ALL SMILES

This little boy had the most magical smile. His ebullience was unmistakeable and really did light up the whole room. I couldn't help but photograph him.

GIRAFFE

STORM CLOUDS

I had several outside shoots scheduled for today and given the kind of weather we have been having on Long Island I wondered just how prudent it was. I reminded myself that I don't schedule assignments, I just take the pictures as I gathered my rain gear together. When I got to the venue I walked around the field trying to figure out a good location and as I looked up saw these dark clouds gathering. I managed to get the shoot done and moments later the rain came.

PLAYING WITH LIGHT

I was fooling around with my camera's flash tonight. Momma was over for dinner and a game of Scrabble. The Scrabble game got quite competitive and Momma's glasses were knocked from the table. A lens popped out, hence the tape on the corner of her lenses! I liked the edginess of this light, but Momma wasn't thrilled with the photo. In high school when I first got interested in photograhy, my Mom was my first subject. She wasn't thrilled with his photo, but nonetheless she continues to make photo sacrifices for me!

CRYSTAL BALL

The oft talked about crystal ball that offers a glimpse into the future is a pretty concept (although I am not sure I would want to know what my future holds). One of my most treasured belongings is a different kind of crystal ball. It can't tell me the future, but this Waterford crystal baseball was given to me years ago by a very dear friend. The faceted baseball graces my coffee table, plays with the light and reminds me of my boys of summer, the New York Yankees.

MOVING ON

There's something about attending a commencement which always engenders in me an odd combination of hope and melancholy. It starts with hearing the traditional Pomp and Circumstance and ends with the usual tossing of the mortarboards. I look at the happy faces full of joy and ready to run towards their future. I think of where I was the day I graduated and where I am now. No regrets, although I wonder what my life would be like if I had listened to my Mom and chosen the career path she wanted for me. Like this image, life is full of reflections.

RAINDROPS

WINDOW LIGHT

The first photography class I took was my sophomore year of high school. Of course we were shooting black and white and learning to develop film. I was at a neighbor's house and shot a picture of a plant in their window. It was backlit, but I really liked the shot and I considered it an early success. When I saw this photo forty years later it reminded me of that picture I took so many years ago. The technology has changed a lot, but it's still all about the light and the composition.