10/19/11 One thing leads to another...

Meet Matthew Alexander.. the pride & joy of his parents Margaret & Robin.

If you had told me 6 months ago I would be photographing a newborn, I would have said you have a better chance of winning lotto.

I don’t shoot people.. strange how I got to this point.

 

In 2010 three fellow photographers and I were shooting sunrises for a company in the UK. Although the venture is no more, we became a team & our bond and friendship continue to grow. We took a trip together in April to Photoshop World in Orlando.

 

I opened my hotel room door and there he was. “Oh, my God.. you’re Jay Maisel!”… he looked, and said “How the hell would you know?”  to which the New Yorker in me quickly replied, “more importantly why the hell would I care, right?”.. he chuckled and conversation ensued.  He asked what I shoot , and I, still suffering from my self inflicted foot in mouth disease,  replied to the world renowned street photographer.. “anything but people”.   Insert awkward pause here…   

 He looked at me with a pensive stare and said “Why the hell not? What are you so afraid of?” It’s one of those comments I have heard before but much like something 

your mom says, you hear it, but don’t pay much attention..but this is JAY MAISEL.. and for the past 6 months the question has haunted me.....

When Gene co-sponsored a concert at the College of William & Mary to get my company name out there, I was apprehensive. The concert featured The Deloreans who I had wanted to shoot for a while, so I went. Partly out of curiosity, partly out of obligation..

 When I arrived I found that I knew the sound crew and Rob quickly pulled me up on stage for some better shots.  I sent a link to the band manager Melanie and she liked the shots and invited me up on stage whenever they perform..nice…This is a photo of Robin who plays the conga drums in the band.

Shooting the Deloreans was so much fun I went to another show to shoot some more.  A very pregnant woman at the mall approached me and asked if I did maternity shoots..I quickly said no.. perhaps I can suggest some people for you and didn’t give it much thought after that.  

Two weeks ago I was shooting the wedding of Melanie & Tommy of The Deloreans, and low and behold as I was shooting guests, there was the same, very pregnant woman dancing with Robin from the band.. and  finally I put two and two together..

We were introduced & made some small talk .. Margaret is one of those bubbly people, always happy, smiling and very photogenic so I fired off a few shots when she looked my way.  She innocently asked what it would take to get me to come take some photos of her newborn in a few weeks when he arrived. 

“Absolutely, I’d love to.. “  wait…what, what, what the hell just happened? How’d she do that? My mouth has once again got me into trouble..

So this morning I went, with my Google list of baby photo ideas to shoot “people”... Things don't alwaysgo as planned and the grandmother in me quickly sidelined the photographer, as I found myself wrapped up in the wonder of this perfect little bundle watching his first hours, his tiny little feet and hands, the instinctive grip on moms finger …. 

So, while I didn’t get the shots I had “in my head” I did capture a few of this little angel and feel privleged to have been able to share some of this precious time with Margaret, Robin & their son. 

There must be “something in the water” that the Delorean band members drink, because they all seem to have the ability to make me step outside my comfort zone.. seems Matthew the newest addition, is blessed with that same talent, as I plan to photograph him again in a few weeks, this time armed with new ideas & baby props!  If you have baby photo ideas, I am all ears, send them my way!  

Strange how one thing leads to another and how the road I thought I was going to take with landscape / bird photography has been changed by the people I have met.  Jay may be onto something with this people photography… the people I have met so far have been wonderful & fascinating. I Still don’t want to pose people, or mess with lighting equipment, I prefer candids.. but hey.. so does Jay. 

So for now I am tossing out my photography road map and yielding to whatever falls in my lap, because it seems to be working.. and is so much fun.

Congrats Robin & Margaret on your newest addition, see you in a few weeks for round two...

The Joy of Digital...

In '06 I bought a Canon Digital Rebel.. I had no idea how that would change my life but it did. I bought the camera to capture photos of my daughter horseback riding, (show days are very long..)

After a few months I had thousands of photos... now what?  I found a digital scrapbooking site.. interesting.. traditional scrapbooking without the mess, fuss or expense.  Photo albums that tell stories... perfect! 














