ASMP MAG: The Boston professional photographers' salon, featuring interview of ASMP president Mike Ritter

Last week, I wrote about the cross-disciplinary artists group I assembled called the Shalon, made of up a commercial/fine art photographer (yours truly), an artist (Bradford Johnson), a writer (Robin Lippincott), and a filmmaker (John Neely). This week, I am taking a brief break from introducing the members of the Shalon, to introduce you to another small creative group I belong to that is just for commercial and editorial photographers in the Boston area.

This group, is one of a handful in the New England area organized by the New England chapter of ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers).  ASMP is a national organization with 39 chapters from Alaska to New England.  These small groups are run through the MAG (mutual accountability group) program.  MAG is for ASMP members and designed so that you can either find a group currently meeting to join or start your own all through the MAG website.

Our group is composed of Boston commercial, editorial, and fine art photographers – it's up to the individual group to decide how to best use the knowledge, support, and motivation of fellow photographers to achieve the group members' goals. Our group tends to lean on the mentoring, creativity support, and advice side of things. Recently, we've used the group to get feedback on developing new branding strategies, crafting beautifully designed direct mail campaigns, and critique of project work. We even have a monthly creativity support exercises in which we come up with a theme (for example, white-on-white images) to stretch our creative muscles.

Prudential Center, by Mike Ritter, Ritterbin Photography

Portrait at Epiphany School by Mike Ritter, Ritterbin Photography

I should take a step back, and say something briefly about the national organization of ASMP for those of you unfamiliar with the organization. For photographers either involved or interested in editorial and commercial photography, as a resource, ASMP is an amazing asset. It's a really strong national organization that offers events, resources, incentives, discounts and lobbying for photographers at the national level for those of us that shoot non-retail work – meaning those of us that don't exclusively shoot weddings or family portraits. It's a fantastic resource, providing everything from health insurance to marketing resources to licensing and pricing guidelines for independent commercial photographers. The New England chapter also puts on an amazing free portfolio review each fall in Boston where photographers can meet up with regional art directors, art producers, and curators to get the real scoop on how their portfolios appear to industry experts - this year's event is scheduled for October 16th, 2015.

But the small MAG groups offer something far more personal than insurance, or a great discount on software. It offers a place for photographers to be real about our triumphs and struggles, and get the support of others who understand our exact situations. We are own best resources - if we're unsure how to price a job, need a pinch-hitter because of an emergency or illness, or are feeling stuck professionally or creatively, we know we have a group of fellow professionals in our corner, ready to help the others out. Commercial and editorial photography can be a tough and competitive business, but our group is made up of more than just colleagues; we are friends and supporters of each others' work and businesses.

Tito Puente Series, by Mike Ritter of Ritterbin Photography

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To that end, I'd like to introduce you to Mike Ritter, of Ritterbin Photography, the current president of the New England Chapter of ASMP, and also one of the founding members of our MAG/MMG group. In the next few weeks, I'll be introducing you to a few of our other members as well through short interviews and examples of their work. Without further ado, let me introduce you to Mike, our intrepid ASMP NE president, and all-around awesome guy. Sharona Jacobs: Hi Mike! Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

Mike Ritter: I'm a Pennsylvania hayseed who went to school in the wilds of Maine and then ended up in the big city (for New England) - Boston - in 2002.  I worked in a photo lab and photo gallery before heading out on my own freelance photo career in 2005.  My photography has taken me all over Boston and through Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and New Orleans.  My wife and I live in a Dorchester triple decker with our daughter, Vivian.

SJ: Can you give us a little bit of information on your company and your typical clients?

MR:

I've run Ritterbin Photography for 10 years focusing primarily on Boston area clients -  I primarily shoot events and on location portraits.  My clients are principally schools, financial services companies, non-profits, and event companies.

SJ: What made you want to be a photographer?

MR:

My dad gave me his camera in college, and I enjoyed learning on it.  While I love the craft of making a great picture, I'm even more excited by the life I can live as a photographer.  I meet so many people from so many walks of life and get to know Boston much better than I could in a job at one location with one group of co-workers.

SJ: What type of projects will you be working on in the next few months?

MR:

I'm adding video to my services which is very exciting because it's a collaborative process with other creatives, and it can communicate certain things better than photography (and vice versa).  So, it will help me tell clients' stories in as effective a manner as possible.  I will also begin to do more direct marketing to clients I'd like to work with rather than relying on word of mouth.  And, I'm putting together a website for my Boston Cornerstone project (

www.bostoncornerstones.com

) which will roam all over Boston looking for cornerstones and then shooting a time collage cityscapes where they are found.

SJ: Can you tell me how the MAG group helps you in your career as a professional photographer?

MR:

My MAG partners have dealt with issues I'm trying to get under thumb and vice versa.  Sharing our work as it's in progress whether it's a recent shoot, website redesign, or a contract etc., makes for a much better final product whatever it is.  It's too easy for photographers to work almost entirely alone, but our work and our ideas improve tremendously when we share and work with others.  That's why I joined ASMP and was interested in helping re-organize the MAG program.

