silly boys.

I continued my Thanksgiving celebration at my dad's place in Jericho on Sunday night...by this point my need for sweatpants was most certainly an understatement. My Dad, Wendy, Kate, Dylan, Charlie, Todd, Tom and the neighbors Adrienne and Martin, got together and celebrated with plenty of ham, scalloped potatoes, wine and a delicious chocolate Grand Marnier whipped cream concoction. Whew!

Here's a shot of Kate and the boys being silly for their annual Christmas card. They're too cute!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING (a week later...)

I took the week off from my blog and enjoyed my Thanksgiving weekend in the only way Thanksgiving should be enjoyed: complete and total laziness. I celebrated this year's turkey day over at my mom's place with Dick, Todd, Tom and my Nana. It was a nice, laid back afternoon for the six of us but with a very busy and full kitchen! My mom prepared another fantastic spread with all the proper fixings including three pies for dessert - wow! Thanks mom for another great year and for putting up with all my craziness. :)



Everyone is in a bit of shock and awe of this amazing bird. Don't everybody move at once!



Tom and I did our best to keep Bear occupied with treats and toys but I don't blame him for readily checking the oven for that turkey!



All hands on deck!



Dick breaks out some master slicing moves.



My nana sits down to the wonderfully decorated spread.



Pants unbuttoned, shoes off, feet up...tryptophan in effect? Check.



Even Milo felt the sweet laziness of Thanksgiving Day...but then again, what's new?



Bear as alert as ever...will he ever sleep?!?!



This past weekend we decided to take the dogs and ourselves for a much needed walk at the Intervale...I'm guessing we burned off one ladle of gravy.

what's great

Nice catch.

I stumbled across this posting by Chip Litherland on sportshooter.com and it left me with that warm, fuzzy feeling. Okay, not really, but it completely solidified my reasoning for becoming a photojournalist. Here are some of my favorites:

13. Getting to a really cool assignment and realizing you are the only one there to witness it.

14. Everyone has a story and they always want to tell it. All I have to do is ask.

22. Listening to my iPod in my car with the windows rolled down, just cruising for moments and sweet light.

23. Lying awake at night thinking of new story ideas and waking up the next morning and forgetting them.

27. Being the first of my friends to get sunburned...because my job made me go outside on such a great day.

28. Giving back.

32. Avoiding a foul ball.

34. A bad day making pictures is still better then a good day swinging a hammer.

40. Every time you tell someone what you do, they NEVER say "Oh, man, that must suck."

54. Never waking up to the same two assignments, shooting the same damn thing, or meeting the same damn people.

93. Walking out to the driveway at 7am to see your photo on A1.

And the best of all of them, and the very thing that continues to surprise me, amaze me and interest me....

51. Having an excuse to approach a complete stranger and find out who they are.

It's unreal what total strangers will tell you about themselves if you just take a second to care and to wonder. I've met some really amazing people in my life so far and witnessed some pretty incredible moments. I just can't wait to see what's down this road I'm on.

first snow melting

Tom and I headed down to Brookfield for the day on Sunday to let Bear run off some energy and let us enjoy a nice, cozy visit with Sara and Sam with a fire crackling in the fireplace, a dusting outside, and some delicious pork tenderloin for dinner! I decided to take a walk with the dogs before the sun set (which is way too early these days!) and I caught some really great light out by an old barn in the field across the road. I was content snapping away while the dogs kept themselves busy chasing imaginary animals.









I have to give photo credit to Tom for this one! What a sweet moment!

Is it Turkey Day yet?!?!

fee fi fo fum conundrum

As I write out a single-use fee contract, I find myself scratching my head...what to charge? It's this question that plagues the freelance photographer. I want work and I want to ensure that work keeps coming in, but at a fair price. I've taken crappy deals and worked my butt off on assignments that weren't helping my finances, but I'm a young, new photographer in the field and I want to get my name out there. I'm eager and I know everyone has to "pay their dues" and start somewhere...but where do I draw the line?