Over a couple of years I "met" and became friends with some women and men across the country.  We got to know each other reasonably well, what with looking at each others family photos and stories on a daily basis.  Friendships were formed, emails exchanged, phone calls made.. all with promises that one day we would "meet in real life"..... 

Then I joined a local photo club, the Hampton Roads Digital Photography Club.

 

Shortly after a women named Lauren joined, gee she looks familiar...turns out we had been talking on the site for over a year. We see each other about twice a month now & stay caught up.

Somewhere on the DSP site someone posted something about photography workshops... I like to travel. I like to learn, I like to take pictures... could be fun. My first workshop was with Bryan Peterson, author of Understanding Exposure. 































I excitedly told my friends Carolyn and Carolyn from Canada & RI about it.  They liked the idea too. Carolyn (from RI) and I quickly signed up for a workshop, roomed together and off to conquer Acadia Maine we went. A life long friendship was born, we so "get each other".. we were made to be friends.. 

We still needed to get together with Carolyn from Canada though...

so the following May, off to Cape Cod we went to another workshop or photography summer camp as we call them... We gave Bryan a run for his money.. he would just look at us and shake his head and keep on teaching..(when he wasn't laughing..) two days into the trip I discovered that John was yet another person I knew from the scrapping site..

Carolyn (from Canada) and I email back and forth frequently and I became acquainted with her sister Lucille thru the wonders of the internet and we too would email back and forth about camera equipment and travels etc.  
















Tonight as Carolyn & Lucille travel on a extended cross country car journey with their husbands visiting the finest the US has to offer, they stopped in Williamsburg.  We had a 3 /12 hour dinner together this evening, I finally met Lucille, and caught up with Carolyn.  I didn't realize how much I missed her until I saw her.. it was a good five minutes before anyone could get thru the doors at Outback as we hugged and cried..

Funny how a little black box I bought to capture moments has changed my life.  I have friends all across the country that I travel with frequently, formed lifelong friendships with folks at my camera club, workshops and newspaper site, and my life is so much richer for it.  I am grateful. Grateful to Gene for his patience with my "hobby", always keeping me in the latest Canon gear and letting his "carry on" be my other camera bag, and for the digital age in general.  


So go ahead.. snap away, enjoy! You never know where it will lead... for me.. I have a guest room with my name on it in Canada I intend to use soon!

10/16 Slapwater's 40th Anniversary

I opened the Sunday paper this morning and there on the cover of the Good Life section in the Daily Press were my photos... that's a moment for me..

Last December my friend Wayne Berry asked me if I wanted to shoot a band.. He knows I don't "shoot people" but thought it would be fun, so we went to shoot Crazy X at The Banque, it was challenging and fun. After shooting his band, Southern Exposure a few times I was hooked! 






Around May I got band fever & started going around shooting local bands.. my first was Slapwater.

 



 




















Had I known at the time that they were local legends, with a 40 year history in the area I may have felt too intimidated to approach them and ask them to shoot, but I approached the bassist Shelton Parson and he quickly put me at ease. 

   

I took some shots, showed Dody (the manager/drummer)  asked if I could shoot some more, and a quick friendship was born. 

 

Not just one friendship, but many... They have a very large following, and I quickly discovered the fans are also part of the "Slapwater family" and how important they are to the band. I have friends that go shoot the band with me now (Steven & Don), fans that have joined the photo club I belong to (Amanda & George), and have made many other connections along the way. 

 

Their sound crew Abigail's Attic Sound Company has also pulled me into the fold and I now shoot with Ric, Rob, Fernando and Kernan on a pretty regular basis as well.  Fernando even got me to shoot my first wedding...

If you have not heard them perform you really need to put that on your to-do list.  They are a 10 man band with a full brass section and energy thru the roof! The show is ALWAYS entertaining and is over way too quickly with a mix from the 70's thru today of toe tapping, foot stomping, sing along tunes from soul to disco to jazz...