Shalon interview featuring author Robin Lippincott: part of the independent creatives series

A few months ago, I posted about the Shalon, a cross-collaborative professional creative group formed between myself, an author, an artist, and a filmmaker. Inspired by the concept of 18th century French salons, we decided to meet monthly to discuss our goals, be accountable to one another, and brainstorm ideas. The three menfolk of our group suggested the name based on the first three letters of my name. Being an independent creative professional can challenge the most stalwart of creative souls, and this group helps keep all of us focused and productive, both creatively and from the business standpoint. I hope that this, and future interviews with fellow independent creatives will inspire and support those of us making a living with our art. In that initial post, I mentioned that I'd be focusing on the Shalon-ers individually so you can learn a little more about them and their work. This week, I interviewed our resident writer, Robin Lippincott, the author of the novels "In the Meantime", "Our Arcadia", and "Mr. Dalloway", among many other published works.

Robin Lippincott, photographed at Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Sharona:

Hi Robin, and thanks so much for speaking to us about you and your work. Could you tell us a little bit about you and your work?

Robin: I am a writer of literary fiction and nonfiction. I have two books coming out: Blue Territory: A Mediation on the Life and Work of Joan Mitchell (November 2015), and Rufus + Syd, a young adult novel co-written with Julia Watts (Spring 2016). I am also the author of the novels In the Meantime, Our Arcadia, and Mr. Dalloway, and the short story collection, The 'I' Rejected. My fiction/nonfiction has appeared in over 30 journals, including "The Paris Review," "American Short Fiction," "Fence," "Memorious," "The Literary Review," "The New York Times Book Review," and others. I teach in the low-residency MFA Program at Spalding University, and am also an avid film/museum/gallery goer, as well as a frequent walker in the city.

Sharona: How did you first venture into writing?

Robin: I first got into writing as a result of grief, not death but loss, as has been true for so many writers—one long, hot, long ago summer in Central Florida, where I grew up. Van Gogh's letters to his brother, collected in Dear Theo, and Anne Frank's Diary, were seminal aspects of my aesthetic and moral education that summer.

Sharona: 

What are the greatest challenges in your work, and what helps you overcome them?

Robin: The greatest challenge in the work itself is simply getting it right, and in creating something that's beautiful and true. And then there are the challenges that occur at the intersection of art and commerce, at which there's most always a collision: sometimes it's only a bump or a scratch or a dent; at other times the vehicle is totaled. In both cases, you've just got to keep at it, teeth (sometimes) gritted.

Sharona: Whose work do you admire or influences you?

Robin: The list is long. I consider Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence as my literary parents, with Emily Dickinson as a great aunt, and from there it's largely the great minds and/or stylists (the writer's writers), as well as a few Southern writers, whom I most admire. Here's a shortlist:  Susan Sontag, Joan Didion, John Berger, William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, James Baldwin, Elizabeth Hardwick, James Salter, Grace Paley, James Schuyler, Toni Morrison, Renata Adler, Michael Ondaatje, W. G. Sebald, Anne Carson....

Sharona: 

How is the Shalon, or meeting in other creative professional groups, helpful to you?

Robin: The Shalon is invaluable to me for several reasons. First, I believe the artistic pursuit (and the life that goes with that) is best and perhaps only really understood by other artists; in my experience, non-artists just don't/can't fully get it. And so I receive meaningful emotional support, both generally and also specifically. And I also get ideas and inspiration, and stimulation, as well as direct, inside exposure to the work of artists working in other art forms.

Robin Lippincott, photographed at Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Portraits of slam poet Regie Gibson

Before you read a word about Regie Gibson, please listen to his work - whether you're a poetry enthusiast or not, his work will blow you away. Have a listen to his recent TedxBoston talk, below, a mix of poetry and groove that mixes deadly serious topics with wicked humor via one beautiful voice:

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. To Thine Own Self Be Hip: a response from Hamlet to young men who have contemplated suicide Former National Poetry Slam Champion Regie Gibson has lectured and performed widely in the U.S., Cuba and Europe and is a recipient of the Absolute Poetry Award.

My assistant, Jean, highlighting Regie's door

Regie is a former National Poetry Slam Individual Champion, and was selected one of Chicago Tribune's Artist of the Year for Excellencefor his poetry. Poet, songwriter, author, workshop facilitator, and educator, Regie has performed, taught, and lectured at schools, universities, and theaters on two continents and in seven countries. Regie and his work appear in the New Line Cinema film, love jones, based largely on events in his life. I was introduced to Regie through photographing him for the Boston Author Project, and I feel very fortunate to now call him a friend.

Every time I enter an author's chosen space to photograph, I'm visually thinking about what spaces will best convey both the writer's work, and character of the writer. When I walked into Regie Gibson's house, I was immediately drawn to a door with beautiful hand-drawn texture to it, full of scratches and scrapes that had been etched into it over the years. I'm afraid that I may have been a bit faint in enthusiasm with my first hello to Regie, because I was so fixated by his door. I knew that I had to integrate it into some of the portraits of Regie.

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Portrait of Regie Gibson in front of his drum collection

It is easy to get carried away as a photographer when photographing someone as striking as Regie, making cool images for the sake of it - so many beautiful, hip, moodily lit images came from our session together.

Yet the final image chosen for the Boston Author's Project show really represented Regie's true character - engaging, warm, and open, in front of a well-scratched door that had been chiseled by his kids over the years.

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Portraits of an Oxford professor in Boston, MA

Nicholas Cole and I first met in 1997 when we were both studying in England, and we immediately struck up a fast friendship. I joke that Nick never left school, as he is now a professor of American history at Pembroke College, Oxford University. I generally try to avoid discussing local politics with Nicholas because it gets a bit embarrassing to be regularly schooled on your own country's current politics and history by a foreigner :-).

