"I'm fire and he's ice" Carmen said when describing the balancing energy she and Norman share. I don't know if they could be more perfect for one another. Their affection, silly and loving, kept me smiling throughout the shoot. Lars Anderson Park in Brookline, MA is also this whimsical place with beautiful landscapes, rolling green hills and mysterious ruins. I cannot wait to see these two marry later this year.
The Peace Institute's 20th annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace took place a Sunday, May 8th. The seven mile walk which started with partly sunny skies in Fields Corner ended with dreary skies in a triumphant rally at City Hall Plaza. The event drew in an estimated 15,000 people. It was a true spectacle of community: bringing together people across ages, races, gender and identity. Please consider donating to this incredible organization. They will be accepting donations here through Fathers Day, Sunday, June 19th.
For photos from the parade, please visit the pixieset gallery here! All photo purchases will be fully donated to the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
Baseball is about as interesting to me as a watching those Mr. Rogers puppet sketches. Sure its wholesome and sweet, but my god I'm bored!!! ;) With that being said, lurking outside a ball park before the first game of the season is kind of thrilling. The smells of street meat, the random high fives from complete strangers and the first signs of spring bring all the feelings to this Boston girl. Today's opener was one for the books. With temperatures in the low 60's it was the perfect day to stroll around and catch a few shots.
I had the pleasure of shooting Boston's second bi-annual Our Family Dinner. "Founded in New York in 2008, the community based family dinner tradition hosts young adults over family inspired citywide and neighborhood-based dinners to build community in over thirty major cities around the world." I loved finding moments of connection throughout the evening. An unexpected laugh, an intense conversation, an exchanging of contact info, etc. The light at the venue, overlooking the Boston Harbor, was also diffused and overcast, adding a soft element to the room. It was a lovely display of community that I hope to be a small part of in the future.
Lusterity is an amazing local company headed by two wonderfully conscientious and innovative women, Marie Zemler Wu and Sierra Rothberg. Lusterity is small community oriented business that serves as a one stop brand for socially conscious celebrations. Marie and Sierra have been incredibly supportive of my career ambitions, and kindly invited me to be a part of their flagship "Make it Matter" event, an all day holiday festival hosting Lusterity's diverse network of small businesses, including children musicians, jewelers, florists and bakers! With the holidays fast approaching, I served as an on site photographer and shot mini portrait sessions for families.
The day itself was a blast, but had several challenges that i would need to quickly adapt to and learn from. The first, and most obvious, was that it was pretty nippy. Located at the Boston Winery in the Port Norfolk neighborhood of Dorchester, the trail along the water served as a wonderful path for our shoot. It had everything I love to shoot against: Beautiful leading lines, wonderful shapes in the distance, the Boston skyline, a Gazebo!! It was perfect. But it was also cold.
Our first clients had most chill one month old on the planet. Seriously, the baby was just cool! However with the blustering winds of the morning, a 45 minute session along the water wasn't going to work. Luckily, across the way from the Lusterity event at The Boston Winery is another local gem, Venezia. Venezia is one of Dorchester's long standing institutions. A beautiful space that offers everything from fine dining to breath taking weddings and events. Their General Manager, Brenda Bruno, very kindly allowed us to shoot our session inside the lobby of the restaurant, saving us the a need to reschedule.
An important lesson I took from this event, is that it will not always be this easy. I lucked up big time with Brenda's kindness and willingness to help. However, planning around small children and weather patterns is as essential to photography as knowing what shutter speed and f/stop to be at. Also essential, is knowing how and when to take control, and when to have fun. Families are expecting the photographer to take the lead on directions: poses, when to smile, how to position their hands, their bodies, etc. Unless you are working with trained actors, the absence of cues can lead to very stiff looking photos. When working with kids, I'm learning the importance of figuring out early what makes them laugh. As I am not a professional comic, parents a great starting point for these kinds of insights. However, with most four year-olds, I have learned that nothing is quite as funny as the phrase "poopy diapers." Seriously, it doesn't get old!
Another important lesson: get an assistant. They do not have to be a trained photographer either. But someone who can pay close attention to you and both give and take direction well. On this day, I was lucky enough to be assisted by the best sister on the planet. Because she knows me well, and because I trust her, the feedback she was able to provide about my communication, my pacing and my strengths was invaluable. As the day went on, I gained more confidence and comfort in what I was doing and eased into my style.
Lusterity's Make it Matter Event was a huge milestone not just for this year, but on my journey of finding my creative voice and passion. If you have an event coming up, please check out their website and services. Marie and Sierra are gems.
If Boston's City Hall does not host this event every year, it would be a tragedy. Seriously! It brought the most diverse outpouring of love and fun that I have ever witnessed in this city. Every creed of human beauty and love showed up! I am head over heels for this event. The day, which up until the the late afternoon was threatened by a potential storm was instead showered by the beautiful golden hour light of mid June. It was truly special.
The first Sunday in June is a favorite of mine, as Dorchester Ave turns into Main Street USA. Except instead of Mickey, Minnie and a sad yet diverse cast of underpaid Disneyland actors, local businesses, schools and societies spend four hours walking three miles in the annual Dorchester Day Parade. Yet, despite (or perhaps in spite of) my sarcasm, it’s actually a ton of fun! It’s like the St. Patty’s Day parade in Southie, but because it’s practically summer, the need to drown out the sad mud filled dreariness of mid-March with Fireballs and Jameson, is replaced with the excitement of jacketless weather and an endless swarm of bubbles!
But let’s back it up! About a year ago, I was heading to work on the Red Line when I noticed the gentleman sitting next to me sketching on a notepad. I noticed, because he happened to be making signs for the Mather School’s float in the upcoming Dorchester Day Parade. The Mather School, located in historic Dorchester, is the oldest free public elementary school in the country. Last year, they happened to be celebrating its 375th birthday. Around what would have been its 755th Birthday, I, along with my twin sister, was a student there.
Needless to say, I was instantly charmed by his drawings, which led us to striking up a conversation. The gentleman, whose name I would soon learned is Stu, is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. And not just randomly on the T. Ever! A parent of a Mather Student, Stu and I discussed the need for volunteer photographers for the parade. While I did not soot last year's DOT Day parade, Stu was kind enough to invite me along this year. It was such a blast to be with the students, teachers and parents that day! Check out Stu's float art as well!