Its been some time since without any blog updates so I figured a summer review was in order, it being Labor Day weekend and all. Lots of photos were taken this summer, new friends were made, and photo dreams come true.
Summer for me started in May with the Volvo Ocean Race coming to Boston for its only US stopover. I got the opportunity to help out my friend and fellow photographer Brad Moore, who is the photo editor at The Bostonist, cover the event. The Volvo Ocean Race is an around the world sailing race, deemed the last extreme sport in the world and seeing it first hand I couldn’t agree more. We were embedded with PUMA Ocean Racing, PUMA has an international office at the Design Center in South Boston and its US headquarters is in Westford, MA so this was a local event for them. We were invited to the press days, covered the Race Village and we were invited to spend the day on the PUMA support Rib and cruise around Boston Harbor to photograph the Volvo Pro Am Race, which puts amateur sailors and media members on the race boats to see how these guys work first hand. That also gave me the opportunity to rent a Canon 500mm f/4 lens, I didn’t think that I was going to use it for the Pro Am race, but I ended up taking it on the rib, and hand holding a 500mm lens on a moving boat taking photos of other moving boats for 5 hours!
There were multiple photoshoots around the city with friends throughout June, lots of sunsets, nights, urban environments and even a couple of portrait shoots for good measure. The 4th of July came quickly and with the weather this summer never really becoming summer till August, getting a nice day for a fireworks shoot, was going to be a crap shoot. Luckily the photo gods were on our side and the 4th was the perfect day. I spent the morning and afternoon with my friend Erin watching Old Ironside on its annual turn around, we had a mini pub crawl, then it was time to meet my friends John and Rich to set up camp on the Mass Ave bridge to photograph the fireworks on the Charles River, Erin her friend even joined back up with us for all the bright lights and big bangs of the rockets red glare.
Late July found the Tall Ships in Boston Harbor, for Sail Boston 2009. This event was on again/off again because a money dispute between the Organizer and the City of Boston. Seems the Organizer stiffed the city out of a hefty bill for security and sanitation after the last event. Luckily the sides worked things out and although it was a scaled down event, the ships came, and thousands came out to see them in all there glory. It was a difficult event to shoot given the tight security, dock restrictions and the sheer amount of people, but I got some great photos none the less. And the next time the event comes to town I’ll be a little better prepared for photographing the shoots.
August featured the second annual Scott Kelby World Wide Photowalk which photographers from all over the world got together to take photos for the sole enjoyment of it. Sure there were some great prizes to be had for the best photos but when it came right down to it, the event was about socializing with fellow photographers, sharing knowledge, and having fun. There were a total of seven walks around Boston, Brad lead the Boston: Seaport to North End walk. It was a good time, I met some good people, and I got daring, I put my Canon 5D mark II, Canon 15mm Fisheye lens, and a pocket wizard into a ziplock bag and then put that bag into the middle of a fountain to try to get the water shooting into the air. The shots didn’t come out like I had hoped but I will be trying that again before the fountains are shut off.
The Canon 17mm TS-E tilt shift lens came into stock at lensprotogo and I took that opportunity to rent it for two weeks and see what it was all about. I have to say, it became my favorite lens very quickly but at $2,500.00 it won’t have a permanent spot in my bag for quite some time. John Brad and I went up to Marblehead, MA and shot sunrise on the ocean, we might of had to leave Boston at 4:30 am to get there for sunrise but this lens performed like a champ and it was well worth it. I photographed lots of urban architecture around Boston with it and then the following weekend I took it to Newport, RI with John to shoot sunset, but while down there we broke out the big zooms and we went and took photos of a polo match at the Newport Polo Club. It was two straight weeks of taking pictures to get the most of my money for this rental, and i burned myself out doing it. I haven’t taken a lot of pictures since returning it, but that will soon be changing, I’m headed out tomorrow night to photograph sunset at Harvard Stadium with John and Rich and then most likely photos at night in Harvard Square. John and I are also planning a New Hampshire fall foliage photo trip, to break up city life and get a refreshing change of scenery.
Well that’s the highlights for the summer, stay tuned to the blog, as I am planning on participating in a few events during the remaining months of the year, including Worldwide Moment and Help Portrait.