Nicholas Cole of Pembroke College, Oxford

Nicholas came to Boston this past week, and we were both delighted that we had time to work together in the studio. Photographing him was a joy on so many levels - good-humored banter alternating with gently poking fun of the other, as old friends do. Even though it had been almost a decade since I'd seen him last, we immediately relaxed into working together in the studio while amiably chatting away.

Boston MA academic portrait

My goal with Nicholas' portraits was to capture his intelligence, warmth, kindness, and dry humor. In a few of the shots, I included his beautifully crafted titanium and leather crutches to create some environmental context. Yet front and center, I focused on Nick's expressive face and the intelligence and dry amusement that lights his eyes. As a photographer, capturing the life of the mind - and what a great mind I had to work with! - is a never-ending joy.

Starting over for grownups

Rocky DiRico, a 10th degree black belt in Kenpo karate, started competing after age 35 and went on to over 700 first place finishes and 100 grand championship wins, making him the most awarded senior competitor in the history of sport karate. He, and my own joyful/humbling/frustrating/wonderful experience coming back to karate training as an adult learner, inspired this post. He is pictured here with his wife, Shihan Wendy DiRico.

Rocky DiRico, now a 10th degree black belt in Kenpo karate, started his karate training after age 35 and went on to over 700 first place finishes and 100 grand championship wins. He, and my own experience coming back to karate as an adult learner, inspired this post.

 One of the things I most admire about children is that they're not afraid to fall down on their butts when they try something new.

They'll just keep trying new approaches, sometimes clever, sometimes awkward, to achieve what they want. No one expects children to be particularly good at anything. Figuring out how to pull life's strings is what childhood is all about, and kids, on the whole, think its really fun to learn new things. They grow creatively when they try to solve problems, and at least in the first few years, don't care how they are perceived while trying out new ideas.

Karate blog-9431

Fast forward to adulthood and self-awareness and the need for basic competency in front of others. We've spent most of our formative years training to do something, whether it is singing, acting, or accountancy. Adults are proud of the skills we've gained and these are generally the ones we use in front of company (unless it's karaoke, and then, all bets are off as there's generally alcohol involved). Starting something new as an adult feels especially awkward, because our brains aren't as malleable, we're resistant to change, and don't want to look silly or incapable in front of others as we figure out our next new skill.

So what happens when we're forced to change and learn something new? Either because of circumstance, or because we're stifled and need to do something differently, the game changes and it's time to upgrade our skills. With the exception of some open-minded, driven, and adventurous souls, most adults react by feeling uncomfortable, perhaps even a bit scared. Some of us even get paralyzed, and don't know what to do next. So we sit and grind our wheels, using our energy to feel anxious, rather than harnessing the angst into something productive. We tend to cling to what we know, even though it is time to grow or change. Do any of these sound familiar?

- I want to start a new project that's different than my current work but I'm not sure where to start - I have an idea, but I just need motivation - I'm afraid I'm going to look like an idiot trying something new

So what should you do to kick yourself out of your paralysis? Shakespeare would say, "To thine own self be true." The ancient Greeks would say, "Know thyself". Francis Bacon would say, "Knowledge is power." And Nike would say, "Just do it."

When you don't know where to start in a new endeavor (career, project, hobby), start with your interests and daydreams, perhaps even document your current problems. Did you daydream about being an astronaut as a kid? Take a night course in astronomy, create a beautiful portrait series of local astronomy professors in the moonlight, or get a second-hand telescope and start a basic blog about your own discoveries as a new star seeker.

What are your favorite holidays and celebrations? What is on your bucket list, and you always hoped to do someday? Combine those interests into a new project. For example, if you're a autumn-loving, adrenaline-seeking photographer feeling stale, do a skydiving shoot on Halloween with models in full costume at sunset - mix, match, see what happens. Juxtaposition is your friend; combine bits of who you are to create something no one has seen before.

But most important is the mental game of getting out of our own way. I have a few suggestions from back when I worked in vocational psychology, which I'll write in layperson's terms so you don't fall asleep at your computer.

1. Write a worry journal

The basis of cognitive psychology is, "You are what you think." I'd add, "If it's on paper, it's not in your noggin." Write down all your worst fears, then counter each fear with a more positive likely scenario. E.g.:

Negative thought I will never learn how to use off-camera lighting because I'm not technical

Rational thought I can learn how to use off-camera lighting by taking a workshop that is aimed at lighting for beginners

2. Talk to a friend

Sometimes you need a sympathetic friend to kindly listen to you, and then kick you in the behind once you've unloaded your concerns. Better yet, create an accountability partnership so you both have someone to check in with about your new ventures.

Karate blog-2368

3. Find a mentor

For some people, it really helps to find an advisor who has more knowledge and experience. Some mentors are volunteer professional contacts, others are coaches, and another source of great advisors are mental health professionals, for when you're truly feeling stuck. I currently advise a few photographers looking for both technical advice, portfolio reviews, and accountability - it can be a useful tool in your professional arsenal to get unstuck. But for many, all that is needed is someone who they meet with on a regular basis who has more experience than they do.

4. Let go of perfect

It's better to do something, anything, and get it out there than to create the most perfect creation that never sees the light of day. This is when you bring out the Nike slogan!

5. Make a date

Mark in your calendar the date you are going to have accomplished your goal of a new skill. Tell your accountability buddy.

