Christmas 2010 - Take the time to Smile - Dan Busler

For me - I feel that there is no holiday more tied to "family" than Christmas.  I know it's a religious holiday - and the one that my family celebrates - so for you it might be another holiday that means "family". But for me ... it's Christmas.

Christmas is the one time of the year when people give themselves "a hall pass" ... a waiver ... to stop the rat race and look at the lights on the tree. Listen to to holiday music and take the time to smile at each other.

Since my children are now grown and have fantastic careers I now put up a fake Christmas tree. It's kind of thin and crooked .  But it holds a lifetime of memories of early Christmas morning ... wrapping paper flying in the air as presents are opened, screams of joy as the kids get the present they asked for and hugs.  It is a good day.  

I am writing this as the spring season is just around the corner (it had better be!) . it's kind of sad for me to look at these images and know that the little tree and ornaments are packed away until next year. And I'm afraid so is the "hall pass" to stop and smile.

The Real Inspector Hound - Norwood High School - Dan Busler Photography

It all starts with an empty stage .

The year, Norwood High School in Norwood MA is doing the Tom Stoppard play " The Real Inspector Hound" for their entry in to the high school drama festival. And that means that it all starts with an empty stage. Then they have five ... oh yea, five minutes to bring the whole set on stage and set it up. 

The play must fit into 45 minutes ... exactly

 Then they have five ... oh yea again, five minutes to break down and remove the set from the stage.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

The play is great, it runs for 45 minutes... ish, and they can bring the set on stage in five minutes!

It's very funny and the actors are so talented.

It's a howling Who Done It ?

Daniel Mahoney - Hand him the baton and a guitar - Busler

Where do you look to find your dreams ?  And when you get there how do you know that you've arrived?
WOW!  I am way to serious today!  HA!

I first met Daniel when he was cast as one of the leads in Norwood High School's production of Evita.

I later learned that he actually considered himself more a guitarist than an actor. 

Well, move a head to the present and Daniel is just about to graduate from college and is planning to be a high school music teacher.  He asked me to do a portrait session for his professional resume. It was a blast!

 This last image was for his Mom ... you gotta love those "I love ya Mom " poses!  

A Walpole Winter - Busler

I don't actually like snow that much ... I used to LOVE snow, but that was before life made me see it as evil .. HA!

You have to shovel it. 

It can cave in your roof,

Cause auto accidents

Make you late for work

You have to shovel it .. sorry, I already said that , but sometimes you have to shovel a few times ...

Snow used to be so beautiful. It was

A Day off from school!

We're going to go sleding!

Snowball fight!

and it was so quiet and white and soft and beautiful and calming  and slow and incredible

It still all the good things - it still is all good things

Snowball Fight!

Caitlin and Joe - Tie the Knot - Take the Plunge - Make it Real - Busler

I've known Caitin for a few years and when she asked me to photograph her wedding - I was thrilled.

She is such a classy person, I knew that Joe would be too and I was right.

 The value of marriage hasn't changed. It's an expression of commitment. Not only to each other, but to your friends and family. Think about it, here you have two people that get engaged ... then go through months or years of preparation for their Wedding Day and they still go through with it! All that stress - all those questions and suggestions and stress. 

But when you know it's right, when you know that this person is right, that you will support each other and comfort each other - that you will be the " strong one" - non-judgemental,

It's actually an amazing day, but it's not a magical day, the magic was there all along, this is the day of celebration.

I was recently told that I am a couple's "Photographer for life". Until today I didn't realize what that meant - It's not a job, it's a responsibility - an honor and a mission to be there to capture their life.
Pretty neat!

The B Girls - Spelling Bee - Walpole Footlighters - Busler

These headshots are of three of the cast members of the Walpole Footlighters - Walpole, MA production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

I really love doing headshots .. I must admit. I think it has to do with focusing on the actor's eyes. 

 After all, there is so much life in a person's eyes .. it could the saddness, or the laughter, the experience or maybe something else, but I do know that the eys don't lie.



Amber Stahl - Fluently French - Busler

I've actually know Amber for many years, so it was great that she asked me to do her Senior Portraits.

But I didn't see her a lot during her Junior yesr because she spent it in France on a Student exchange.

What a confident girl. Our session was very classic as you can see.

It was a beautiful Fall day and we got some great shots.

I wish that I could type in Franch ... becasue this would be a goood place to do it ... but no,  I need Amber to assist me ... HA! 



The Knot - The Wedding Channel - Dan Busler Photography - Walpole - Norwood MA

Congratulations ! You're Engaged and You're Getting Married!  That's Fantastic!

And when you think of the best Wedding publication and WEB site ... you think of The Knot and the Wedding Channel .

