London and the Cotswolds, England

In late September of 2024 we travelled to England with friends to explore London and the countryside and it was everything we had hoped for and more. The people were all so friendly especially in the Cotswolds and the food was surprisingly delicious. We had more things to see and do than we had time to do them, but we made the best of our time there exploring at our own pace. In London we walked all over the city seeking out famous landmarks and discovering hidden gems, saw the play Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre in London’s West End, and walked across Abbey Road that the Beatles made famous. In the small towns of Oxford, Broadway and Long Compton in the Cotswolds we stayed in quaint bed and breakfast homes, hiked with the locals up in the hills with beautiful vistas of the countryside, visited many a small town pub, drank Guinness on tap and ate the local cuisine. We even rented a car and managed to stay safe driving on the left side of the road, quite the experience! England is a place I would return to especially now that we have a good idea of the area and feel very comfortable exploring London and hanging in the small towns with the friendly locals.

Street Photography - The Dogs of Austria, Bavaria & Switzerland

In the summer of 2023 we traveled to Austria, Bavaria and Switzerland, a beautiful and interesting part of the world. The scenery is remarkably immense in the countryside and the cities are colorful and full of life with people, many with their dogs. Dogs are my life and photographing them as part of the communities we were moving through quickly became my focus as we traveled around the area. I was thrilled to find a variety of dogs and their people who easily made their way through the crowds. It was a fun way to assimulate into a different part of the world and get a feel for how dogs can be an important part of everyday life. Shot on iPhone 14Pro Max

Baxter Memories - Pure Gold

Baxter loved the camera.  There were days when I would see him lying there and I’d run to get my camera and ask him to wait right there and he would.  He was such a handsome boy and that is what drew me to photograph him so often.  It was also the light that would inspire me and he would either already be in it or I would ask him to come with me to where the light was best.  He would happily come every single time and sit and wait.  The moments were either quick or more intentional where I would have an idea and then find him and set up the shot.  He was always patient while I found the best angle and placement of light streaming in through the windows or through the trees if we were out in the yard.  Sometimes there was only a sliver of light and not much time, but he was such a presence in my life and such a happy boy that I couldn’t help but document our time together. We bonded over these moments and I will cherish them and especially him forever. We lost Baxter way too soon at nine years old in the early days of spring, and my heart has broken in a million little pieces. This is my attempt to piece it back together and keep his memory close to my heart. Baxter loved the camera, but he loved us most of all.

A walk in the woods at Hale Reservation

The connection between dogs and humans runs deep and I jump at any chance to document this special relationship of love, trust and devotion between owner and their dog.  So when one of my co-workers at REI mentioned she had a service dog I was all ears and intent on getting them in front of my camera.  We met at Cat Rock in Hale Reservation and ventured out stopping along the trails when the light came pouring through the trees.  It was a fun time and I quickly fell in love with her dog, Atlas, who is not only smart and intuitive, but handsome and friendly.  I'm grateful for our time and wish them all the very best as they move to a new city and on to new adventures together.  All images edited in Lightroom using VSCO Portra 400.

early morning after the storm

All images taken with Fujifilm X-T2 with 23mm F2 lens, edited in Lightroom using Kodak Gold 100

garden macro on the summer solstice

Fujifilm X-T2 with 23mm F2 lens, edited in Lightroom using VSCO Kodak Gold 100

early morning backyard views

The time before coffee or in-between sips I love going out into the yard in the hour after the sun rises to capture that gorgeous light that streams through the back trees before it lifts high in the sky.  My camera of choice for this is the Fujifilm X-T2 with 23mm F2 lens, so much fun to use and great for closeups.  Shot in raw and processed in Lightroom with VSCO Kodak Gold 100.

a closer look

Fujifilm X-T2 with 23mm lens, edited in Lightroom with VSCO Kodak Gold 100

garden views in early morning light

After a long winter in the northeast the garden finally comes to life during the month of May.  If you venture out back early in the morning the sun starts to rise up through the trees and the light comes streaming in through little pockets and dances around the growing plants and grass.  It is especially startling after a night of rain and it's so fun to capture what I'm seeing and feeling through my lens as I follow the light into every corner.  Fujifilm X-T2 with 23mm F2 lens, processed with VSCO using Kodak Gold 100.

the dark side

Playing around with the Fujifilm X-T2 with 23mm F2 lens on a recent early morning after the rain.  This is as close as I can get with this lens and still have focus, with no cropping at all.  When shooting details I would love to use a macro lens to get in even closer, although these images show the detail I was looking for on the edges of the hosta leaves and the raindrops.  Processed in Lightroom using VSCO Kodak Gold 100.

A Christmas Tree Farm First Tradition 2016

There's nothing quite as magical as picking out a Christmas tree from the local tree farm and having it cut down and hauled out, so when I was asked to document this first tradition for this beautiful family of four I jumped at the chance!  We met early on a cold overcast weekend morning as soon as the fog lifted and were delighted to be one of the first to arrive at the tree farm and have the hill to ourselves.  The kids quickly picked out one of the small trees just their size and it was the perfect spot to stop for photos.  Many laughs and a bigger tree pick later we headed back down the hill for some freshly made donuts, candy canes and hot apple cider.  It was the perfect First Tradition to help ring in the month of December filled with the magic of the season and hearts all around filled with love and gratitude!

real is more interesting than perfect

I love black & white and the dramatic effect it can give a photo.  My favorite editing tool is VSCO Tri-X as it reminds me of my old film days in the dark room developing black & white prints and the exciting feeling when the image first appears in the chemical tray.  I'm in the process of re-editing old digital photos and discovering that I like them even more in monochrome than in color.  I'm also looking for those images that seem the least posed, the ones where I have been able to capture the mood of the moment and you can feel emotion in them.  I will continue to add images to this post with the intention of making a book with Artifact Uprising.  This will be one of my winter projects and I'm putting it here to hold me to it.

roots and wings

My daughter is about to embark on a year-long journey to teach in Southeast Asia.  As a mom I have mixed feelings about this solo adventure, but after extensive discussions about the whys and hows I am surrounding her with loving support, encouragement and all things positive and am so proud of her kind and generous heart.  This is a time when I find myself pulling out old photos of days gone by in an attempt to finally get them printed and into archival form.  As I pour over my shoeboxes filled with photos, I remember each one and the moment I clicked the shutter.  This is one photo in particular I cherish and remember having to beg her to come down to the field with me to test out the light the day before I had a scheduled shoot.  I am forever grateful that she has given me so many cherished memories to hold onto as she goes off on her adventures filled with the knowledge that she will always have a home and family and friends who love her with all their hearts.

Winter Family Festival 2016

January is one of my favorite months of the year.  As much as I love December with all the celebrations of the season, January is like a huge breath out and a great excuse to pull in.  It’s also a great month to get outdoors and feel the cold air and have fun in the snow or go for long bug-free hikes in the woods.  So when our 3rd annual Winter Family Festival rolled around this weekend and there was no snow to speak of, we met at Hale Reservation and hiked the trails with the whole crew.  We even had a snowball fight with two buckets of store bought fleece snowballs in the field at the end of the hike and had a blast!  These are treasured times when we can all get together and catch up on each others lives, savoring the break and loving the kids running around and reconnecting with each other.  Here are a few photos from our fun day, forever grateful for our time together.  Thanks Maureen and Doug for gathering us all together to celebrate family and the winter season!