6. Reward yourself

Whether it's a big box of chocolate, a marathon tv-watching session, or a weekend trip, make sure you promise and deliver a big reward for getting out of your comfort zone.

Regret, parenthood, and career

"Have you ever regretted having children? I'm wrapped up in my work right now, and I feel pretty good about my life; I like having "me" time occasionally. But if I don't have kids, will I regret it later? I don't want to be alone when I get old. What's the right choice?"

Regret is a hot button. Parenthood, likewise. Put them together, it's explosive, and everyone has an opinion.

As a former therapist, who has currently hung up her shingle to be a commercial/editorial portrait photographer full-time, I still sometimes still get asked the BIG questions. I even spoke about navigating through work/family snags at the Inspire photography conference last year, and have mentored those in the arts as well as those in technology careers, pulling on both my mental health therapist and career counseling background.

Several folks I'm spoken with about potential parenthood have given me the feedback that my thoughts on this topic have been helpful. So, today I'm posting my personal .02  in the hopes it will be useful for those who might be debating if and how to juggle intense careers with the possibility of eventually hearing the pitter-patter (ha, mostly clomp-clomp) of little feet. Because I am of the female persuasion, most of what I write is from a woman's perspective, but I believe there's a lot in here that also will relate to men. Enjoy, and let me know if you found this post helpful.

Finding your path, parenthood or no

- The right choice (e.g. right-for-you choice), to have or to not have kids, or how many to have, is based solely on you and your circumstances - not what others think or what you feel pressured to do by your friends, your family, or society-at-large. There is no right answer, only your answer. This bears repeating ad nauseum. Knowing yourself, and your spouse, if applicable, and your resources (time, support, energy, goals, financial situation), and sitting with that knowledge for awhile without judgement can be helpful when trying to figure out whether creating a family is right for you. You don't need to make a decision immediately - consider waiting for some clarity, instead.

- It is neither selfish nor unselfish to choose to be childfree or child-full. Human beings bring beautiful things into this world. Unfortunately, this world also has more than enough people, many of who desperately need more than they have. Does the world need more artists, inventors, visionaries? Yes. Is the world being stripped of resources because there are too many people? Yes. Does all of this really matter when making your own personal decision? That's up to you.

- Liking having personal time isn’t selfish; it’s healthy. Those of us who live in the US (the only country I can really significantly speak to personally) live in a strange culture where mothers are supposed to sacrifice all their time to care for others, mostly because we don’t have enough institutional help and support so that we can take time for ourselves. And most of us live in small nuclear families away from the support of an extended family. But it can be done with careful planning and family/friend support. This situation doesn't appear to be the same for my family in Argentina and Europe - there seems to be more acceptance/support for woman to have a life outside of motherhood. Motherhood/parenthood in those areas seems to be just one aspect of a personality, rather than being a Mom with a capital M.

- It is really hard to make a decision if you’re not sure about having a family, and sadly, everyone and their mother has an opinion if you’re a woman of child-bearing age. But it’s not their life. They’re not paying for childcare and college, they’re not going to be there on sleepless nights when you all have stomach flu and you’re trying to figure out who gets the last bucket.

- We will all ultimately die alone. Please don’t make the relatively short period at the end of life the sole justification as to whether you want to bring another life into the world (unless this works for you and/or your spouse, see disclaimer above).

- If you lose a child, whether it is an only child, or one of many, no one is going to replace that child. It is going to hurt, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent or ameliorate that pain except having loving souls around you to be there for you as you mourn. If you have any control over the number of kids you have, have the number that is right for you.

- Friends can be as close as family, conversely, family is no guarantee of love. But if you’re a person in a happy family situation who wants to be there, it can feel like there is love flowing through your veins. However, being in the midst of a bad family situation can feel beyond lonely.

- There’s no guarantee in life. Make good friends, be a good friend. Ultimately, love, whether romantic, familial, or platonic, is one thing that makes life worth living, in all of its beautiful permutations. #steppingoffthesoapbox

P.S. As for me, no regrets.

Headshots for Lexington, MA-based writer, Rachel Britton

Rachel, a British-born blogger and writer, came to me looking for sophisticated and warm portraits that reflected her thoughtful and insightful nature. As part of her business, Rachel often speaks throughout the world about wellness and confidence, and wanted her images to represent her personality and presence accurately.

Like many writers, Rachel feels best when her words represent her thoughts, and put her faith in my hands that the images would also communicate her personality. Delightful to work with, Rachel also has elegant features and expressive eyes which were a pleasure to photograph. I was so pleased to have worked so beautifully together with Rachel to create headshot images that communicated her charm and compassionate soul.

Jane Attanucci, poet

Jane recently came to me because her first book of poetry was about to be published by Finishing Line Press, and she was looking for a book jacket photo that represented both her and her work.

She explained that she was looking for a quiet, contemplative image that would accurately represent her keen mind and curiosity, as well as the warmth of her personality. I learned that we both enjoy photographs that showcase honest, "in between" moments, conveying thoughtfulness and a investigative process, so her images needed to capture that sensibility. In addition to writing poetry, Jane has been a professor of psychology and department chair for many years, and meeting her and getting to chat with her was such a treat for me - I always relish the opportunity to chat with those who worked in psychology, as I did for several years.

To suit Jane, I shot against a lighter neutral background, and bounced light to create a delicacy and softness to her imagery. She has incredible green eyes, and we chose an outfit in a mossy green both to highlight her features, as well as to pull in the earthy quality of her new book, "First Mud."