Kelly Jones is an amazing singer- Maurice White to Barry White in 30 seconds.. the crowd goes crazy every time he hits those high notes.

So as I sit, looking at my photo of Bubba in his red suit performing at Tribeca.. I am so grateful to each and every member of the Slapwater family.

 

    Thank you Slapwater for the unrestricted access to you at your shows, my first billboard, the Daily Press coverage, promoting me on your website, the music, laughter, good times and allowing me to shoot your 40th anniversary celebration... its going to be EPIC, as my friend Will would say.. the list goes on and on.
I owe a debt of gratitude to each and every member so here goes:  To: Dody and Shelton for all your encouragement, friendship and promoting me. 
To: Dave, Alex, and Steve for always hamming it up for the camera, wrapping your cords and being so welcoming to me.  To: Carl & Bubba for always "dressing for the camera" and the great photo ops.
To: Kelly.. I know you don't like the attention, but you deserve it.. I could listen to you sing for days.. thanks for letting me capture you "in the moment"  To: John & Brad- for always giving us the unexpected moments its obvious that you really love what you are doing.

 

There is something about Slapwater... aside from the music, a feeling that I cant describe. Seeing one of their shows is more of an experience, a family reunion of sorts, with warm friendly people that you instantly feel you have known for ages, everyone is smiling, laughing, singing and dancing and leaving the stress of everyday life behind for a while.


Carl- I am sure all the Slapwater fans echo my sentiments that we are grateful you continued making music and we know Kenny is proudly watching with love, and a gleam in his eye.












I love these guys and here's to wishing them another 40 years of health, harmony and happiness!

Check them out at a local event or book them for one of your own!  Slapwater website

10/9 - Expect the unexpected

It happens to all photographers.. you don't shoot weddings, but at some point you have to make an exception. 

Melanie & Tommy Hageman are my exception. 

I shoot bands.. Mel & Tommy are part of a very popular local 80's band, The Deloreans. Melanie asked me to shoot their wedding at First Landing State Park. I said no way, .. here are some people I recommend.
Brides seem to have a way of getting what they want, so I happily obliged as "second shooter" only. Melanie is just one of those people that you can't help but like, from the moment you meet her, a fun, charismatic little powerhouse..
 
Second shooter.. no pressure, no posing, just the fun shots.. I can handle that... or so I thought..
 
The primary photographer was also running sound & lights...how could he be in two places at one time?  So much for no pressure. I don't normally use flash and didn't bring lighting equipment, after all I am second shooter...but now felt obligated to  "try a little harder".. the New Yorker in me kicked in pretty quickly and I found myself directing and orchestrating shots.. not my comfort zone at all.

 
While my results are not "classic wedding photography" shots, I did manage to capture some "moments" that represent who Mel & Tommy are.. their personalities, the love and the fun. Did I mention the bride wore a bass guitar? 

I relieved the pressure on myself by reminding myself that some pictures were better than no pictures, and that they would be more interested in reliving the moments and less worried about the technicalities of the shots. I also noted two other guests toting the big cameras with lenses and flashes and knew they would share photos with the couple as well. Mel & Tommy are very easy going as well so I felt no pressure from them but didn't want to disappoint them either.

I learned a lot from shooting this wedding and going outside of my comfort zone (which seems to be my theme lately). First, while I did find it to be a lot of fun and a great crowd of people, I don't ever want to do it again. Weddings are a once in a life time event, too much pressure for me... it's too important you cant recreate that magic, and it's wicked stressful worrying about what you may miss or forget. There are too many variables, things that can go wrong, a lot of running trying to keep up and be in three places at once, too much photo processing and too many other photographers getting in the way of your shots.. Photographers.. you would think they would know better, but much like me, I think when you get in "your zone" you tune everything else out. truth be told, I am guilty of getting in other peoples shots.


It was a great day.. 80 degrees in October, dolphins playing in the bay during the ceremony.. sun dogs in the sky, and gorgeous clouds. Reflecting upon the day during my drive home I realized I went as an observer, to document, to capture an occasion, but made some friends along the way and met some fascinating people. Mel & Tommy have surrounded themselves with upbeat, fun loving people who truly understand the important things in life and live what they believe.  







