Britta & James { Engagement }

Britta and James Love Story had a "rocky start" - you see they are both attending a prestigious Dental school and their teacher made them sit together ... in alphabetical order. Oh yea, really! And they really didn't like each other at first. But as fate [and all great - epic Love stories go] they soon found that they had a lot in common and they fell in love! ... I know - I sort of compacted the story! HA!

The day of their Engagement session we met in Boston with plans of walking over to Marlborough street to the exact spot where Jimmy proposed to Britta on the sidewalk, under the light of a lamp post which is right outside her apartment. 

The closer we got to Marlborough Street the more they talked about just how special this spot was to them.

We stayed there for a little while - taking a few photographs and talking about that night when Jimmy asked one of the most important questions of their lives ... and how Britta said YES!

It was a perfect day

 

The End of Illness - Dr David Agus {Event}

I do like meeting people with interesting new ideas, a fresh approach, someone who shatters the "normal normal normal".  And I had the opportunity to do it recently while photographing a corporate event where The New York Times Best Selling author Dr David B, Agus was the guest speaker. Dr Agus was the physician for Lance Armstrong, Steve Jobs and others, so there was a bit of "star quality" in the air.

I haven't finished his book The End of Illness  yet which focuses on all the things we are doing wrong by taking vitamins and other supplements. Dr Agus said that our routine of taking these  pills every day and not taking a baby aspirin  every day was increasing our chances of cancer and heart disease.  It was a controversial talk to say the least.

 

  The one thing we all agreed was that it was credible and worth some careful consideration.

 

I asked Dr Agus for a signed copy of his book addressed to my Son, who is a Neurosurgical  Nurse Practioner {yep, my Son the surgeon!} - Dr Agus wrote "Thanks for what you do - please focus on the whole". And that is Dr Agus' message to us all I believe.

  

I have such a great job and get to meet some very interesting people!

 

The Travis Roy Beanpot Challenge {A Hockey Game}

I had the honor to photograph The Travis Roy Beanpot Challenge - a charity hockey tournament to benefit The Travis Roy Foundation and Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation. The annual event was held at the Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University - Boston MA on February 13, 2012.

The event is held the same day as "The Beanpot" a hockey tournament when four Boston rivals ( Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern University) duke it out for bragging rights.  It is a wicked pissah day of hockey.

But this was a special day for me as well because I was able to invite my Son to the tournament as my second shooter. 

The hockey at the Travis Roy event was excellent.  Even Jack Parker, Boston University's famous hockey head coach made an appearance on the bench to give the players some words of encouragement.

After the hockey we all went to the Boston Garden for a player reception and to enjoy "The Beanpot" that evening.

Travis Roy is the author of " The Eleven Seconds" which is his story of hockey, his injury and his quest to help others.

Learn more at http://www.beanpotchallenge.org/

Chrissi & John {Engagement} in the North End

For Chrissi and John's Love Story Engagement session we headed to the cozy streets of Boston's famous North End. It was the perfect backdrop for some fun and relaxing and totally romantic shots of this incredible couple.

John is a born and bred Boston boy and Chrissi is from a small town in Minnesota ( "don't cha know"). They met while at a conference and I guess you could say the rest is history.

The North End is the hub of Boston's Italian community. Every restaurant is fabulous ... each coffee shop boasts better coffees and pastries than the next. And the streets are filled with tradition and surprises.

It was a cold and grey day in Boston so I wasn't sure if Chrissi would want to shed her coat for some of the shots and I had no idea where she would find a place to change into her other outfit.

We photographed everywhere - the city streets, the alleys and the parks. And everywhere we went the images were just beautiful. But where will Chrissi get changed?  Then Chrissi's phone rang, it was a friend ... of a friend who lived in the North End and had heard that she was there.  She could change into her other outfit at his place!.  John (you remember John?  HA!)  and I were relieved!  Life is good.

We had a nice break in a warm apartment while Chrissi changed and then we were off again to explore.

Now, if you're wondering .. how does a Boston "townie" and sweet girl from Minnesota find each other and fall in love ?   Well, you'll just have to ask the President ... yes, of the United States. He knows, but my guess is that he can keep their secrets ...

