on sunny days like today. We had gorgeous weather today and I hit the road later in the afternoon right as kids were getting out of school. The time was right and the light was great. I had tried my luck at a few places in Burlington and felt solid with what I had but decided to pop in on the skate park down the street from me because these kids love being photographed and they give me a pretty good show, too. One of the kids skating there was shooting some photos as well so we swapped vantage points and checked out good angles and light together. He also filled me in on some of the lingo but by the time I had to write captions...I had forgotten all of it. Oh well. I liked this shot the best because of the lighting and how he's silhouetted. I like how his fingers are shooting out of the frame and I always love filling the frame with multiple layers so the fact that his buddy decided to hang back in the background and watch really made my day.

Enjoy it!

the maize maze

2008-09-21T18:54:00.003-04:00

I had some free time while on shift the other day and headed down to my favorite produce stand, Mazza's, to see if I could catch up with anyone at the corn maze. My timing was perfect and I met up with a couple guys who were going to try the maze with their sons. I knew I wanted to make an audio slideshow from the afternoon at the maze, but I didn't plan on how monotonous the photos would be: corn, corn, corn. So, click the link below and see how I jazzed it up. With a little input and advice from my photo editor, Ryan, I think I put together a pretty cute project. Enjoy!

Mazza's Maize Maze

better with age

2008-09-16T09:10:00.002-04:00

Some things do get better with age. I stumbled upon these two while hunting for standalone photos for today's B1. I haven't had great luck lately finding neat little moments or cute goings-ons. Until yesterday. I was walking down the Burlington Waterfront boardwalk and there wasn't too much going on since a storm was rolling in over the lake. However, I saw an older gentleman leaning over somebody stealing a kiss. These two were arm in arm, cuddled and bundled together despite the crisp winds rolling off Lake Champlain. I took a couple steps past them but couldn't resist, they were too cute. After speaking with them I took some photos and then asked their names. I presumed that "Betty" was a Mrs. Betty and that she was gliding on her swing alongside her husband...nope! I should've known. These two mischievous love birds couldn't be married or else we'd never catch them stealing kisses in public. Glad to see the dating scene is still alive and well in your 60's.

seven years

2008-09-12T08:29:00.004-04:00

Seven Years is an audio slideshow I produced from my 9/11 coverage at Norwich University, the nation's first military university, yesterday during their memorial set-up at 5:45 am. I had to wake myself up at 4am for this shoot and shoot down to Northfield, VT to get there in time and might I add, I arrived on time, not a second late and there was not a single Marine Corps cadet, student or active duty soldier to be found! If anyone ever calls me out on running late again I can now say I keep a stricter clock than the military! Enjoy the show.

holgafair

2008-09-06T12:33:00.003-04:00

Ok, you've seen enough fair photos. I get it, I know. But, as you might recall all you photo fans and readers out there (Mom) I mentioned being excited to see what my summer fair photos would look like 30 years from now. Would they have that vintage feel rich in contrast and moody colors? I love the look of old photos from the 60's and 70's when the film was saturated and the sunshine looked brilliant. Well, I took my trusty Holga out to the fair with me this year and shot around. I got some funny stares since my Holga looks like a toy camera made by G.I. Joe since it's Army green in color. Here I am with high-end cameras dangling from my neck and I step up to a ride and snap some shots with my fun, plastic Holga: Click! It's hit or miss with the Holga but nothing beats the excitment that builds while waiting for the film to be developed and printed. Digital stole that away from us and I miss it. As always, enjoy.

bike polo

2008-09-06T10:09:00.003-04:00

Bike polo. Fun, fast and not for the uncoordinated. My Free Press friend, Lauren, and I went to the local bike polo club one Wednesday night and found a group of twenty-somethings circling around a roller-hockey rink drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon on their fixies while trying to smack a ball into a net using a mallet. This is bike polo. Now I have to warn you, I'm a bit of an experienced bike polo-er myself. Back in the day, my brother, Todd, and I amused ourselves each summer with an array of backyard games with the neighbors, tree forts in the woods and pillow forts in the basement on the awful rainy days. We also had Pine Cone Polo. Our childhood version of bike polo consisted of two players: myself and Todd. Our goal was to bat around every pine cone in the vicinity of the storm drain at the end of our driveway until we had filled the storm drain. A massive task. There were no rules, we simply had to keep rolling on our bikes while smacking pine cones with our sticks into the sewer. I'm sure the Shelburne Storm Sewer Services (if that ever existed) were not happy but we were.

Now, Wednesday night's game was for the big kids. These guys weren't messing around. There were rules, teams and gear. I won't get into the details, I'll let Lauren explain it with the video she shot that night. Lauren mounted the camera on her bike as she played and I think the results are fantastic. Being the biker that she is, she managed to hold her own most of the time, but it goes to show how difficult the game can be. Enjoy!

jonas fever

2008-09-03T07:58:00.005-04:00

So when I found a concert ticket on my desk the other day I got really excited but that feeling quickly left when I read that I gained admission to the upcoming Jonas Brothers show. Aw man! But, everyone around me said this was the show to see if not for the Jonas Bros themselves but for the screaming, crying crazy fans! I wasn't disappointed. After studying up on this Disney Channel franchise with a new 11-year-old friend of mine, yes, we watched the Disney Channel Games and I officially think that the Disney Channel has single handedly taken over the minds of our youth, I had an inkling of how crazed young girls are when it comes to the Jonas Brothers. And, how can they not be? There is a Jonas boy for every age group! Maybe you like a more mature brother? Go for Kevin, he's 20 and fierce in his sassy skinny-tied suit. Or maybe Kevin's straight, edgy hair sweeping across his brow isn't your style. You might want to take a peek at Joe. He's 19 and has a slightly different look, a bit less slick and bit more geeky with his curly hair and thick sideburns. He looks like a good ol' boy. But of course, they are all good boys with purity rings wrapped around their left ring fingers from the preachings of their Evangelical preacher father. But, let's say you're worried about what your mother might think when you bring a 19 or 20-year-old rocker to your 8th grade graduation...you might want to take a peek at Nick, he's 15. Sure, he's still a bit old but he's the sweetie of the group and makes every girl's heart melt. And at that age, jealousy is everything.

I still feel left behind though. When I was a kid I remember the New Kids on the Block craze. We loved them all and yes, they offered the diversity in ages and backgrounds that made us swoon. I adored Donnie. He was the dangerous one with his salty attitude and torn jeans. Oh I bet he gets in so much trouble with that bandana of his! So, maybe the Jonas Brothers are the next generation of the whole boy band thing...but still there are so many VERY young little girls out there in the audience and they're shouting things like marriage and boyfriends and relationships at the tween pop princes. Marriage!? When I was seven-years-old I think Barney was THE idol available to us and let me tell you, I certainly wasn't thinking about boys (um, cooties?) I certainly wasn't thinking about marrying these cootie-infested males and I certainly wasn't willing to cross species lines by settling down with a green and purple spotted foam dinosaur. I think I just got arthritis by writing this, I feel old.

Need I say more:

fair flipbook

2008-08-27T09:14:00.003-04:00

So, another full day spent at the fair shooting like crazy collecting images for multiple assignments. Concert coverage for Brent, BScene photos for Sarah, gallery for Ryan, dailies for Patrick and then, last but certainly not least, project photos for myself! I had been toying with the idea of an audio flipbook but I couldn't quite pick a topic that suited the medium until I saw that the fair was rolling into town. My idea was to take a cool song with a strong beat and create a flipbook of a ton of images from the fair. I wanted it to be random and a bit disjointed so the fact that my head was spinning from all the action and photo moments at the fair I knew I'd picked a perfect topic. So, I won't go into explaining how I made it, just click the link below, watch it and enjoy and let me know what you think!

Fair Flipbook!

your moment of zen...

2008-08-22T17:00:00.002-04:00

I recently needed some audio to accompany a multimedia project I was working on and well, I hit the ivories for some inspiration. This is a song I've been pounding out for a little while bit by bit but could never quite find a way to wrap it up until now. Hope you enjoy...your moment of zen.

