I spent last week in France. I was participating in a photography workshop with some extraordinary photographers from around the world. It was hosted by Master Photographer Sue Bryce. I will write more about that, later. Right now, I want to write about a thing I tried called Flytographer. The first day there, I was
Tribal marks are a dying tradition in Nigeria. They are given for many reasons, including identification or as a way to show wealth. For Nofisat’s family, tribal marks began many generations before her, when stillbirths were common. Her family began to mark their babies as a way of disfigurement so spirits wouldn’t want to take
This post is just for fun! One of the things I love to do is to hand-feed the birds around my house. It took me about two years to train the chickadees to eat from my hand. This year they even started to trust others. The photo of me (bottom right) is courtesy of Duane Cross.
“When I was a child, I thought fire was intriguing. I wanted to be with it… I was five when my sister and I were playing with matches and my pajamas caught fire…” “I was so young when it happened, that my body grew around the scars. Once, when I was still a child, I asked
Lea is from Burundi, Africa. For her portrait session, she wore traditional African dresses.
This is Kayla, who is about to become a mother. This is the start of a new portrait series, which will explore physical scars and how they shape a person’s view of themselves, as well as the views of others. I’m currently seeking volunteers for this series. If you’re interested, I’d love to hear from
This is my son, David. He’s nine years old and he had plenty of opinions about the creative direction of his shoot. He spent the weekend making his outfit on his own, which he named the “Mega Shock.” Then he said, “Mom, I’m ready for a photo for my Valentine’s cards now. Make me look
This is Cure Media’s annual book: Extraordinary Healers. It is a collection of essays written by cancer survivors about the nurses who helped them. The essays are touching and inspiring. The publisher contacted me early last fall to photograph Patrick, whose essay was chosen, and his nurse, Judy.
When someone commissions me to create portraits, we meet to talk about how they want to be photographed. We talk about style, wardrobe, makeup, and hair. I get a sense of who they are and what they’d like to share with the world. Amy decided to fearlessly present different sides of herself. In our planning
I belong to a national network of professional photographers who look to serve people who are fighting cancer. This organization is called Magic Hour Foundation. These charitable portrait sessions provide an opportunity for people to feel beautiful and special and to receive gorgeous portraits. Do you know someone who is undergoing treatment for cancer? They
This past year, did you get to see yourself in all of the good ways that others see you? Beautiful? Alluring? Strong? This past year, did you do anything particular to celebrate who you are? And I mean to love yourself as you are, right now, without working to turn yourself into something else? Have you ever had a portrait of
Some of my clients bring their own dresses or gowns to their portrait sessions, and some rent couture gowns from places like renttherunway.com. For this styled shoot, I made this “Tree Skirt” from found materials. The silk top and plaid belt (actually a scarf) are from a wonderful second-hand shop in Plymouth, NH, called Off
This post marks the end of a chapter. This project began in the fall of 2014, when I noticed that photos of the elderly are typically passed over in favor of attractive young people and children. You can read more on that here, with part one of a fourteen-part series. I have been regularly visiting
I’m always honored to see my work in print. This is one of my portraits of poet Donald Hall, featured in the fall 2015 issue of Plymouth Magazine. You can also view the Plymouth Magazine feature online, with interview by Diane Jeffrey, here: https://www.plymouth.edu/magazine/features/the-best-job-perk-ever/ You can see more photos from my portrait session with Donald
This is Amanda. Among the many things that she does, she is a professional dancer. For her shoot, we used movement—implied movement, actual movement, and potential movement. In order to diffuse the light and use the window as an architectural element, I had to climb a ladder a few times. It was such a strangely
Ashley is the kind of person who simply exudes power. She’s also stylish and glamorous, and I wanted to make portraits that reflect all of these qualities. Makeup by Karielle Anzaldi