Her book is available now through Finishing Line Press.

Why I photograph authors

Today, I learned about the passing of one of my favorite authors, Terry Pratchett, from a particularly nasty variant of Alzheimer's Disease. When I heard that he had died, I felt the loss keenly, in that particularly odd way that feels both deeply personal, and somewhat bizarre, given that I hadn't really known the man in the here-and-now sense of the word. I had been reading Sir Pratchett's books since I was an adolescent, and since he was an extremely prolific author, I avidly consumed his new work nearly every year, as excited to get my hands on his new hardback novel as others my age were to go to the hippest of concerts or shows.  So much of a person goes into writing a book; there is a reason that writers sometimes call their books their children. In that sense, I felt I knew Terry, or at least his wry outlook, quite well. Witty, insightful, and wise, Terry's work was not only an escape, but also an entry into the sharp observations of a brilliant satirist that helped me see everyday life through a wiser pair of eyes.

Mr. Pratchett's work, as well as countless others, informed the way I saw the world; as a small girl I was terribly shy, and felt at least as tied to the characters I met in stories as I did in everyday life. In my early childhood, I shared a room with my eldest sister who was profoundly affected by Down's Syndrome and associated medical conditions, and I wanted some answers about life from day one. Books became my portal to understanding, or at least the first glimmers of it. From C.S. Lewis to Anne Frank, Lewis Carroll and P.G. Wodehouse, it was in the act of reading that I became a keen observer of people and their stream of thoughts and emotions. I learned strength and transformation from the stories of Frances Hodgson Burnett, courage from L.M. Montgomery, and history from Sydney Taylor. When I struggled with understanding human nature (Pratchett), or finding meaning in the chaos of growing up (Viktor Frankl and Elie Wiesel), I delved into a book, both for solace and for answers.

As I grew older, I used my camera to explore human nature, and still later did my graduate work in counseling psychology, to find more answers. But it all started with losing myself in the printed page. As a photographer, we're told in schools and seminars to photograph what you know. We are to ask ourselves, "What brings meaning into your life? What draws you in, and what transforms you?" So for me, choosing my preferred subjects was just a matter of looking for my own axis. And it was also a way of saying thank you for all the wisdom I'd gained from my childhood idols (thank you Madeline L'Engle, Willo Davis Rogers, Robert Heinlein), to the written voices that instructed me on how to counsel (Carl Rogers, Aaron Beck), and to those that brought me a smile when the day had been awful and I simply needed a good yarn to regain my faith in humanity (Neil Gaiman and Pratchett, Good Omens). Now, reading aloud to my own daughter allows me to transfer that love and knowledge to the next generation (J.K. Rowling, thank you for many warm evenings of sharing your magic with my family, each of them chiming in with their own take on your beloved characters).

Now that I've been photographing authors for about five years, I can also tell you that authors, as a group, are a joy to partner with - people of substance, with rich inner lives, often wickedly funny. Many of them (but certainly not all) have an introverted sensibility which I bond with, because the challenge I most enjoy is bringing the insides of complex personalities to the forefront of an image. It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a some of the great minds that are creating today's stories - many of whom I have, or will create visual stories about in this blog in the months to come.

So, perhaps this is my love letter to the storytellers, as well as my explanation for why I do what I do. Thank you, especially, to Sir Terry Pratchett, for your legacy. You, and your stories, will be so missed.

 Image credit: Terry Pratchett photographed by Chris Balcombe

Sharona on Instagram

Of late, I've been sharing more iPhone images on Instagram, with the emphasis being on the personal rather than the professional. The images are looser, focus on day-to-day life, and are reflective of my odd sense of humor. Come have a look... 

Sky in her eyes. #girl #sunglasses #blackandwhite #reflection #monochrome #clouds

"Sky in her eyes. #girl #sunglasses #blackandwhite #reflection #monochrome #clouds"

Airborne. #karate #kick #flying #girl

"Airborne. #karate #kick #flying #girl"

Hamlet, cat-style. #blackandwhite #mortality #skeleton

"Hamlet, cat-style. #blackandwhite #mortality #skeleton"

My husband bore an uncanny resemblance to a biblical figure when I woke up one recent morning. I shook my head upon awakening and grabbed to take this shot. If only he could also perform miracles (like getting our kid out of bed in the morning)...

"My husband bore an uncanny resemblance to a biblical figure when I woke up one recent morning. I shook my head upon awakening and grabbed to take this..."

When a Boston blogger needs a headshot...

Katrina McCarty, who moonlights as a blogger in addition to her 9-5 policy/legislative work, contacted me because she wanted a portrait that captured her character as well as her writing conveyed her thoughts. She had seen my Boston Authors Project work, and wanted her headshot to convey her persona with a similar artistic sensibility as the Boston author portraits. No fake smiles, no staged setups, no unnecessary props. She just asked that I bring the essence of her personality to a photograph simply and elegantly, which I was delighted to do!

What I loved about working with Katrina was her wry, understated sense of humor leavened with a wicked soupçon of sarcasm. Just a tiny quirk of an eyebrow brought an entirely new meaning to a sentence and I had a terrific time working with her, laughing during the entire session. Yet Katrina also had a wonderful earthy warmth about her, and there was a lovely sense of comfort just being in her presence. I felt that bringing both these sides to her personality would be key in creating a three-dimensional portrait.