People these days carry the notion that digital photography is cheap, images can be reproduced with the tap of the mouse. Well, yes, they can, but it's certainly at a cost. Set aside the fact that professional digital gear is priced at a premium and that you can never quite keep up with the changes in technology (there's always something bigger and better on my wishlist). The fact that digital cameras are everywhere, and I mean everywhere, people get the notion that anybody can be a photographer. I certainly welcome them to snap away and see what they get, but not at the expense of the photo market. Photojournalists work and train hard to get to where we are. It means constantly honing my skillset and methods through everyday work, lectures, seminars and classes. Everyday is different, every shot is different. Just when you've gotten comfortable, you've failed.

Photo-giant John Harrington provides a great deal of perspective in his columns through NPPA and through his blog. What he says here is just what I needed to hear.

Respect, and especially self-respect, is not for sale to the lowest bidder, just ask the starlet hoping to make it big as an actress who starts out in adult flicks. For some reason, that just never works out for her. Ask the late night "if you've got a phone, you've got a lawyer" guy. Respect is earned, and not through nickel-and-dime "sales", but rather valuing your own work. Interestingly enough, it seems that the higher you price your time and licensing fees, the greater respect you get. Sure, you might have fewer assignments, but you'll have earned so much more respect for the work that you do do.

a beautiful combination

Mediastorm keeps bringing us innovative and striking multimedia presentations from photographers around the globe. I check in every so often to see who and what is popping up next in this small, yet vast community of photojournalists. I was completely blown away by this presentation. Not only was I excited to see a piece set to the beats of RJD2's "1976" but it's incredibly well executed and shows just how versatile photography can be. Left Channel and Lisa Fjeld created an amazing display of flash forward journalism. Being a photojournalist and completely in love with the editorial realm, it's really exciting seeing the possibilities that tomorrow brings, because well, our grey ladies are struggling these days and I'm never quite sure what's 'round the bend.

Mediastorm says it best:

1976 journeys through the ghettos, farmlands and lifestyles of Cuba as scenes build and unfold blurring the distinction between the propaganda and the everyday reality of struggling to survive.

The concept of the video was to capture the flair of the Latin influence in the song "1976" by RJD2.

the millennials

I didn't realize that my generation is being called the "Millennials." I don't think I like that tag but I'll go with it. I was watching 60 Minutes last night and they tend to have really interesting material from time to time, but few stories are relative to me or people my age; however, last night's story: "The Millennials Are Coming!" was dead on. At least for me, being a young twenty-something means I'm going through a real adjustment period. I'm striking out on my own, with the sparkle of a career start in my eye, but then at the same time I'm constantly questioning my every move. "Is this where I need to be right now?" Well, 60 Minutes, you hit the nail on the head, sort of.

The story talks about how the Millennial generation is used to constant praise and attention, quick, fast solutions and new technology with endless gadgets to get us going. Yeah, so far so good. But then it goes to say that we are a generation of coddled youth with too many trophies and too many "Good Job, kiddos!" and I'm left wondering: really?

I certainly agree that my childhood is one to be cherished and I reflect back on it often...maybe a little too often. (But seriously, how awesome is everything when you are a kid?) My parents were incredibly supportive in everything I did and still are, but they instilled a sense of responsibility and value in me. I credit a lot of my accomplishments and perseverance to simply wanting to be better or do better for myself...to keep plugging away and see how far I can really get in life. I see what 60 Minutes is saying in that we seek attention and praise from our professors or employers now that we aren't under our parents' roof, but is that so wrong? I like a little pat on the back because it let's me know I'm on the right track and that my hard work and dedication is noticed. Everyone has to work for something and I would hope that employers would appreciate somebody that works for more than their paycheck each week...for something that they are proud of.

60 Minutes: The Millennials Are Coming!

the tale of the flying bicycle

I pass by this bicycle every time I walk through the Intervale, but only today did I decide to take a picture of it. I'm not sure if this is some sort of scarecrow watching over the berry bushes or maybe it's some form of art installation I know nothing about. There are a lot of things in Burlington that make me scratch my head, but I figure they are all just some form of art installation that are on an entirely different level, a different plane than my brain. Either way, I think it's cool just the way it is sitting perched up there all day. Now how awesome would it be to get a picture of the bike with me perched on top of it. All in good time.



The Flying Bicycle



Bear has an undying love for tall grass. He races through the reeds at top speed and really just looks like some sort of crazy pack animal from the jungle. Bear is smiling.



I scooped up this little guy off of the bike trail - watch out!



Stoic little frog.



