Mark this day...

Tuesday July 24, 2007

East Lyme - No, this is not my entry in the "bad self-portrait" competition. This indeed is an interesting moment in my career. Today was the first time that I shot and completed an assignment for The Day using a video camera, instead of a still camera. There are many differences in mind-set when you shoot video. You have to concentrate on audio, and you always have to keep track of where you are in telling your story. Every assignment turns into a photo-essay. Editing is a whole new world when trying to blend audio tracks with moving images. Needless to say The Day's new web editor will be helping me there for some time to come. Overall, I would say that my ture love remains in creating the still image. That is where I have been for the last 16 years, so naturally video will take some time to get use to. Video is interesting, and has a lot of possibilites. I am just not Steven Spielberg yet. Click here to see the video

Feeding Frenzy

Saturday July 21, 2007 12:01 a.m.

Niantic, CT - The wait is over for Harry Potter fans around the world. These are shots from the release party for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows" at the Book Barn used book shop in Niantic. Needless to say some of the kids had their copy read before they left the parking lot. I am not so lucky, they sold out before I could purchase a copy. Low to ANYONE who give away the plot before I read it. I will be inducing a media black-out for a few weeks, so if I do not post, you will understand.

*Update - after my shift, I went to a 24-hour Walgreens and purchased the book. I would have preferred to support the small local book store, but hey, they sold out. So we'll see if I can get the book read before someone spoils the ending.

Thursday July 19, 2007

Griswold - Just a shot from a hayride that I went on tonight kicking off a fund raiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This took place at Buttonwood Farm, a local favorite ice cream stand. Buttonwood will be selling its 300,000+ sunflowers with all proceeds going to Make-A-Wish. Not bad considering that a thunder storm was bearing down on the area. It was the one time this week that I did not get wet.

What do they sell here???

Tuesday July 10, 2007

Waterford - In the age of terrorism you think they would be more discrete.

America's pass-time

Friday July 6, 2007

Mystic - The Blue Stockings warm up for a game of base ball...in 1876. Yes, Base Ball. I have been told it was two words back in the day. Anyhow these are role-players at Mystic Seaport. I know that there was some hub-bub over the women's leagues of the 1940s, so I can only imagine how scandalous it was almost 70 years earlier.

Hello and Good-bye...

Here are book-ended photos that were part of 13 month long documentary that I just finished on a couple of puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Puppy raisers take the new dogs through their first 13 months with lots of training and socialization. The photo above is Reggie giving Jim Hazlin (raiser) a good-bye kiss at the GEB facility in Yorktown Heights, NY on June 23rd. Reggie arrived in the Hazlin's driveway (below) with Tex and Omaha on Thursday May 4, 2006. For a slideshow looking back with memories by the Hazlins click HERE.

Recent photos of note

Friday June 29, 2007 - Waterford - AT&T Mobility store employees seem to be trapped as they await the onslaught of techies wanting their new iPhones. Instead of the long lines (that weren't that long) I found the "how much for that puppy in the window" shot much more entertaining.

Thursday June 7, 2007 - West Haven - Yea, I know, took you long enough to post this one. I mean, its only two months old now. Yea, yea, yea.

Friday June 29, 2007 - Mohegan Sun - Here is a slightly newer photo of Katie Douglas celebrating the Connecticut Sun's victory over Indiana with teammate Kristen Rasmussen. This game broke a loosing streak by the Sun that was getting impressive to say the least. It was a close game and I am glad I stayed to the buzzer.

Why????

Thursday June 21, 2007, 1:02 a.m.

New London - New London police hold the scene of a shooting outside of Ernie's Cafe on Bank Street. Blood like an oozing puddle of molasses stains the sidewalk. A 23 year old man, shot in the face, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. This is the third shooting at this bar since 2004, the last one occuring six months ago. As a journalist I am left asking "why?" Not why was I woken at 12:30 in the morning to go cover it, but why did it happen at all? What happens in a person's mind that tells them that violence is the only solution? My sleep deprived brain tries to utter a prayer for the victim and his family, record the scene, and move on.

Juneteenth

Saturday June 17, 2007

Norwich, CT - I had never heard of Juneteenth before moving to New London. The name "Juneteenth" made me giggle a little bit. This of course was before I found out that Juneteenth is the African American holiday celebrating the end of slavery. And a day of celebration it was.

New London, CT

Friday June 15, 2007

Groton, CT - Well after a week of truly craptastic assignments I managed to nab this shot at the Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Technical High School's graduation. Their parents will be so proud. And just think this is the best photo I have taken all week. This was also at the beginnig of my shift which tonight is a "desk" shift where I play photo editor on the copy desk until midnight. My cup runneth over...

Postcards from Burlington

May 27-31, 2007

Burlington, VT - Eat your heart our Ansel Adams! Moonrise over Camel's Hump, I know what a strange name for a mountain. Here are some shots from vaca. Some of my best, and some of the stranger things that I saw.

A sunset cruise on Tuesday night, the only night that we had a proper sunset. I now know that I missed my true calling. I am going to buy a sailboat and run tours for the rest of my days and die a happy man.

Hula-Hoop crossing???? How great would it have been if I could have caught someone crossing the road while hula-hooping.

Crow Bookshop, just a cool used book store with good colors.

Why does Burlington have Flying Monkeys on the roofs of the waterfront buildings...I have no idea, but this is my kind of city.

Nevermind Burlington, Em and I spent some time on the Moon! Actually this is Huntington Gorge. This crack in the rock was only about a foot long, the gorge stretches for over a quarter mile.

One more from the sunset cruise. Yes, I want to go back. Reality is just not as much fun sometimes.

Is it hot around here????

Friday, May 25, 2007

Old Lyme - It is that time of year again...back to the beach. Lets see if we in the news world can limit ourselves to one beach photo a week in the coming summer months. For my sanity I hope so. Speaking of my sanity, I will be running as fast as I can home tonight to pack for a few well earned days in Burlington, VT. A little mid-week get-away. I doubt highly that I will live blog during that time because I will be trying to avoid computers and cell phones AT ALL POSSIBLE COSTS!!