In this final image, I admit was going for a bit of Mona Lisa-style sarcasm/mystery, using Renaissance painting-like lighting techniques to convey the slightest hint of a smirk. Working with writers is one of my favorite challenges because there's so much subtext to their personalities, and bringing that richness to a photograph is one of the great joys of my job.

Kelly Link, author of "Get in Trouble", in the news

Kelly Link's new book of short stories, "Get in Trouble", came out out February 9th, 2015, and in honor of her well-recieved work, I thought I'd focus on her photo shoot from last fall. Kirkus Reviews wrote of her book, "“In stories as haunting as anything the Grimm brothers could have come up with, Link (Magic for Beginners, 2005, etc.) gooses the mundane with meaning and enchantment borrowed from myth, urban legend and genre fiction."

Kelly, a warm, gentle, and thoughtful person, was just a joy to work with. She, and her friend and fellow writer Holly Black, drove from western Massachusetts for to be photographed the same day, and we alternated between my studio and the beautiful Robbins Library in Arlington, MA. Kelly and Holly are close friends, and we all collaborated together on the shoot, both in our research and the details. Both women write in the fantasy genre, and they had developed a firm friendship after meeting at a writer's convention and discovering they lived close by.

Kelly's work, along with some of the other imagery I've taken of her, has been mentioned recently in Wired, Salon, NPR, the LA Times, and The Stranger, among many other media outlets. Congratulations, Kelly!

The Shalon: A cross-creative collaborative creation

A few months ago, four creative friends came together to create a super-powered creative group. Inspired by the concept of 18th century French salons, an artist, an author, a photographer, and a filmmaker decided to meet monthly to discuss our goals, be accountable to one another, and bounce ideas off the others as we go through the creative process, each assisted by the caffeine of their choice. The three menfolk of our group suggested the name based on the first two letters of my name, rather enjoying being clever with their words. Being a professional creative can be lonely and isolating at times, so having a group of like-minded souls creates some substance in what can sometimes feel like a vacuum. I've collaborated with each gentleman on various projects, but I'll just give you the bare bones in this post. So without further ado, let me introduce you to my team of creative superheroes. In the future, I'll be focusing on them individually so you can learn a little more about them and their work.

First is Brad(ford) Johnson, a kind-hearted and creative artist who resides in Somerville, MA, and plays with the boundaries between photography and painting. You can check out his work here.

Next we have the exceedingly talented Robin Lippincott, a writer and the author of the novels "In the Meantime", "Our Arcadia", and "Mr. Dalloway", among many other published works.

And finally, the filmmaker of our group, John Neely. John has worked in documentary filmmaking and non-fiction TV for over a decade for film, television, museums, and corporate clients. He also produced the short film about the opening of my Boston Author Project.

And there's me!

Under the eye of MIT CSAIL professor, Daniel Jackson

The professor shoots the photographer (in the Stata Center) Back before the snow befell Boston, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) professor, Daniel Jackson, and I spent an enjoyable afternoon on the deck of the Frank Gehry-designed Stata Center on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA. Originally, I was to be the only one manhandling (woman-handling?) a camera, but Daniel, an award-winning photographer as well as a computer science professor, decided to turn the tables on me.

I had actually photographed Daniel several years ago when I worked at MIT, but we got to know each other a bit better when we both attended the Maine Media Workshops in the summer. I had trained with Gregory Heisler, and he with Cig Harvey. We traded notes and impressions during mealtimes, and thanks to him, I hope to return and work with Cig Harvey as well.

Daniel, a delightful Englishman, was a delight to work with through and through, alternating thoughtfulness with levity as I photographed him. Both kind and intelligent, he was very curious about my lighting and process, getting some fun behind-the-scenes shots of both Tim, my assistant, and I.

Writer's block

Writer's block: How do you visually describe feeling stuck?

Daphne Strassman, Brookline, MA writer

I recently collaborated with the lovely and insightful writer, Daphne Strassmann, in creating a shoot that represents feeling stuck creatively. Whether a writer, artist, or photographer for that matter, every creative person has faced their inner well running dry. This shoot evolved as Daphne and I were having coffee together, and she mentioned being mid-transition both literally and figuratively, and how it had affected her work; half her house had no furniture in it due to moving and construction, along with other significant changes weaving through her work and her family. All these disruptions in her external life had affected how she moved forward with her memoir.

Something about the way Daphne described her empty rooms called to me, along with what was happening in conjunction with her life, and I wanted to capitalize on that while photographing this very thoughtful person. I felt really excited as she described her empty rooms. So, as I arrived at Daphne's place in Brookline, MA, I was delighted by the raw structure of the space as well as the feeling of only slightly ornamented emptiness I found.

Only minimally draped furniture, and just a few odds and ends decorated the room, as Daphne took her place in it. Only her glasses and the notebook she used for her note taking were well-used items. I had Daphne either gaze at me our out the window as I worked and tested, noting her body language as time went by, and noticing when she didn't react to me any more, as I blended into the unheeded draped furniture surrounding Daphne, only calling quietly to look towards me occasionally when she had settled into her own thoughts.

"What the Dickens" dance performance at Boston University's Dance Theater

 "What The Dickens!" At Boston University

Creators and Choreographers

A few weeks ago, I photographed  the Cambridge Dance Youth Dance Program's production of "What the Dickens!” a dance concert inspired by Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Story.” “What the Dickens!” is a collaboration between Deborah Mason, founder of the Deborah Mason School of Dance; David Drummond, an internationally acclaimed ballet principal, master teacher and choreographer; and Khalid Hill, tap choreographer.