Bear, being a bit overexcited, jumped into the Winooski River. I think he is now realizing how damn cold it is.



Not sure. Fun little flowers and seeds.



Old school. Let's try this in black and white.

sailor's delight

I came across this amazing sunset on my way home from a shoot last night. I wish I could've hopped up on someone's roof to better clear the power lines, but with light like this, I really can't complain. Honestly, I haven't seen a sky like this since my trip to Africa. The silhouette of the trees completely reminds me of the large, canopy like trees that dot the panoramics of South Africa. Just wish it lasted a bit longer...

photoplay

My friend Lizzie, also a blogger, asked for some photos to post on her blog after she threw a party at her downtown apartment. I'm pretty good about getting stuff done, but this one took a bit longer. I've posted some of the photos previously on my blog, but here are a few more that I was playing around with. Fun night fun photos.



Jenny is so amazingly photogenic, but it's the moment I love here. Tanner stole the shot.



Father and daughter moment (with Lizzie's artwork showcased in the background...which I'm still trying to steal from her)



Jenny's boots were all the rave at the party - keepin' it sassy.

awwwww.

I had to include this one. How sweet is this kid? This is another shot from a Free Press assignment - this time I was covering the Halloween Festival and Parade down Church St. and looks like this little one couldn't keep up with the festivities. I wish I could nap like that.

Diwali

The Burlington Free Press sends me out on quite a variety of photo assignments (sports, human interest, portraits, news) which is what I love about what I do. I get to peek into someone else's life for a few hours and sample a bit of culture I didn't already know.

My latest assignment was to go to the UVM Davis Center for the Indian Diwali celebration. Now, I've never heard of this, but it was a really cool event. The Indian population at UVM and within Burlington gathered last Saturday to celebrate the Festival of Lights and it was gorgeous. Everyone was dressed in beautiful saris, dancing to the music and eating what I can only imagine was incredibly delicious food. Some of the performances were new to me also. This one guy made me blush a bit as his dance performance was certainly more provocative than most what with his gyrating hips and limber moves - whoa! You don't see that too often here in the US....unless Britney Spears is on stage. Oooo, celebrity jab.

So, enjoy the photos as I thought they were a neat little peek into a culture that is just entirely more colorful and vivid than our own. Oh, and if you want to check out the rest of the spread go to the Free Press website.



A group of UVM graduate students dance, dance, dance to some of the live music performances.



I loved this shot. This guy kicked off these awesome shoes so he could dance and feel the music through his feet. Love it!



Of course, the cute kid. I just love the dresses these two are wearing. Notice the contrast between these women and the dude seated on the right with the Red Sox hat. Oh Americans, we lack this awesome color! If everyone started dressing like this, it would make my job so much easier! Come on! haha.

the weens.

Happy Halloween! This year had quite the build-up what with haunted forests, Halloween-themed assignments for the Free Press, carving on the weekends and plenty of harvest festivals, but it ended perfectly with a great neighborhood Halloween party.

Tom and I lucked out with our living arrangement. We're surrounded on all sides by fellow young, 20-something couples and finally on Halloween night we all got a chance to share some drinks and officially hang-out (not that chatting over the fence isn't great too!)

Joe and Sarah played host to the neighborhood while Tom and I got together some food and drinks. As you can see from the pictures, it took so much time getting everything together after work that nobody really got dressed up - thanks Steph and George for putting on costumes! I, of course, dressed up. This year I was a scary T driver from Boston's subway...but I was stuck behind the camera so unfortunately forgot to snap a few shots of my beautiful ghouly make-up application.

Enjoy the photos and thanks to Kendra, Patrick, Mike, Steph, George, Andy, Jamie, Chris (I'm so bad I've forgotten your girlfriend's name but she's incredibly nice!) and Joe and Sarah for coming! Happy Halloween!



Tom is buried in his bowl of fantastic potato, cheddar and bacon soup mmmm while Andy apparently said something funny to Steph.



The spread.



Ended up being a not-so-chilly evening for us to sip hot toddies and mulled brandy cider on the front porch!



Joe's incredible Headless Horseman.



I carved this 2 weeks ago but it completely rotted, so I flipped it around and carved a new face in the rot in about 8 seconds. This was the result. Lovely.

Up next....mmmm not sure yet. Get back to me.