I couldn't resist.

to be fair to carnies...

2008-08-21T08:12:00.005-04:00

Summer is coming to a close which means the Champlain Valley Fair is rolling into town. I used to go to this fair to ride the rides and eat the junk food but each time I walked out covered in dust and powdered sugar from whatever greasy, fatty-fried concoction I devoured, I'd always say to myself: "Never again." Three minutes at the fairgrounds makes me filthy. But, here I am, back at the fair walking the grounds by myself and the scene is calm and quiet. The crowds haven't poured in yet, the rides are still being duct-taped together and there is a great ghost town vibe going on in this dust bowl kiddie ride wonderland. Oh, and one more thing, the carnies are here and they are pouring in by the dozens. And I love them.

My love affair with carnies began years ago. I've always been amused by the transient and in awe of their ability to live on the road with the same pack of people for months and months at a time. Fair season is a rough road to haul but they live for it and they love it. I focused my lens on some carny folk yesterday as the Free Press needed some fair preview photos for this weekend's edition. I just love the sun-beaten leathered faces of the carny guys in contrast to the bright, sometimes shiny colors of the rides. I love the blending of accents as they work together to bolt a wheelie car back together for Friday's opening night. I love the crass comeraderie that bonds these guys together as they continue maybe one of the world's most repetitive jobs setting up and tearing down rides that have circled the nation for that past forty years. These guys are a slice of history, but I always wonder if someday my carny photos will look as fantastic as the photos we see of the old Depression-era carnivals that we all love so much. My photos look so shiny, new and fresh - I can't wait to see how they age.

sun.

2008-08-16T14:32:00.004-04:00

Finally a few days of sun! I figured after posting about the recent flooding we've had I should come back with some nice, sunny shots from that last few trips to North Beach here in Burlington as I was looking for standalone shots for The Free Press page B1. I always feel a bit creepy and incredibly nerdy when I'm shuffling around the beach with my photo/fanny pack, two cameras, and way too much clothing. I try to move gracefully but my Crocs fill with sand and water, my equipment is heavy and the sand is HOT. Ever tried kneeling in hot sand photographing wild children splashing and throwing mud everywhere? Atleast the cold water spraying from their toys is instant relief from the burning magma your squatting on. I exaggerate.

I found all these cute kids hanging out in the sun this past week and they were all a bunch of hams. I think kids are taught in school that when they see a camera they must stop everything, freeze, pose and smile. Maybe those Picture Day photographers from LifeTouch have them trained, like little cooperative armies of cheeky grins with a single assignment: look precious. It's very difficult finding a candid moment with these kids, so I just tell them to forget I'm there and pretend they never saw me and it works almost instantly. Before I know it I'm being trampled or something is being thrown at me. Apparently children lose all sense of manners when they assume they are all "alone." I can't win.

Enjoy the photos and control your jealousy - yes, these kids were having an awesome time.

the flood

2008-08-12T08:00:00.006-04:00

We've had a crazy summer with heavy rains nearly every day and thunderstorms scattered throughout the week. It's driving all of us nuts and making our summer plans difficult to make it just seems it's always raining and we don't know why. But, I can't complain too much as all of this rain waters my garden so I don't have to bother with it, keeps the temperatures nice and cool and the big one, we haven't seen flooding my in neck of the woods. Last week I was yanked out of a meeting to race down to Hancock, Vt. to photograph the flash floods that were sweeping through the region. In a matter of two hours, several feet of water raged through this small country town taking boats, cars, houses and debris with it while destroying their central roadways (see photo above). I had missed the high flood waters, but the rivers were still swollen and over their natural banks so I ditched my car, donned my new Crocs and started talking to people.

I was fortunate enough to meet Larry. This guy was a character. His entire slate rock basement was flooded after the flash flood busted through his foundation. His yard used to be a nice, green pasture along the banks of the White River, now it was a flooded mess full of debris, broken trees and kayaks from the summer camp just up the road. Instead of lamenting his losses he was excited about the landscaping opportunities. "Look at all these great rocks the storm brought me!" and he was excited for all the firewood he now had for this winter. A true optimist.

Larry took me through his basement so I could photograph the damage. My first step onto his cellar stairs was a cold, thick squishy one. Oh man. The flood had mixed with his dirt floor basement and left six inches of thick mud on the steps (see photo below). My first thought was that people pay hundreds for a mud bath, I wasn't quite understanding the appeal. After leaving the basement, Larry hosed off my feet and legs so we could continue on. My next step wasted those efforts as all the sand on his property was loose and swollen with water and my foot sunk. The sand was now up to my knee swallowing my Croc! After fishing my Croc out of the goo I was a bit more careful where I tread. What a mess.

After saying good bye to Larry I found myself trekking up towards a summer camp that had suffered considerable damage. The skies were beautiful blue as I snapped away at the flooded cars, destroyed swimming holes and cabins, missing kayaks and an uprooted basketball court. But, of course, that didn't last long. Here I was a few miles away from my car, my brand new rain jacket in the trunk and the skies opened up. I ran to the nearest building and the camp's director was kind enough to give me some trash bags to wear and to wrap around my gear (see photo below). So, soggy, tired and filthy I made my way back to my car so I could get the hell out of there. No need to be there when the next flash flood decides to start. Long day but I had a ton of fun. I got to be outside talking with people and literally, getting my feet wet...beats sitting at a desk all day I say.

So, of course, I've put together an audio slideshow of flood reactions and photos of the damage. Click here to watch and enjoy!

these ain't for the kids...

2008-08-04T16:35:00.004-04:00

NEW Audio Slideshow! Click here!

I love my job. Most days I love my job because of all the new places and people I get to experience, the hands on nature of my daily routine and the ability to constantly exercise my creativity. Today, well, was no different but was certainly much cooler than some. When I was assigned Joel's tricycle story this morning I didn't think much of it. I like working with Joel, he's always up for a fun time while on assignment, but this time we really got a taste of the action. I'll paint a picture. We met a pack of bikers, er, trikers at Bob's Gun Shop up in Milton where these guys were going to lead us to their "chop shop" to show off their custom-built, hot rod-styled trike bikes. Instead of following them in my trusty Hyundai or Joel's Subaru, we hopped onto the trike outfitted with a rear bench seat and went for a completely wild and awesome ride down the dirt roads to their home and workshop. I tried my best to keep the camera still and in-focus as we raced around Milton's back roads, wind whipping our faces and my hair now completely entangled in my helmet. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I strapped into the trike equipped with full racing seats, but I had an idea these guys liked to have fun when they trike ride as my driver's helmet read: "If it's got a kick stand or tits, I know how to ride it." Milton's eloquence makes me smile every time I visit. Perfect.

I haven't listened to the audio I collected, but if anything else is audible over the incredible racket the 400 HP V8 Corvette engine produced, you'll hear my giggles as we peeled through every turn and then accelerated through a small tunnel just before the house. I couldn't stop laughing, I was having such an awesome time. Joel suggested a follow-up in a few months when the current project bike is closer to completion, I only hope our visit is before the first snowfall because I think I might be brave enough to ask for a test drive.

I'll post an audio slideshow once produced so check back at the end of the week for that!

Sharing an American Pastime

2008-07-31T13:10:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I shot a multimedia project involving two dozen Japanese high school students who are here in Vermont to attend the Northern VT All-Star Football Camp in South Burlington. Pretty crazy! None of the students spoke a lick of English and whenever I went to photograph them they would hold their hands up making #1 or peace signs which isn't my taste since I like capturing candid moments, but it helped put some smiles on their faces. Speaking with the students' translators, I learned that the students have fallen in love with Vermont's Green Mountains and rolling valleys since they are so used to the densely populated city of Osaka. The Vermont boys and the Japanese students were really working together by day three of the camp and were finding ways to communicate plays and strategies. I thought the camp was a great idea, especially since it's just a week before the Olympics in Beijing - sports really can bring cultures together since they share a common language. Click on the link below to watch the audio slideshow!