In this modern retake of a well-loved tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is now Ebeneeza Scrooge, a modern, briefcase-carrying career woman, and multiple forms of dance are used to flesh out this retake of a beloved holiday story. In addition to the capable kids and teenagers performing ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and hip-hop, some acrobatic flair was added by local gymnasts. Some local adult dance stars added their own flair, including Sean Bjerke of The Beantown Lockers and Boston legends The Wondertwins, Billy and Bobby McClain, whose unique style of dance combines hip-hop, popping and mime.

Deborah Mason is known locally for the quality of her training, and Jayme Latorella, one of the teachers at Mason’s school, plays Ebeneeza Scrooge in the production. It was a pleasure to photograph Jayme, whose facial expressions beautifully conveyed the complex and dynamic emotions of her character. The Ghost of Christmas Future, the fabulous Alanna Logan, had a delightfully evocative role, complete with web-like costume, smoke, and the projection of graveyards over the backdrop, in front of which she beautifully danced.

My very talented friend, former photojournalist Bryce Flynn, second-shot the production with me, and many thanks go out to him.

Boston Authors Project Exhibit Opening at GrubStreet - A Short Film

[embed]https://vimeo.com/110148643[/embed] This short film by John Neely documents the opening of the Boston Authors Project, a permanent photographic exhibition of author portraits at GrubStreet by portrait photographer Sharona Jacobs, which took place on September 12, 2014, and includes interviews of the authors who were photographed for the project. Each black and white image, some measuring up to 40", includes snippets of each author's work, as well as the photographer's observations of each shoot.

Featuring photographs of and writing by: Steve Almond Rita Zoey Chin Nicole Terez Dutton Regie Gibson Anthony James Pablo Medina Rishi Reddi Jane Roper Mako Yoshikawa

Of the project, Sharona says: "Writers are the perfect muse; they have a rich inner world, excel at communicating, and have interesting and varied life experiences to draw upon. The Boston Authors Project developed organically with GrubStreet; I had been photographing writers as a personal project for several months when I noticed, again and again, that a creative writer I was photographing was involved with GrubStreet as a teacher or student. Collaborating with such a great hub of fantastic writers has been a portrait photographer's dream come true."

Printing by: Bob Korn Imaging http://bobkornimaging.com

Film by: John Neely, documentary filmmaker http://neely.tv

Boston Authors Project opening September 12, 2014 at GrubStreet

Light Work with Gregory Heisler at the Maine Media Workshops – Part Two

Continued from Light Work with Gregory Heisler, Part One...

Various lighting setups being tweaked by Greg inside the studio/barn that was our home base for the week. I used my iPhone to take visual notes throughout the week - my memory works better through images than words.

The third day, like all the following days, began with a critique of the previous day’s work. Sometimes it would be just the class, and sometimes we’d have a few models or actors join us. By the end of the week, they were all familiar faces, some of whom we’d hang out with at meals or after class. Many people would drift in and out throughout the day, and it was very friendly indeed; we all were teasing buddies by the end of the week. Speaking of meals, the food at Maine Media was AMAZING. The main chef, David Coyle, was an absolute delight, and was so solicitous of my food allergies; his goal was not only to have stuff I could eat, but to have absolutely delicious stuff I could eat not only at meals but in between. They had a whole shelf full of gluten-free goodies for my fellow celiacs, and it was unbelievably thoughtful. Usually, I’m just happy if I can eat something, anything, but the food for the whole week was wonderful.

Overpowering the sun with strobes, as the rest of we photographers (Jeannine,  and an actor - hi Amanda!, TJ, me) trying not to burn in the sun.

In the afternoon, we had a demo that involved overpowering the sun with strobes outdoors using the shipyard next to our studio and classroom. We also learned about how the color of the light mirrors the position of the sun in the sky, and how to imitate that information while creating our own light in the studio or mixing light sources while outdoors.

We then drove about a half-hour to an vintage hardware store (full of bits and bobs and books and taxidermy) and used some strobes that the Workshops had provided us with to create light indoors, Sadly, this was the one place that we felt frustrated, because the order that had been placed by Greg to the rental agency (MAC Group - boo hiss) that provided lights for the workshop had never come through, despite Greg, teaching assistants, and MMW's photo manager asking multiple times. We had to use old lights that we couldn’t adjust ratios from the battery pack, which was pretty challenging, and didn’t want to spend a lot of time figuring out a new lighting system instead of shooting within the limited window of time we had at the hardware store. We also interspersed the strobes with a Speedlite. Luckily, Chris Reis, our teacher’s assistant, helped us make the best of the equipment we had, and we got a few nice shots in before the end of the day. I really liked one of the images in particular I took of Sam, top left of the below set of images.

The fourth day was spent in the studio, primarily, with several demos of lighting techniques which we then played around with in our groups of three. We worked with a couple of wonderful actor/models, Juliette and Stuart, and with multiple lights, including an absolutely enormous light source; I swear the umbrella was about 12 feet in diameter.

Greg showing me, TJ, and actor Heidi Hackney an image. Our 12-foot light source is behind us, camera right, which was used as part of the actor headshot lighting setup below. Photo credit: Stuart Green.

The lovely Juliette

The dashing Stuart. The goal of this assignment was to create actor headshots; each image portrays a different character that Stuart can portray - the first, more leading man, the second, more character actor.

