Alice in Wonderland - Coakley Middle School {Performance}

Down the rabbit hole she goes - following that crazy White Rabbit ! Cause ... as you know, he was late! 

 

The Coakley Middle School in Norwood MA presented Alice in Wonderland - the musical on May 8 and 9 2012! 

Oh yea, it was a show full of songs, crazy characters and "one-liners".  Cause as the Mad Hatter said in the show  "You can't be Alice ... Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" 

 

A joke that the actors delivered, but couldn't have gotten ... I hope that the sound of my camera covered up my comment ... HA! 

 

These talented young actors truly proved that the arts are alive in our schools. It was a great show.

 

The Smiths - A Session for their Parents {Portraits}

It's pretty cool when I'm asked by the kids to do a session so that they can have a special portrait of themselves to give to their parents for a special occasion. 


I think that the kids know that their parents may be a bit sad as they see them each graduate from high school, then college, get married and start their own families.

What better gift than to stop time, for that brief moment and capture them all at this stage in their lives.  

I was so honored recently to do this session with the Smiths. 

We met at the studio and did the session by the pond and near a few of the buildings. 

This is one handsome bunch! Here are a few that we photographed by the now famous "green door"

 

And a special thanks to them for letting me add my "I'll kick your butt" attitude posing ... HA!  You guys nailed it!

Pre-Prom in the Park - Whitman-Hanson Regional High {Event}

Just by chance and my wicked good fortune I was invited by my good buddy Mark to photograph his Daughter and her date in the park near their home as she and her friends gathered for the Junior prom this year.

 

There were lots of kids there when I arrived. The late afternoon sun was low in the sky but still very bright, so it was a bit difficult to find some shade.  

 

So, we shot with tons ... and tons of hair light! Halos? 

 

In the end what I captured were images of a great group of kids who truly enjoy each other's company.

 

What else could I have asked for?

 

The Boston Sky - I looked Up and there it was {Scouting}

I like to spend some time "scouting" out new locations. Especially when I'm looking in areas where I photograph all the time. 

It's so easy to play it safe and shoot all the same places, so I force myself to add something new to every session. 

 

I was in Boston recently - just walking though town on a dark and gloomy kind of day and I looked up ... HA!  I know -  well, I never look up. 
The sky was magical - and had that "rainy day in old London" look.  

 

Now the way to make a sky even more dramatic is to expose for one stop below a "correct" exposure.  

 

This also works well for the blue skies I saw just a short time later.

 

New England is well know for the phrase " Hey! you don't like the weather .. wait five minutes

 I did .. and the weather changed!

New York City - The Day After Christmas 2011 {Road Trip}

My Daughter and her Fiance were home (from Los Angeles) for Christmas a few months ago. And for a special trip we went down from Boston to NYC for the day - the day after Christmas.

 

New York City (with all the lights, and decorations and incredible crowds) is such a special and crazy place at Christmas time. 

We got down to the city early in the day with the hope of lunch in Times Square, then pastries at Macy's, coffee at Starbucks, go to the camera stores, maybe see some TV or movie stars just hanging out and then the lights as the city came a live after dark.  It is a "food focus" I know ... HA!

 

The crowds were beyond belief. No, seriously,  we went into one door of Macy's and were literally pushed through the store.  Gotta love it! So no pastries - crap! 

 

I do admit that if you can handle it, it must be just incredible to live in downtown New York City.  

 

Maybe one day.  Hey, you never know.
 

 We did make a number of stops to look at shoes. After all, my Daughter was with us.

    

Memorial Day 2012 - Norwood MA {Event}

We all know what doing something each year, on a certain date or holiday {tradition} means to us. It's those things that we can rely on to bring our lives back to normal for a moment.

I spent many years living in Norwood MA.  And each year we would go "up town" to watch the Memorial Day parade which starts at one of the town's cemeteries and ends at another. 
Then all of the town would spend some time together in some ceremonies to remember those who have died in the service of our country. 

   

This year was no different.  The parade, the ceremonies and the rememberances.  But this is one of those times when the routine of it all really hit home for me and felt great.   

 

It's more than a day off - it's a "slow down and don't you dare think about your crazy busy life" day.  

 

Each year, one of the graduating high school seniors reads the Gettysburg Address. This year it was delivered by Philip Gustafson who gave us all a look at what it might have sounded like when it was first heard on that battlefield cemetery so long ago.

 

Philip spoke to us. As Lincoln might have spoken to the crowd that gathered to dedicate the cemetery.  

 I admit that I know much less about history that I think I do. And history is personal and for some - it hurts to remember. But we must continue to tell the story - each year. Or it will fade and be forgotten.

 

I forget too often that a happy life is more important than a wealthy life. So, thanks for the normal, routine, boring, slow, "small town" days - they are such a blessing. I'm already looking forward to July 4th - just another "boring" day in a small town.
 

The Wedding Singer - Norwood High - Norwood MA {Performance}

Norwood High School in Norwood MA presented "The Wedding Singer"   - yes, the musical production based on the 1998 Adam Sandler movie of the same name.

 

If you missed seeing the movie, Let me tell ya all about it.

 

 It's the story of Robbie, the Wedding singer and Julia, the beautiful waitress who are both engaged to be married - but to the wrong people! OH NO!! - Anyway - there are some huge dance numbers - crazy characters and soon - just like in the movies - fortune intervenes to help them discover each other.

 

YES!  happy ending alert!

The image above got the comment " this was my favorite part of the show" from one of this actress' friends ... when I posted in on Facebook.  I wonder why??