Some people are truly meant to be together...

Congratulations to Melanie Waters & Tommy Hageman as they begin their lives together.  10/9/11

10/5/11 ~ Beyond your comfort zone..

"They" say, that life begins at the end of your comfort zone..and "they" may be right.



















This week I went to photograph a boxing club, just for fun.I had never been to a boxing ring, and figured this would be far enough outside my comfort zone to prove interesting, and I was prepared. Prepared to be the only female in the place, prepared for stink and sweat, low light, crude language & not being able to use a flash..
 

























If I thought band photography was challenging, this was about to take it up a notch.  Low light, constant jarring motion, unexpected shouts, trying to not be a distraction and really no where to move (I was standing on a chair to see over the ropes do to my short family gene pool) & the large window dictated that I only shoot from one side of the ring. 

If I could get a fast enough shutter speed, I couldn't get enough depth of field, even cranking my iso.. so I decided to just have fun with it..Once I realized I wasn't going to get "what I wanted" I just played.. with noise, angles, compositions etc. hoping I could get some shots to at least play with in Nik Software...something gritty, grainy and contrasty - something different and fun.
  

























Well... its gonna take a few more tries but I am going back! 

There is an adrenaline rush there, an intensity, a concentration,  a respect for each other, and challenges to be conquered photographically.

And of course I want to get "the shot"... the one I take standing on the side of the ring where it looks like I am about to be knocked out.. 

 






Anyone familiar with my "shleprock stories" will understand that when I do get that shot, there will probably be "a story behind it" if not an ER bill to go with it....
I would like to thank Lloyd Jones of the Newport News Boxing club for granting me full access, and for all the wonderful guys training who were so nice.. & willing to put on a show.

It takes a village...

9/16/11 ~
Remember the saying it takes a village to raise a child?  Well the same is true for a photographer..


I enjoy photography..
the challenge, the friendships, the exploration... but it takes time to be comfortable with your own photography- allowing others to see it and being vulnerable to critic.  Much like art, everyone will have an opinion, and you won't always like it.


Somewhere along the way I lost that fear, it took time, encouragement from my friends, Gene pushing me to show my work and honesty. Once I got back to "doing what I loved" and stopped worrying about what everyone else thought, things started to fall into place, and the enjoyment returned. I can credit Kathleen Clemons for helping me get over my fear.. we were at a workshop this year and she "shoots what SHE loves, and she does it for HER enjoyment and truly doesn't concern herself with those who deem her work "not their cup of tea".. simple, common sense thoughts, but it isn't lip service, she lives it.. it was an ah-ha reminder moment for me.

Some of my photos are now on display in Colonial Williamsburg at Aroma's coffee shop.  For me, this is a big step, putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, and while this is just a small step, it is a step in the right direction, and my close photo buddies Wayne, Steven, Sam, Todd, Kris, Gen, Will and Jerry- I thank you for all the encouragement, lessons and help along the way!

9/21/11 My first billboard

I have been shooting bands lately and I am loving it!

Slapwater is a local favorite that has been at it for 40 years. They recently asked to use one of my photos for an electronic billboard on I-64 in Hampton.. 

Who would say no to that??


The promoters ended up using a different photo than we intended, but as Gene and I drove home from NJ late one night, we got stuck in construction traffic, I looked up and spotted my photo larger than life on the billboard.. it was a cool feeling..  


Getting this photo the next day.. well that's a whole 'nother story... after getting my shot, looking up and seeing those blue flashing lights in the rear view mirror.. I thought, "well this isn't going to be good"... but the state trooper I met was so nice. He calmly explained to me that there was no good reason to be pulled over on the interstate.. I explained "my good reason" and he repeated his mantra to which I replied "didn't you hear me? it's my first billboard..."  he laughed, shook his head, and wished me a nice day.. no ticket.. The more I get into photography the more "officials" I meet.. I may have to expand my Christmas card list :).