The final day was also spent much of the day in the studio, after the crit, and we went through more lighting setups including mimicking high daylight in the studio, and some outdoor lighting techniques with the models and actors. We took a look through Greg’s traveling kit, and he answered lots of questions about which lights and modifiers he can’t live without. He also photographed the entire class individually, to great amusement, capturing each of our personalities wonderfully. He had to take a couple of me because I tended to crack up when I was supposed to be holding a pose. But almost everyone else he completely captured on the first shot.

Greg was kind enough to allow us a couple of extra hours of class on Saturday, right before we left, so that we could see a set up that he’d be using to photograph a client the following day. Again, he photographed many of us using a continuous light setup. At the end of the day, I gave Greg and enormous hug and thanked him for all he’d taught us, before traveling down the east coast, and catching a ride home with Sam and TJ.

All in all, a wonderful week, barring the hitch with equipment rentals, and I would definitely come back to Maine Media Workshops. I highly recommend Greg Heisler as a teacher, and am very glad for the experiences I had, all that I learned, and the warm relationships formed with colleagues and other creative folks formed while there.

Goodbye, beautiful Rockport, and thank you Greg Heisler and Maine Media Workshops...

Light Work with Gregory Heisler at the Maine Media Workshops - Part One

Surrounded by so many images every day, it’s rare you come across one that arrests you and pins you by your ears. When first I saw the cover of Gregory Heiser’s recent book, 50 Portraits, I felt jolted. The image, mostly velvety black, was the portrait of an older African-American man, bathed in a pool of light, his enormous hands wrapped around his lined face. It was extraordinary; simple yet beautiful and interesting, and it grabbed me and made me want to know all about this person caught in the pool of light. I later learned that he was the life-long masseuse of Muhammad Ali, but it almost didn’t matter, because I could see who he was caught in that moment.

Heisler’s book is an unusual photo book, in that it was just as well-written as it was photographed, with a wry, kind, and humorous voice. He has photographed more than 70 covers for Time Magazine, and is known for his evocative portrait work. Gregory, or Greg as we came to know him over the week I spent in Rockport, Maine at the Maine Media Workshops working with him, is exactly that in person. I had been considering taking a longer workshop relating to my portrait work this year, and I knew from reading his book, and seeing him on YouTube, that I would be in good hands with this master photographer as my teacher. I remember my heart pitter-pattering when I signed up for the workshop back in April. Not only I was so excited to meet Gregory, fan-girl like, but because it was quite an investment to take a week-long workshop, and a working photographer can buy a lot of equipment for the price of a workshop! However, knowledge is the investment that always pays back (at least that what my student loan officers say ;-).

The advanced workshop I chose was called Light Work, and the majority of my classmates were working artists and photographers.The first day we reviewed five images by each of our fellow class members, as a way of introduction. They ran the gamut; one was an editorial photographer, another a fine art photographer, another an architecture photographer, another a food photographer for a major supermarket. I was one of the few folks  who had a lot of experience with commercial portraiture, but others were certainly more technical. A couple of folks were retired, and were conducting photo projects around the world. Some had gone to art school, some hadn’t, some were sent by their employers, but most weren’t. It really ran the gamut. Some of us had a lot of experience with strobes and artificial continuous light, and others primarily had shot using ambient light. Seeing each other’s images was a great introduction, especially since I’m famously bad at remembering names, but I always remember what they shot, their senses of humor, and their character quirks. Heisler thought my portraits were lovely - I showed five of my recent author shots - and that certainly brought out the warm fuzzies on my end of things! He was similarly encouraging to the others in the group as well.

Visual introduction of my recent work for Gregory Heisler's class

The second portion of the day was Greg introducing his work, and explaining exactly his light set-up for each shot. We saw images of presidents, famous actors, mayors, monks, and authors (yay)!. Of course, all were beautifully lit. As he patiently walked through each set-up, Greg was generous in answering questions and giving feedback.

In the evening, we went to the Rockport Opera House to watch two of the faculty members present and speak about their work. One was our own Gregory Heisler, and the other was the very inspiring and rather wonderful fine art photographer, Cig Harvey, who presented her beautiful visual storytelling work. She was so lovely and personable, and her work took my breath away with its depth and emotion; I hope to take a course with her sometime soon. After the talks, we students chose to bumble around Rockport, photographing available light that we’d imitate in the studio the following day.

iphone photo of streetlight falling on TJ for finding light assignment.

The second day, after our critique and a morning demo and practice, we went out into the field, so to speak, and shot in a church in groups of three using continuous light with different color balances. I became very close with my team-mates, Sam and TJ, and we remained as thick as thieves for the rest of the week. Sam does beautiful fine art work of landscapes, and TJ is a headshot and underwater photographer from Dubai transitioning to Chicago, who has trained with the headshot guru Peter Hurley (shebang! He really does talk like that. Hurley, not TJ.).

Practicing with tungsten and incandescent lights in studio with TJ and Sam.

We buddied up with one of the models that Maine Media provided for us, Peter Paton, who was wonderful, with a fantastic craggy face of great character. The goal of the day was to figure out how to DIY any lighting setup with continuous lights that can be bought from any retail store to beautiful effect, and also to provide a visual story with one image. The exercise helped us understand the various colors of light, how to create effects through directionality, and how to mimic ambient light. Heisler has lit heads of state using lights he picked up from Home Depot. It ain’t about how fancy your lighting devices, it’s about how you use them. Applies to many things in life!

Photographing Peter Paton

To be continued...