Seniors Rock! and We Love Them

Shooting senior high portraits is totally a labor of love for me. This is such an incredible time in the life of both the senior and their families.

Think about it ... for the senior it's a mix of terror - anticipation - happiness - fear - fear ...

And for the parents ... happiness - pride - sadness - sadness ... fear ... fear

I know I repeat my self .. HA!

For me - it is a time to capture this awesome time in their lives when they are teenagers on the verge of being adults. There is so much magic in their eyes and I just love it.

Rich Morton Brings his Class on A Field Trip to the Studio

Rich Morton, a good friend and fellow photographer brought his photography class by the studio to learn more about posing and lighting.  So of course we started outside with sunlight - an excellent light source ... and wicked bright!

Then it was time to ride "the tower of terror" freight elevator up to my studio, which I guess by the look on their faces was fairly exciting ! We used strobes and constant light sources and I got to get some awesome shots of the class for my portfolio. ( now where did I put all of their signed client releases ... hmmmm )

With classes like this one, I like to show them that "light is light" and that it's how you light the subject and not what light you use that can make a great image possible.


Rich (by the way) is an awesome character actor ... he's the one making the faces in the video.

Grease - Walpole High School - Walpole MA {Performance}

I love shooting high school shows. They're fun for both the actors and the audience.  It's kind of like a big "group hug".

Walpole High School - in Walpole MA recently did Grease - The Musical. All the Greasers and Pink Ladies were there at Rydell High for a journey back to a time when you could get wicked "greased back" and kick some serious boooo-tay! Although I don't think that the word " boooo-tay" came along for a few years.

I got the chance to realize that even those sweet Pink Ladies were tough ... so you had better be careful what you say or you'll be eating all your meals through a straw ... Hey ... I'm talkin' at "chew" knucklehead ? Got it! HA! 

Everyone was either a nerd, a jock or a greaser . Oh yea, these were good times ... good times!

 

The Arts - The Intangible that produces Tangible Results

The Arts in our schools are and have been in jeopardy of being cut for years.  I know ... I know. Funds are limited.

So do we make sure that the kids get a nutritious lunch or that they can play in the band? Maybe it's shop classes { carpentry, electrical, plumbing} that make the most sense?  Or maybe just math and science education should be guaranteed.

The Fine Arts {Drama classes, Band/Orchestra, Chorus, Writing classes, Painting/Sculpture, PHOTOGRAPHY!} are important parts of an education - they can prove life changing - and for some kids life saving.  

I honestly believe that participating in the Arts can be just as life-direction-changing as math or football can be for a student. All of these activities give one a sense of pride.  And pride in one's self is empowering.

Recently the town where I raised my kids had a real scare when millions of dollars were about to be removed from the fine arts budget and many programs were going to be cut.

The town rose to the occasion and came out to speak to the town council. The parents and students, and former students spoke. Not to say that the arts were more important than supplying a nutritious lunch for the students who needed that financial assistance ... or the football program or making sure that there would be money to heat the school buildings, But just to say that they were better and more focused on their life path and more confident that what they did each day mattered because of the Arts in the schools.

The arts may seem intangible ... but the results they provide are clearly seen.

Headshots - Dan Busler Photography - Memorable Images of You

Love - and creating fun - flirty - memorable headshots takes time.

The misconception about headshots is that they are portraits. When they are really "headshots" and you are the product. Because after all - they've just seen 50 or 100 actors or models and You want them to remember you! Incredible - awesome - talented - handsome - beautiful - approachable - sexy - stunning - "the perfect redhead for the part" ... You!

So here's the story when you come in for your session - First of all, relax – this day is going to be a blast. We’ll begin with a discussion of what makes you so darned incredible and how your images will be used.

 

Then a review of the clothing you’ve brought and we'll spend a few minutes getting you acclimated to the lights, camera and the simple posing direction I give to make your images even more memorable.

All the time focusing on expression and attitude and speaking with your eyes to the person who will be holding your headshot after you've left the audition/modeling call. The purpose of this is after all - to get you the gig!