Japanese Football

ammo-st amusing afternoon

2008-07-18T12:22:00.003-04:00

So, a few weeks ago I learned how to shoot my first gun. Yes, that's right I am now Yosemite Sam with guns blaring, holsters slapping. I'm a chaw-packing true Vermonter with dead-on aim.

Our friend and neighbor, Joe, invited us along to his friend's sand pit to test our aim with an afternoon of skeet shooting. Joe's friend, Flinn, is THE ultimate outdoorsman. All men must bow before his manliness. He IS the Outdoors Channel on TV, he is National Geographic, he is a redneck, an athlete. He is the magic that hides within a man's beard. Flinn brought the gear, gave us some lessons and don't worry (Mom) he made sure everybody was safe. I was extremely determined to smash those skeet since I've been bragging that I'm sure I'd be a good shot because of my steady photographer's hand and precision aim. What I didn't take into account was that the crosshairs of a gun are a tad bit different than the 12 focus points in my camera's viewfinder. I hit nothing but am sure practice will make perfect, I'm just not sure when I'll ever be able to practice - seeing as how I refuse to have guns or ammo anywhere near my house.

Jason getting ready to fire the .45 caliber handgun.

Jason after shooting the .45 caliber handgun. It's that loud.

Hiking the Long Trail

2008-07-14T10:43:00.007-04:00

Tom and I hiked a portion of the Long Trail with our friends Morgan and Andy this weekend. We started out at the Lincoln Gap, hiked a 2 mile ascent just shy of Mt. Abraham's summit and set up camp for the night. We lucked out with gorgeous, mild weather and pretty blue skies so our 10 mile hike through the Monroe Ridgeline Trail on Saturday was nothing less than perfect. We stopped occasionally for food, water pumping, photos and of course, the views, but we kept a pretty solid pace and hiked from 9am to 6pm leaving us completely exhausted when we reached our destination, the Appalachian Gap. The descent was tiring and all of our feet and joints were feeling the 12 miles we left behind us but we kept ourselves motivated knowing that we were planning for a nice, cold brew at The Alchemist in Waterbury to soothe our muscles.

Oh! And we were surprised by a moose and her two babies during our descent. We were all a little freaked out but when two other hikers plodded on by without disturbing them we figured we'd be okay. Crazy how such a massive creature pops out of nowhere!

After "showering" in a gas station bathroom and changing out of our wet, muddy clothes we downed gallons of water (since the water supply on the ridgeline was so scarce) and headed to the Alchemist. French fries, stouts and wings greeted us at the bar and we capped off a perfect overnight hike. Enjoy the photos below and click the link to see the full slideshow!

Long Trail - Monroe Skyline Hike

Beans n' weenies for dinner!

Mmmmm oatmeal.

Delicious.

perfect vermont weekend

2008-07-11T13:27:00.002-04:00

I had a great weekend a couple weeks ago when one of my college roomates, Kat, came to visit from NYC. She really wanted to go hiking with Tom, Bear and I so we decided Camel's Hump would be a good trek. It may have been more than she bargained for but the view at the top makes the labor worth it. I'm glad the weather held out for us since the rain and thunderstorms rolled in as we snacked on creemees as we drove back home. The dark clouds made for some great pictures though. Thanks again for visiting us, Kat! We had the greatest weekend and miss you tons! And to all the rest of you girls in New York, this invitation is for you. :)

explosions in the sky

2008-07-11T08:38:00.005-04:00

Happy (belated) 4th of July! We spent our fourth on the boat again this year and although the weather looked ominous, the skies cleared, the sun set, and the wind calmed for a fantastic night out on Lake Champlain. With our bellies full of wine and cheese and later steaks and potatoes, we were dialed in and ready for a pyrotechnic display. Burlington did not disappoint. The Fourth of July is by far my favorite holiday. Good food and drinks with friends and family only to be topped off with a fireworks display followed by the cheers of thousands crammed onto Burlington harbor as the finale explodes one explosion after another. These are my favorite shots from that night. Enjoy! And, as Tom would proudly shout: Happy Birthday America.

Speaking of Tom, my goofy boy captured in a somewhat serious moment.

Finally a picture of me! Tom snapped this one after we pointed out how
beautifully the sunset was illuminating our faces.

Odd wide angle shot, thanks Tom.

Gorgeous sunset.

The colors quickly changed in just minutes.

I love the colors reflection on the water.

Pass or Fail

2008-06-29T09:07:00.004-04:00

I love firefighters. Some of my most favorite assignments and shoots have taken place with firefighters, at firehouses, or on scene with some of our finest. My most favorite firehouse moment was in Boston during game 7 of the ALCS when the Red Sox were playing the Yankees vying for a spot in the 2004 World Series. I knew I had to shoot the biggest game in recent history but I wanted an angle, so I headed to the Boylston Firehouse in Boston and watched the game with a great crew of firefighters. We shared pizza and some great jokes on each other, but the night really got going when they were called out to a fire. Oh man! I hung back assuming there was no way they'd let me ride along. I was wrong. They yelled at me to join in and hurry up. So, grabbing all my cumbersome photo gear I headed to the firepole. Before I could even process how I was going to slide down that thing with all of my gear, the guys were already half way down the stairs "Oh, we don't use the pole, we take the stairs!" Of course. I childhood dream destroyed but the birth of a hilarious new memory. The photos were okay that night, but the experience was amazing. There's really isn't much out there that can beat riding in a fire engine, lights flashing and horns blaring as you try to get your helmut's chin strap tight and, oh yeah, hold on tight. But back to why these photos are up here...

The Burlington Fire Department is looking for a new firefighter and they held a series of recruitment testing at firehouse 2 last week to run some recruits through the ropes. These recruits already passed a written exam so now it was on to the physical exam. After being cleared by medical tests, they needed to show their physical endurance and strength. I've created an audio slideshow of the tests but I couldn't fit everything in within my two minute time frame. The recruits needed to, in four minutes or less, raise a ladder up and down, open a hydrant, run 150 feet of wet firehose up hill and through the station, sledgehammer a test point fifty times, crawl through a tight attic crawlspace, carry a ladder, and finally, carry a dummy from one end of the station to the other. Oh, and I forgot to mention they're doing all of this with full jacket, helmut and an air tank strapped to their backs. I was impressed. Part of me wanted to try the course because I've always loved a bit of competition and I'd like to test my physical endurance - but I suppose taking some pictures will do! Enjoy the show!

Firefighter recruits are tested at Burlington Fire Department Station 2

rainy days of summer

2008-06-27T08:44:00.006-04:00

Summer is here and so is the rain. We've had some crazy weather this season and have had much more rain than we'd all really care to have. I can't complain too much though, it's kept the weather fairly cool and the rain just comes in little spurts here and there. Working in the rain has proven a more difficult task however. On slow news days we'll go out on "standalone" hunts, looking for moments that can stand on there own without a story. Last week I spent the last few hours of my shift jumping from park to beach to hiking trail looking for anyone out trying to beat the muggy weather - I found no one. It wasn't until I was driving by a local playground in a torrential downpour that I found these two kids. They were content standing in the middle of the park under their "Hello Kitty" umbrella with a toy cell phone and a couple of lollipops giggling and having a great time. Was it raining? Not under their umbrella. Kids always do seem to make the best of things huh?

I'll still cringe when today's first drops hit my shoulders. Sorry kids.

victorious

2008-06-21T08:05:00.002-04:00

Essex High School had quite the season this year taking 11 Div I. State titles in one school year. Insanity. I had the pleasure of shooting the Div I Mens Lacrosse Championship last week between Essex and my "alma mater" Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU). I was rooting for the reds in this one as I was once a CVU lacrosse player battling it out at Div. I play-offs and state championships, but the boys didn't pull through this year losing 7-4 to the Hornets. Here are some of my favorite shots from the action-packed, high energy game. They battled and it was great to watch.

