Seals and a great University

My wife and I were lucky enough to witness a great event last Sunday. As some of you know, my "real" job is in Human Resources at the University of New England. On Sunday UNE's marine science program released three seals that they had been nursing back to health on the Biddeford, ME campus. It is great to see the place you work do good deeds and I felt proud to be a part of an institution that not only does that kind of thing but also trains and educates people to continue doing great things. Here are just a few photos I was able to capture of the seals being released. A beautiful late summer day well spent.

Gaga in the Park

Was able to walk down to Deering Oaks Park last night to see Lady Gaga (etal.) speaking about today's pending vote in Congress to end the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" practices. Big crowd and all the drama you'd expect from a visit to our small city from such a big star. She and the other speakers gave very heartfelt speeches about this antiquated practice. Got a couple of good shots of Lady G looking very patriotic.

The best Maine has to offer

Yesterday was a great day here in Maine! I got up really early and went to Lewiston to watch the hot air balloon festival. What a great site! There were 20-30 hot air balloons all taking off at the same time (dawn!) I'll have some more photos to post soon but here is a sample of what's to come!

After the balloon festival we went to the Farmer's Market in Deering Oaks Park in Portland and got some local produce. Maybe I'll have a kitchen soon to cook it in! (We're supposed to close on our new place this week! Yeah, no more hotels!)

In the evening we went up to Freeport and watched a free concert by Ingrid Michaeson at the LL Bean stage. She was fantastic and it was a really great night! Besides her own great music she did a cover of Radiohead's "Freak" that was awesome!

Today is about getting caught up and ready for this week. I still haven't gotten out much to take photos but things should slow down a little soon.

There certainly isn't any shortage of beautiful places to shoot in the area. Below is from early morning trip I took to Cape Elizabeth. (Foggy, waves, lighthouses. Basically coastal Maine.)

Day off?

I had a day off from the day job today and took advantage of it by sending introduction emails out to some local photographers. Since my move coincided with the busy wedding season and I didn't have time to establish myself here, I thought I'd see any other local photographers might need any help. It's common for photographers to surf other photographer's sites and I did that too. I sent emails to a few photographers who's work I really liked and hope that I'll get to work with some of them this summer. Tomorrow I get out with the camera and do a little more scouting of the area. Look for posts soon! I also set up my website today with my new address and tweaked the layout a little. Good day off, huh?

Hello Maine!

I've made it to Maine! I'm just setting up my business in the area. If you're a bride or groom looking for a great last minute photographer this summer in the Portland area make sure to give me a call! Right now I'm just getting a lay of the land and finding a new place to live but have started scouting out some good spots for shooting. Had a great night out last night at the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse (check out the attached photo; awesome light!) What a great spot for shooting! Portland sure has it's fair share of beautiful places.

Wow! What a whirlwind!

Am I ever tired! Shot a really fun wedding a couple weeks ago and am still trying to get caught up. The number of photos from a wedding are astounding and the process of editting them down to a reasonable presentation is an onerous task. The shots are coming out nice and should be reafy in just a little while. BIG thanks to Maureen Roy http://www.maureenroyphotography.com/ for helping me out at the wedding. Once again, Maureen and my styles melded well. It's great to have someone I know I can count on and Maureen's continued support is a godsend. Thanks Maureen!

Right after the wedding I took a much needed camping trip for a couple of days and visited Montana's Ruby Valley. What a beautiful place! Ruby Valley is about 70 miles from Yellowstone and is best known for Virginia City and Nevada City. Both are old west gold towns with some great history. The historic towns were okay but the true gem is the natural beauty of the valley. Besides catching a horrible cold while I was gone it was a really nice trip.

Back to edits! Keep your eyes peeled for more photos.

Weddings and Birthdays, Oh My!

I've had some great shoots lately! Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending Sunday afternoon with Grace and her family. Grace was celebrating a milestone Birthday and her family came together to celebrate her big day with some family photos. What a great family! We had a great time and got some good shots while dodging a mid-afternoon Montana summer thunderstorm.

Next weekend is Stephanie and Reid's wedding in Missoula! I'm really looking forward to sharing their day with them and their families and know that there will be some fantastic opportunities to capture their memories. Look for the photos in a few weeks!