And so now - I am there too!  Please click on this link to see my listing.

http://local.weddingchannel.com/Wedding-Vendors/Dan-Busler-Photography-Profile?ProfileId=373875

"The Time is Perfect ... You're so in Love ... so excited  ... so absolutely ready to be married ...  I'll take the time to focus on you and create images of your love and your Wedding Day that will last for generations"

Happy Birthday Christine - 2011

February 17, 2011 is my Daughter Christine's Birthday

So I'm taking the liberty to post my video tribute to my Fav Girl, my little Sk8rGurl

Christine's an ice hockey player, actress, redhead , comedian, "copper top" , friend, life saver, photographer, ... Daughter

The video is just a glimpse.

Happy Birthday Christine!

Adalene - One of the Dolls - Coakley Middle School - Busler

Go ahead ... I dare ya! 

What you looking at?

Luck Be a Lady ... tonight!

Yes, it's all about the attitude ... even if you're a Middle School doing a production of Guys and Dolls .

 But to do it right you just have to have a "dame"

 You've just gotta have an "Adalene".

Now, what's kind of funny is this actress ( an 8th grader) had it down cold.

The accent, the attitude, the stance ...

 It was quite a performance, but then something tells me that we are really seeing the shades of the strong, confident woman this Adalene will become. 

And that was very cool to see

Sweeney Todd - Norwood High School - More Hot Pies - Busler

Yes, that was the song ... we want more hot (meat) pies! But how did Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett get all that delicious meat in London when meat was only for the wealthy?

Well, we didn't have to wonder for long ... Sweeney was happy to help by supplying a close shave to most anybody that came into his shop, which just happened to be above Mrs. Lovett's lovely pie shop.

This cast of students from Norwood High School in Norwood, MA took on the challenge of this musical and did a great job. Check out the videos.

Here we get a look at the cast.



This is one tracks the cast from rehearsals to opening night.

Kathryn Russo - Her Senior Session

Kathryn's session was effortless. Everywhere we went, the images we got were great.

She has such a confident smile, but then she is the Captain of her cross country team, an A student ... and a pretty neat person.

These images at the studio really do show the three sides of Kathryn - the smile

the graceful

and of course ... "don't mess with Kathryn" ! It was an awesome session.

Cianne Maloney - Her Senior Session

Cianne's session was a joy. She is a fine actress and a very funny lady.
We started our session at her home. All I heard for weeks was that we would shoot the location shots in her backyard. You see, Cianne's family has this awsome backyard ... a river (OK a stream) runs through it, there are great trees, a little pond full of jumping frogs and a trampoline . I was this close to shooting some images of Cianne on the trampoline ... but that would have been to easy. HA!

But there is also a sort of "dog compound" ; a fenced in area with doors and trees and "stuff" .. so of course I told Cianne ... that where we are going to do some shots! I asked ...

What a comfortable smile - it made the images perfect

The Family Cook-out

It's Labor Day week-end 2010 and that means cook-outs. Family, food, fun and kids running everywhere. Lucky for me I was invited to one ... invited as in "hired" to capture it all.

At these events I follow the rule that the best images may be behind me ... and they often are.

This little girl wanted to be photographed all the time ... so I did!

I think the best images are simple, they are real and they are from the sidelines of life.

Moments do pass, they do fade away and they can be forgotten.

Katie Keefe - The Senior Session

I've seen Katie on stage a number of times and I've noticed how softly she moves. Almost like a dancer.

So I was happy when she asked me do her senior session because I knew that we would be able to capture some of that grace and it would make some really nice images.

Every pose was delicate and smooth.

I even tried to add a little "edge" to some of the images and Katie made them classic!

One of my favorie images from the day. Thanks Katie!

Kristen McCarthy - The Senior Session

Kristen's session was full of smiles and style. I usually take a few minutes to ask where they would like to be photographed ... the park, an alley setting ... their backyard? Kristen just replied " you choose" ... HA! I usually do!

This outfit - a "man's cut" shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a pretty summer dress didn't at first look like it would work ... that was until I saw Kristen wearing it. Perfect, she was so relaxed and the poses were beautiful.


We did start our session at the park - trees, stone walls and the GREAT OUTDOORS!


Then it was off to the studio. Kristen had just been to the salon and her hair was just beautiful, with streaks of blond and brown. So I had to do some overprocessing to really bring out the tones ... maybe I did just for me... HA!


I usually ask the girls for a "pensive pose" ... one comment she got was "Texting again!" ... yea I guess ... If she is texting- I hope she is writing " I'm having such a GREAT time ! Dan is fabulous " Hey , it could happen.