Senior Inspiration

2008-06-17T07:48:00.002-04:00

I was assigned to shoot "seniors training at the So. Burlington High School track" the other day. When I rolled into the parking lot I expected several young athletes, high school seniors, running around the track. I was completely shocked and surprised. The athletes were seniors alright, but the kind of seniors that receive discount movie passes, AARP memberships, and a few more candles on their birthday cake. These women were in their 70's and 80's and were training to compete in the National Senior Games in California this summer. Several of these women held world records in shotput, javelin, track and long jump. I couldn't believe it. I was so impressed with their talents as many of us, regardless of age, can't perform the way these women perform. I told them how truly inspirational they were and they thanked me, but seemed to be more interested in knowing whether my grandmothers were up to the challenge. :)

I post this now as I just returned from visiting my grandmother in Florida this past weekend after honoring my grandfather who recently passed. My grandma struggles with a bad back and other ailments and I know I won't hear a report from her that she's been running the 600 meter dash, but she did say she might get back to her pool exercises and I wish her well in that because I know how much she loves her time in the pool. Growing older certainly isn't easy, but if you find something that keeps you young at heart (piano playing, exercising in the pool) then that's all that really matters, right? So Grandma, this posting is for you in hopes that these next few weeks allow you the relaxation and time that you deserve to recharge your batteries. Rest up and be well, it's time for you to be pampered.

mocean worker

2008-06-07T13:49:00.002-04:00

Check these guys out! The afro-funk jazz fusion group, Mocean Worker, is based out of NYC but made the trip up to Burlington this week for the Discover Jazz Fest. As I posted before, many local bars and restaurants play host to music groups that are in town for the festival and Nectar's (the famous groove spot for Phish) presented a night of amazing entertainment with Mocean Worker on Wednesday. You'll have to click the link below to watch the audio slideshow I put together as their energy and cool rhythm is best listened to than described. Nights like these I've got to pinch myself. As I'm listening to and loving the music, hopping on stage as I snap photos I have to remind myself, "Man, I'm on the clock!" Life is good.

Listen to and watch Mocean Worker's performance at Nectar's!

discover jazz

2008-06-04T21:10:00.002-04:00

It's here! The time has come and summer has begun. The Discover Jazz Festival is in full swing and it's made for an awesome work week. For those of y'all not from around the area, the Discover Jazz Festival is a 10-day long collection of amazing jazz artists performing throughout the city whether its at your favorite restaurant, watering hole, or just on the street. During the day, crowds are drawn to Church St. (the pedestrian mall) to watch high school and middle school kids playing jazz. This is actually something I did when I was a kid. In seventh and eighth grade I had the pleasure of playing clarinet with my school's jazz band for passersby. Now, the table's have turned. When I have some downtime at work or simply need a break from the newsroom, I grab my gear and head outside to shoot around at the jazz sprawl. I've run into some familiar faces and met some new ones. So far, the week has been great. Tonight I'm off to shoot Mocean Worker at Nectar's. I'll be collecting audio as well for an audio slideshow that I'll post later. For now, here is the piece I did last week as the opening centerpiece for the Burlington Free Press' coverage of Discover Jazz.

Click here for audio slideshow of opening night at Halvorson's

Mr. Big

2008-05-31T11:00:00.003-04:00

This is him, Mr. Big. The real Mr. Big. Our entertainment reporter, Brent Hallenbeck, and I took a drive down to Pomfret, VT on a gorgeous afternoon last week to visit with him before last night's release of the "Sex and the City" movie. The hugely successful magazine magnate was the inspiration behind Candace Bushnell's column in New York years ago. Mr. Big (Ron Galotti in real life) left New York five years ago to retire to the hills and valleys of our beautiful state of Vermont. I really had no idea what to expect as I knocked on the door of his beautifully restored and remodeled country farm house plopped in the middle of 100 acres of rolling farm lands and wooded hills. He didn't answer the door, his wife, Lisa, did. Ron (Mr. Big) was busy down the road building a tree house for his nine-year-old daughter, Abbi. Clad in jeans and a John Deere tee, Ron, who was much smaller in stature than his actor counterpart Chris Noth, strolled up the road with Brent and stopped to talk in front of his new pride and joy: his hay field. "You know you're not dealing with a farmer when they look at this and all they see is a field of weeds," Ron said after I noted that the dandelions had completely taken over is field. The yellow weeds made for a good shot though so we plopped down to snap a few photos.

I was humbled when he told me THE Annie Liebovitz had photographed him upon occasion and that the very ideas I had envisioned (dressing him in one his many Prada suits to stand in the middle of his hay field) had already been done before when huge publications such as Country Living and Vanity Fair had run profiles on his new Vermont lifestyle.

Ron has seen amazing things and met incredible people with dozens of stories to tell (my favorite being that Elton John played a private concert for him and Versace at Versace's home), our one hour interview extended into two hours as we roamed the property and toured the house. Brent and I couldn't quite fathom the amount of power and wealth he has as we stood before him as lowly journalists that are quite confident we won't experience those two elements in our lifetime, but success and fame aside, Ron was a great guy and a truly interesting man to talk to. Plus, he says that the old family Vermonter's that also call Pomfret their home have given took some time to warm up to him. Money's no object in Vermont...can you farm?

pomp and circumstance

2008-05-29T08:49:00.003-04:00

It's true. My little brother is a college grad. An alum. A young adult. A young professional. Last weekend we all drove over to Rochester, NY for his graduation from RIT. I, of course, was on documentary duty of the day's activities. We started with a dessert and coffee hour with fellow grads and families followed by the graduation ceremony. I couldn't get over how few women attend the college, but I guess that may be pretty standard at a tech-based school like RIT. The first girl to cross the stage got a huge ovation and I'm pretty sure her family wasn't the only ones cheering. Takes a special kind of lady to spend four years surrounded by grubby college boys with few other girls to gossip with. Back to my brother. Todd, these photos are for you and for your embarrassment. Enjoy.

baseballbaseball

2008-05-29T08:18:00.003-04:00

I decided to pick through some of my favorite baseball and softball photos that I've taken over the past couple months. I've neglected my blog lately as life has just taken over with so much going on both at work and at home. Last weekend I was away in Rochester, NY for my little brother's graduation (I'll throw a photo of that up next) and man, now I just need a weekend to sit and relax! But, this coming weekend I'll be riding in the Tour de Cure here in Burlington in support of the American Diabetes Association and in honor of my Grandpa who suffered from the disease. If you feel so inclined to donate to the cause, click this link:

Tour de Cure - Support Me!

Busy busy busy. Enjoy the photos!

The Forgotten

2008-05-18T09:05:00.003-04:00

As we approach Memorial Day, I wanted to post this slideshow that I put together last week when visiting the Moving Wall, a half-size Vietnam War Memorial wall, that travels the US to share the very thing that truly touches so many people, but that so many people may never have a chance to visit unless it comes to them.

Click on the link and enjoy the show! Remember the Fallen

missing mom

2008-05-11T08:52:00.005-04:00

We put a different spin on Mother's Day over at the Free Press. Staff writer Lauren Ober came up with an incredible idea to tell the story of Mother's Day through the eyes and voices of incarcerated mothers serving time at Dale Correctional Facility in Waterbury, VT. I was assigned to shoot this story and am so glad I was as I really appreciate these mothers allowing us to talk with them and photograph them while they serve time away from their children. Yes, these women are criminals; most of them serving time for various parole violations, drug offenses and other non-violent crimes, but having to leave their children while they're behind bars is a tragedy that few consider when thinking about those serving time. Many of these women have completely lost parental rights to their children or face the facts that these children have been adopted by other families. The children and family unit suffer when a parent is incarcerated and Lauren's story sought to describe just how that dynamic works, or doesn't work. Click the link below to read her story and also the multimedia link to view the audio slideshow I produced for this story - my most favorite to date.

Lauren's Story

Multimedia Slideshow

plan B

2008-05-09T19:18:00.004-04:00

Lately we've been running into a lot of privacy issues involving students at local schools. We're invited to events they're hosting but after we've shot the program, a teacher or principal notifies us that they will need to review the photos to make sure we haven't photographed students on the "do not publish" list. This is a growing problem and a major catch-22. We're invited to these events but are limited in what we can do. The school administrations are basically asking that we submit our work and let them edit it which is something we're not willing to do. I had two such instances last week and was really getting frustrated with the lack of organization and cooperation in these school systems.

So, it was time to switch gears. The photo below shows a teacher, or student, working on a building project. I initially shot this photo the way I did for dramatic effect and to spice up the fairly ordinary event I was attending. Again, after shooting for an hour with this group of students, the teacher told me I couldn't publish any photos of the kids not wearing their safety glasses. Big help. Not a SINGLE kid was wearing their OSHA-approved safety glasses and left me in a major bind. Instead of getting completely frustrated again, I remembered that I had shot this picture and sent it in for publish. Thank god.

parisienne parking garage

2008-05-07T19:26:00.004-04:00

I'm so siked right now. Today I had two pretty ordinary assignments, one of which was logistically flawed, so I was headed back to the newsroom with some photos I wasn't particulary jazzed about which is never a good way to come back in. However - I parked my car in the Bank/Cherry St. parking garage downtown like I usually do and much to my surprise and excitement I stumbled upon an accordion player pumping the squeezebox inside the stairwell of the garage. Awesome. I immediately threw down my gear and got ready to shoot - and being ever so prepared, I had my mic on hand to collect audio as well. The musician, Timothy Lang, was siked to see me as well as I guess he was on the outs with his band for forgetting to pull in some press for their last show. I should hope today's endeavor made up for it. He played so beautifully and with such emotion. There was such a lonely, downtrodden vibe going on inside that stairwell with the rusted stairs, dim hazy lighting and gritty acoustics. I asked Timothy "Why play inside? Inside the stairwell no less?" (since so many of the musicians in Burlington strike out on Church St., the outdoor marketplace, to play their tunes) he replied that the acoustics made him feel like he was playing in a church or small concert hall. The sound radiated through all five floors and the echo created the perfect sense of vibrato. What a great moment to witness and for once I had all my gear in tow!

This was the perfect way to end my shift today. I quickly threw together my favorite shots and a track of the accordion players' audio for yes, another audio slideshow. Click the link below to see it:

www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/050708accordion/index.html

feel the thunder

2008-05-05T18:19:00.009-04:00

Sunday was a fantastic race car hoedown at Thunder Road Speed Bowl in Barre, VT. I've been wanting to go here ever since we moved back up here last summer. Thunder Road is a difficult one to describe but I'll try. Take the very essence of everything that is Vermont, and not Chittenden County Burlington, VT, I'm talking about the small-town Vermont, with intense pride, gasoline-charged afternoons, paper plates piled high with powdered sugar dusted fried dough, greasy Carthardts, locally-owned body shops, platinum perm jobs, the complete and total neglect of the letter T in most words and Rs that are harder than the SATs, checkered flags and exhaust fumes and you've got the makings of a truly, truly insanely old school Vermont past-time. Thunder Road rocks and I met some incredible characters at this one. Everyone was geared up and ready to run the Speed Bowl for Sunday's opening day ceremony and were all so friendly and just genuinely excited. It was certainly a taste of another world - a magical, magical place. I'll be back in a big way.

For some awesome audio of Thunder Road craziness and more photos click here:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/050408thunderroad/index.html

pretty ladies

2008-05-02T18:49:00.003-04:00

Last weekend one of my favorite Free Press reporters, Lauren, and I went over to The Arbors in Shelburne to photograph a girl, Danielle, who comes in on her day off every other Saturday to set up shop in the facility's salon for a day of all out beauty. This girl is really cool and really gives the residents some very special extra care. I should've prefaced this by explaining that The Arbors is a facility that cares for the memory-impaired suffering from dementia and alzheimers. So, the ladies really appreciate the work she does and how beautiful she makes them look afterwards.

Lauren and I collected some great moments from two of the residents, Blanche and Rosetta. Rosetta was a little firecracker! Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky she had the sweetest little southern drawl and a real quick wit to her. Her memory slipped from time to time as we spoke with her, but her humor stuck by her side and kept all of us laughing. What a sweetheart.

This assignment really "tugged at my heart strings" as I couldn't help but think of my own grandfather who suffers from Alzheimers. Some of the silent moments and vague glances just broke my heart as I watched these women struggle within themselves to form a response to our questions. Nobody deserves the torture that Alzheimers inflicts, it is such a terribly sad disease for anyone to deal with.

Of course, I collected audio as well on this project and put together an audio slideshow for you to enjoy. Click the link below to get a taste of how fabulous these ladies are.

www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/042608arbors/index.html

change is good.

2008-04-30T19:00:00.005-04:00

Today the new, revamped and user-friendly Burlington Free Press website launched and the response couldn't be better! Those of us in the photo department are especially excited about the new site because it better highlights our photo galleries and slideshow projects. The changes at work got me thinking about this blog of mine and I created a link list of most of my multimedia projects that I've completed so far at the Free Press. So click there to keep current.

Today was a pretty slow day with most of the morning spent in court shooting a rape trial and then it was off to shoot a murder trial. Very lighthearted way to spend my morning. After finishing some web work in the newsroom it was off to Vermont National Country Club to shoot a golf game. Exhilarating. :) But hey, it was a gorgeous afternoon spent on a nice, quiet piece of So. Burlington...and I got to tear around on a golf cart for the afternoon which is fantastic.

And I leave you with a photo I shot last weekend. I had forgotten about it until a proud parent called the news desk this afternoon to tell me how much they loved the shot. I love it when people go out of their way to be nice, really makes my day.

wise guy.

2008-04-29T17:56:00.002-04:00

No big story behind this photo but I wanted to post it anyway since I really like it. I just love the expression on this kid's face, so stoic and serious. But check out his older brother in the background - what a little monkey! I shot this last week when temperatures in Burlington reached the upper 70's and it was a slow news day so off I went to the various parks and beaches in Burlington (I know...what a chore! ha) to scavenge for some weather features. These two dudes were certainly my favorite.

the good doc

2008-04-27T09:22:00.006-04:00

Everyday I get to take a peek into somebody else's world and experience something unknown to me through a different perspective. As you've seen so far, most of my projects have been lighthearted as I ease my way into the world of the Free Press but this story took a different turn. Reporter Terri Hallenbeck and I met with a pediatric oncologist, Dr. Giselle Sholler, several weeks ago at Fletcher Allen Health Care here in Burlington. Dr. Sholler is developing a new treatment for neuroblastoma patients - generally children - with a drug generally used for parasitic infection. Besides being in complete and total awe upon meeting this woman, I was completely blown away with the way she nurtures these children.

Terri and I interviewed six-year-old Jack Brown from London who barely muttered a word as he was hooked up intravenously to his chemotherapy treatment. As I snapped away and collected audio, both Terri and I and Jack's father tried to nurse a few words from him - no such luck. The moment Dr. Sholler stepped into the room, Jack's eyes drifted from his Thomas the Tank Engine DVD and deadlocked on her. Smiles and giggles, stories and show-and-tell, Jack was illuminated.

Soon thereafter in rolls Dustin. Standing on the wheels of his chemo cart, Dustin rolls into Jack's treatment room to hang out. Kids constantly surprise me, but Dustin was a true gem. Dustin's a dry-whitted nine-year-old Southern boy from Atlanta with a drawl that'll melt any Yankee heart. When the nurse asked for his lunch order he mulled over the cafeteria choices and "settled" on a flank stank, hold the corn relish, cooked medium with a side of mash. Oh, and a beer, too. What a little firecracker.

These two boys were incredible and nobody can ignore their strength and will as they deal with this terrible disease. I'm lucky to have met them and hope they continue to touch the lives of others. Click below to watch the audio slideshow for some great commentary.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/040808neuroblastoma/index.html

Dustin with his coy smile.

Little Jack perks right up with Dustin and Dr. Sholler by his side.

A tender moment between father and son.

Tickle torture to pass the time.

Dr. Sholler's got the magic touch.

loose moose

2008-04-22T15:42:00.005-04:00

Last week there was a yearling moose on the loose in Burlington! I got to chase this "little" guy down and snap some shots - he was a tough one to find! I was a bit nervous about walking into the woods alone knowing there was a massive and unpredictable animal waiting for me in there. Tip-toeing around and scanning the woods squinty-eyed, I thought I must have missed him until I turned back and sure enough he stood up and there he was, not even a 100 feet from me. Too close for comfort even if all he was doing was nibbling on tree bark. I double backed and made good use of my 200mm lens. No sense finding out what happens to a photographer shooting photos of a moose with a wide angle lens.

Soon enough I had a little crowd surrounding me and felt pretty good that some people in the group were wearing sandals and most definitely were going to be running much slower than I should we have to flee.

Apparently the moose couldn't get enough of me as later that night I was out having some burgers and beers with friends on Main St. downtown and there he was walking right through City Hall Park down Main St. and then down lower Church! He really created quite a buzz downtown that evening and everyone felt a little moose magic.

Tickling the Ivories

2008-04-20T09:20:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting a truly remarkable woman last week. Terry Carpenter is an 85-year-old woman who suffered a stroke several years ago. Before her stroke, she was an accomplished pianist and was incredibly passionate about music. Doctors told Terry she would never play again since the stroke affected her left arm leaving it unable to move. Terry persevered. Starting from scratch, Terry taught herself to play with her beginning piano books and strengthened her left hand to play again. When Mariana (reporter for the story) and I met with her at home last week we were treated to an amazing duet concert between Terry and her daughter, Karen. What an incredible bond for a mother and daughter to share.

Having grown up playing the piano, I was particularly interested in this assignment and felt a great connection with Terry. She reminded me of my own grandmother who has always impressed me with her gracious piano playing, but she is now dealing with arthritis and finds playing very difficult. I hope this story can be of inspiration to others or just give you that warm fuzzy feeling that we felt while watching it in the newsroom.

Click the link below for the audio slideshow!
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/040908piano/index.html

birthday bash

2008-04-20T08:56:00.005-04:00

One of Burlington's premier music venues, Higher Ground, rang in it's 10th birthday with a huge bash featuring many of Vermont's greatest musical talents. I went to the birthday party to collect audio while Jordan Silverman shot most of the photos. Of course, I couldn't resist bringing my camera as I love taking stage shots since the lighting is always so dramatic. My favorites are posted below. The party was great. DJ A-Dog and Russell kept the lounge moving while the main stage featured Dave Grippo and his funk band with two high-energy sets to warm up the crowd. Local celebrities were abound as I ran into Mike Gordon of Phish (that dude is everywhere) and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's. I couldn't stay the entire night, but word is Mike Gordon hopped on stage with the Higher Ground All-Stars, Grace Potter jumped up too with The Nocturnals and one guest I did catch was the great Fatty B throwing down with Grippo. Great night, great music...great assignment.

next in line

2008-04-19T11:01:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of going to the Founders School in Essex the other day to shoot a mock Ellis Island scenario that the teachers and parents had created for the fifth grade class. I bumped into one of my good friends from high school since she is the class teacher - so that was cool. I do love how much I run into old faces and acquaintances around here - that was certainly something I never experienced when I was shooting in Boston. Some of my old subjects even remember me and will come up and say hi, thank me for the story or just ask "what's new?" I ran into the subject of my identity theft story that ran several weeks ago and she was very happy with the coverage and with my web project as well as it allowed her to communicate with people out in California which is certainly out of the Free Press circulation. :)

But back to immigration. These kids went all out for this project! The costumes, the passports, the accents and even some back stories as well - they never stepped out of character and that goes for the parent volunteers, too. I was busy shooting photos for this of course but also keeping an ear open for good audio. The multimedia work we do certainly makes the average shoot more hectic and you really have to juggle it all but I really love it. The most mundane, run-of-the-mill story can take on so much life with a great audio selection. Luckily, for this assignment, the photos were strong enough on their own so the audio was just the cherry on the sundae.

Click the link below to watch the multimedia project and as always....enjoy!
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/041608immigration/index.html

just reLAX

2008-04-16T18:42:00.003-04:00

Last week on one of the first truly nice and sunny days here in Burlington I got out the big boy, the 300mm and headed up to UVM's lacrosse turf. I love taking in a good game of lacrosse. I played lacrosse in high school and to this day think it's the biggest thing I miss from my high school days - I hold many fond memories of my time spent on the field. So, to score an assignment taking in a women's lacrosse game between UVM and UNH was pretty sweet. The wind was whipping like mad and tossing my big lens around, so I got low and on my belly to shoot this one. I love this shot below. This girl was killer and showed great skill and what a shot! Nutmeg - right through the defense.

playin' in the dirt

2008-04-13T07:18:00.003-04:00

Last week I started one of my work days down at one of my most favorite places: The Intervale. For those of you not from Burlington, the Intervale is a community gardening space with several organic CSA farms, a composting center and a bunch of walking/biking trails that Bear and I like to run on. I visited with the Open Heart Farm owners Josh May and Rachel Daly and their adorable baby, Ciaran. As much as my job keeps me busy and running around outside, I still envy people that really get their hands dirty to produce a product. On Thursday Josh was busy transplanting cabbage plants for their next growth phase and their veggies looked great and got me really excited for summer. Having just secured a plot at my neighborhood's community garden I got all the more antsy to get out there and prep the soil. Maybe I'll check in with these guys for some pointers.

As always, I produced a web show to accompany the story to click the link below to view that!
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/041108openheart/index.html

the painted word

2008-04-08T14:38:00.003-04:00

On a recent evening I was sent to the Fleming Museum on UVM's campus in Burlington. I hadn't been there since I was a little kid when they had the mummy exhibit which drove me absolutely wild. I always loved ancient Egyptian stuff...but back to the point. I was on assignment to shoot a poetry reading so I knew I really needed to dig to find quirky or emotive moments since the event in itself is, well, uneventful. Poetry has always been a bit of a mystery to me as the way they're read and written seems more like a story than a "traditional" poem to me. But of course, this is coming from a girl who adores Dr. Seuss.

My editor and I decided that collecting audio would be a good idea so that I could construct an audio slideshow for the web. While the poets read their poetry I tried my best to quietly and calmly snap some shots of people's reactions. I think I snagged some nice moments as moods quickly changed from poem to poem as the poets picked up pace or mellowed out to tell their tales. Enjoy the photos, and as always, click the link below to watch the audio slideshow on the Burlington Free Press website.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/040108poetry/index.html

s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g BEE

2008-04-07T18:19:00.003-04:00

These are the moments that crack me up. We've all seen the documentary "Spellbound" (and if you haven't seen it my god please go see it) so I was hoping, hoping, hoping I'd be able to capture a moment of pure random hilarity when I shot the Vermont State Spelling Bee a couple weeks ago. Enter: Brennan Smith. This little guy had a ton of stage sass and made these faces to his mom in the audience while his competitors spelled. When his turn came he was poised and collected. These kids are serious so it's great to see their childish sides peek out every so often. Thanks Brennan, I owe you one for giving me A1.

to be Irish...

2008-04-06T07:45:00.007-04:00

A bit belated but better than never. I can honestly state that I spent my St. Patrick's Day at the bars all day, and the kicker is: I was on the clock! The Free Press sent me to the Irish bars in Burlington to snap some photos and collect as much semi-drunken audio to capture the aura of our most favorite of Irish holidays: St. Patrick's Day. I had a ton of fun, the editing session afterwards however was a bit difficult. Sorting through tons of audio tracks is a daunting task to begin with but when you add slurred speech and nonsensical stories to the mix - wow. I've spent the last several St. Patrick's Days in the heart of Irish territory - Boston - but I found that Burlington can party just as hard. My favorite moment was running into the Governor's press secretary (picture below) pouring a beer down his shamrock-painted friend's throat. Where else would you find that AND be allowed to photograph it AND publish it. God I love this place.

Click the link below to watch my audio slideshow and enjoy the photos posted here!

www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/031708patrick/index.html

breaking me in

2008-04-03T16:12:00.008-04:00

I really think this blog may become a journal of my adventures and misadventures on the job as I've run into some truly unique and sometimes scary experiences so far at the paper. My first full week on the job I was sent out on a 6 a.m. milking way up in Hardwick, VT which for those of you who don't know Vermont, is 1.5 hours from Burlington (where I live). Rise and shine, Emily! I follow my Mapquest directions and they take me so very close to where I need to be, but also so very far, far away. My little car is traversing a narrow, gullied and winding mountain road with a thick snowpack. It's getting narrower....and narrower and I'm stuck. Here I am wedged into a mountain road at 6 a.m. in the middle of nowhere. Sh*#. The cherry on this sundae was that there was no cell service for miles, my car was running on fumes, and I can't remember the last time I saw a house or a person really.

Do I leave the car and snowshoe through the woods firing my two flash bodies as a flashlight and hope I catch somebody before sun up? Yes. I packed my backpack with food I had stored in the car and a couple bottles of water. I walked through the woods slipping through ice and snow back to a sugar house I had remembered seeing. All the while I'm praying I'm not the doofus that ends up on A1 tomorrow morning - "why did she leave her car?!" Maybe somebody will be there, it is sugaring season. My guess it was at least a mile back. As much as a I wanted to feel like a MacGuyver survivalist, I was freaking out. Never in my life had a felt like such a city slicker...and I grew up here for pete's sake!

I spotted a lit floodlight and went for it. I found someone and thank god they had a snowcat and a full tractor to get me back to my car and pull me out. Turns out Mapquest really messed up this time and had mapped a road that was really a homemade sugaring road and yours truly took the bait. Live and learn.

The good news is I was totally buzzed to take great pictures to make this misadventure worth it - so check them out below and click on the link, too, for the audio slideshow I put together.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/031208meyer/index.html

and......I'm back!

2008-03-31T17:04:00.004-04:00

Three words: busy busy busy. I've been neglecting this space since I've taken my new job at the Burlington Free Press. One of my best friends called me out on it tonight saying I haven't posted in weeks...it's true. I take thousands of photos each week now that I've got this full-time staffer gig, but none of them seem to make my blog. I'll try to catch up and add some of my favorites. For now, here is a fun show I shot down the street at The Monkey House in Winooski. Nick Jaina rolled through town from Portland, Oregon and sang some great bluesy, folksy stuff (thank god I'm not the music writer) so check out the photos but most importantly check out the link I posted to the Free Press website. It's my audio slideshow and it's a big thing we're doing over there. I try to put out one a day depending upon what kind of assignments I'm covering. Enjoy it! More to come!

www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/032108jaina/index.html

lights out

2008-03-09T20:48:00.004-04:00

Last night we were treated with a good ol' fashioned power outage. Our neighbor, Joe, came over with headlamps, candles, beer and Monopoly for a solid candlelit competition. I swept the board with houses and hotels using stealth tactics my Dad taught me back in the day. Sorry Joe and Tom!

mobb hill romp

2008-02-19T16:49:00.006-05:00

We have a common theme going on here: Tom and I playing hooky for fun afternoons spent in the snow. Bad habit? Not when there is over three feet of snow to run through and your neighbors happen to have "the day off" as well. The four of us drove out to Jericho, one of my favorite places lately, to trek through Mobb Hill. The snow was so heavy that it was stuck to the branches of all the trees which made for some added entertainment as you'll see in the photos below. Other than entertaining, the snow made for a perfect, beautiful Vermont day that made my qualms about moving back up here seem to melt away. No pun intended. Ok...intended.

Are all you city folk jealous yet? (My blog is secretly a brag forum for all my Vermont ventures if you haven't picked up on that. The photography is really just a front. So far no takers for a move up to the Green Mountains but if anyone knows me, I'm extremely persistent) :)

Joe pointed out this gorgeous apple tree absolutely draped in snow. That's Tom and Bear trucking along in the deep stuff.

Poor Kenz - Joe and Sarah are busy picking the snowballs off her little poodle fur. She's a tough cookie especially since her breed rarely sees the "real world" outside of kennel shows and grooming parlors. Ha!

Sarah gave this branch the slightest tug...and yes, that's Tom beneath completely frozen.

Yes, Tom is still in there.

Oooooo he looks cold.

Bear plods through our snowshoe tracks while Tom takes a breather on a nearby log. We bushwhacked our way off trail and managed some pretty tough terrain.

Off trail and through the woods looking for the river and waterfall. Never found it.

Tom's beard in 10 years....ok, maybe 30.

Perfect.

snow day!

2008-02-18T15:14:00.003-05:00

Tom and I had a snow day last week when we got dumped with over two feet of snow (and then some!) Bear was suffering from a major case of cabin fever, so the three of us got out and played in the fluffy stuff. Forgot how much I missed these snowy winters...

Tug of war.

My Bear happy as can be.

Playing a little King of the Mountain with Tom.

Close inspection.

ice ice baby

2008-02-18T09:02:00.010-05:00

Well, to coin a phrase from the legendary Vanilla Ice, it was certainly an ice ice baby kind of day. Our friend, Joe, popped over the other afternoon after a really cold, rainy night and suggested we head down to Oakledge Park downtown to grab some shots of the inevitable frozen wonderland. Hmm slipping and sliding over icy rocks with a nice collection of bruises to show afterwards? Absolutely. Here are some of my favorites. The dogs faired better than we did on the ice, but it made for some really fun moments including me splitting yet another pair of pants.

Frozen twigs and moss made for some great color on an otherwise bleak day.

Frozen pine needles kinda look like little E.T. fingers. Phone home?

I thought this looked like the mast n' sails of a ship - maybe not, but made for a cool shot regardless.

Tom having a whimsical moment in the ice. Good job.

Almost looks like the water is running - nope, still frozen.

Lake Champlain's version of a coral reef.

the kiss.

2008-02-14T15:43:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! I'm not one for the sappy gestures that come with this particular holiday. As it is, Tom and I are avoiding the throngs of Valentine's Day goers at local restaurants and are opting for a nice cozy dinner at home over a bottle of wine. But, I make an exception. Below is a clip from one of my most favorite films, Cinema Paradiso. If you haven't seen it, this clip may not make too much sense and it may be a spoiler - but if you have seen the film, isn't it just one of the sweetest movie moments? I love it.

...and for more great multimedia Valentine's fun, please check out Jeff Scher's "Tulips" piece on the New York Times website. I wish they had an embed (come on guys!) but a link will have to do.

Happy Kisses!

cloud nine.

2008-02-13T17:43:00.004-05:00

I've been neglecting my blog for the past several weeks, but with reason. I've been on pins and needles awaiting the final word from The Burlington Free Press and word has come: I'm their new staff photographer! Woohoo! It's still pretty surreal and I can't believe it came when it did. Moving up here in June I was just happy picking up freelance work when I could, but to be able to score a full-time gig? No way, not in the cards. Well, 2008 is bringing some pretty sweet moments and I can't wait to see what else it has in store for me. To celebrate I'll post my latest multimedia project about a really cool dude and his stone work. This was a pretty mundane, run-of-the-mill assignment but the people were really fun, the lighting was great and I picked up some neat audio. Let's hope the format jazzed it up a bit...enjoy!

SnoCross 2008!

2008-01-28T07:18:00.001-05:00

This weekend I snagged a pretty cool assignment from the Burlington Free Press. The Expo was host to this year's SnoX Challenge where hundreds of snowmobilers gather to race and jump around a course. I've been snowmobiling twice in my life and it was awesome - a bit scary - but awesome. We would tear across Rangeley Lake in Maine sometimes pushing 60mph since it was a straight shot, but these guys are tearing across rhythm courses, jumps and turns all while racing other riders. A couple guys dumped their sleds and there were some close calls, but man was it exciting.

When I showed up I knew I needed a press pass and orange vest to wear at the track so that the riders could see me. What I didn't know is that the vest was, yes, orange so the riders could see me but really it was intended for if and when I get run over. Great. I wish I had a picture of me in the tek-vest, it was quite the experience. Enjoy!

snowshoesnowshoesnowshoe

2008-01-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

We have had the most amazing and incredible snowfall in Vermont so far. December proved to be the perfect month for the fluffy white stuff - so of course - Tom and I had to go play with our new snowshoes! We've been dying to get out and stomp around with Bear after the pitiful winters we had in Boston the past few years. On New Year's Day while everyone else in the world is nursing a hangover, Tom and I headed up to Niquette's Bay for a crisp morning in the woods. We linked up with a few other snow shoers along the way, Bear made a new girlfriend and we started off the New Year perfectly!

There's my handsome Tommy.

Tom, Jason, Sharon, and Eric on our latest excursion to the Indian River Reservoir.

Boscoe - the huge, 85 lb chocolate lab, has a jump like no other. We discovered it after hanging around the cliff jump at Niquette's Bay this summer.

Boscoe almost knocks Jason out of the way!

Tom taking a breather and soakin' it in.

A cute little snowman greeted us at Indian River Reservoir - grass skirt included.

My Bear racing along the footbridge at Niquette's.

What a gorgeous morning - I love it when the snow sticks to the trees - everything is so quiet.

delayed, belated xmas

2008-01-12T10:40:00.001-05:00

After putting it off for so long, I've finally sat down and gone through all those Christmas photos for edit. I celebrated big time this year with four Christmas get-togethers - whew! - and I think it honestly took me until now to fully recover from all the roasts, pies, cakes, egg nog, wine and the really difficult part - the presents. Here's a few from my Jericho celebration at my Dad's - one down, three to go.

I don't think I could've said it better myself. Will has the ultimate look of candy and present-induced exhaustion as he lays upon the pile of wrapping paper and toys strewn about the living room. I feel ya buddy.

My new protege! Turns out Charlie is quite the little photographer and snapped a few incredible shots at the Christmas party. Wendy, Will and Jonathan enjoy his slideshow.

Dylan demonstrates the pooping chicken toy - ha!

Kids being kids.

Will discovering the wonders of chocolate. Mmmm.

first night burlington

2008-01-07T13:16:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of covering the New Year's celebration in downtown Burlington for the Free Press: First Night. A 25-year tradition, First Night rings in the new year with music, dance, art and song with a variety of performances and showcases highlighting all the creative goodness Burlington has to offer. I lucked out with a not-so-nippy night and even ran into a few old friends and also some new ones including fellow photog and Free Press freelancer Daria Bishop. Here's a selection of some of my favorite photos and moments I captured before I tipped my pint to 2008!

This was awesome. The Dragons and Drums Parade was zooming down Church Street and I hopped into the winding dragon for some sweet shots. This kid was gracious enough to let me flash my camera numerous times until I was happy with what I got. This was a sort of "Hail Mary" approach as I was running backwards and sideways during the entire shot.

Out of the fray I snapped this shot of a group of kids waiting to wind their way through Burlington in the Dragon parade.

I captured this moment of a girl simply radiating at the bar talking with someone I can only assume she was really happy to be with.

My first shot. I knew tonight was going to be great as soon as I walked by Muddy Waters and saw this little guy waving to me. After playing some games through the glass I of course couldn't leave without snapping a few frames. You can see his proud parents watching this cute moment in the background - this little guys 15 minutes came much sooner than most!

The lighting of the snow torch-chili pepper-thing. No idea but I'm always a fan of anything creative....lighting snow on fire? Check.

Church Street was lined with cut-outs of famous paintings that people could poke their heads through. Captured some funny moments but I just loved this girl peering through with her huge ski gloves on.

Keep tuning in!

adventures in brooklyn

2008-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Ok ok, here are more of the Holga prints from my trip to Brooklyn over my birthday weekend. See my post below for my first and favorite shot on my new plastic-body, low-tech Holga 120 camera. I should really post a picture of the actual camera since it's so cool looking - the whole weekend people were asking why I was taking pictures with a G.I. Joe camera - HA! It was really strange and foreign to me to just forget about ISO settings, apertures and shutter settings and simply focus on framing. Framing a square format was a bit different, too. And of course, the biggie, not being able to see the image immediately after I shot it really brought me back to the good ol' darkroom 35mm days. As much as I love the convenience, cost and speed of digital I do miss the hours spent losing myself in the darkroom.

I love these scene. We found such good vintage nostalgia here and I'm not sure what it was doing there.

Here we are approaching DUMBO in Brooklyn.

Dani and Hilary walking down a perfectly graffitied street. I'm not one to support graffiti but it definitely has its place and can lend to a more interesting shot - photowise.

Hilary.

Channyn's double exposure. You can barely make out the faint exposure of her on the left.

Dylan and Channyn.

Dani and Bill Clinton at brunch in Brooklyn.

big snow!

2007-12-31T14:18:00.001-05:00

woohoo! We have had the most amazing early snow this year in Vermont. I've been begging for a solid snowfall for the past two winters and I've finally gotten three big storms leaving no less than one foot - amazing. Just last night as I was nodding off I said "I hope I wake up to a foot of snow tomorrow morning!" and sure enough, like a kid on xmas morning, I peeked through the blinds and found this (see below). Having a few hours to kill before tonight's New Year's coverage for the Free Press I decided to try out my new snowshoes and take Bear for a walk at Shelburne Farms. I've always loved this spot and I think it may be Bear's new favorite as we stomped around in the deep stuff for an hour or so.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, this is what greeted me when I came home from snowshoeing! HA! My awesome neighbors George, Steph and Joe built this big guy in my parking spot. And after laughing about this little prank, Joe and Sarah had some tasty french toast hot off the griddle for me. I love my neighbors - you guys are the best.

Here's my brother Todd and Bear in one of my favorite spots at Shelburne Farms.

Some frozen berries still dangle from this tree at Shelburne Farms. Yes, that's Todd and Bear off in the distance.

Tom and I took Bear along the Winooski River on Sunday and came along these stumps - looks like the beavers beat us to it!

Here's Bear at Shelburne Farms again running along the great arbor trail.

My two babes.

He got a real kick out of this trail.

my new toy.

2007-12-30T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's been far too long since I've posted and the holidays really took their toll on my blog, but I've finally picked up the prints from my new Holga! I was in NYC a couple weekends ago celebrating my birthday and I treated myself to a new, little camera treat: the Holga. For those of you who don't know what a Holga is, it's an extremely basic little camera with minimal aperture settings and you never quite know what you're going to get with it. The picture below is by far my favorite of the three rolls I shot while walking the streets of Brooklyn. I'd love to say I know exactly what I did to create this funky image, but that's the beauty of the Holga - you relinquish all control and really just focus on the composition.

Here's my shot from DUMBO in Brooklyn. Enjoy!

too long. too old. HA!

2007-12-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

It's been too long since I've posted something for you. I do have an excuse! I've been in NYC celebrating my 24th with my "old college buddies" who are scattered around Brooklyn, the Village and the lower East side. I had an amazing time catching up with everyone and walking around the streets with my newest addition to the camera crew....my Holga. It was my cheapy present to myself that arrived right before I left for the airport and I am so anxious to see how the shots came out. I've been shooting strictly digital for a number of years now and must admit I'm VERY accustomed to an immediate result. How did I ever manage to take pictures before? Faith, I guess. My new, little camera was a hit at the birthday parties as it looks like something from a G.I. Joe episode. I'll include a picture later.

For now I'll leave you with a cool piece that I think fits perfectly with the "getting older" birthday theme I've got going on here...and to top it off with tying it into this past weekend, I found it on the New York Times. Enjoy!

Living My Life Faster - 8 years of JK's Daily Photo Project from c71123 on Vimeo.