Ellen and Robb

I recently had a wonderful opportunity to be the second shooter with the talented and fun Kate Preftakes at Ellen and Robb's wedding in Cape Cod.




















My responsibility as the second shooter was to be where Kate couldn't be. So when she was with Ellen and the bridesmaids as they got dressed, I was with Robb and the boys.













Jared, Robb's best man, was also the go-to guy for tying everyone's ties.













Robb, contrary to what you may think, is checking to see how long it is until he can have his first beer.














The groomsmen—not only handsome, but a lot of fun!















Leave the pinning of the boutonniere to the pros. Holding the pin in your mouth is the key to success.













Flawless. My mom couldn't have done it better.































The first toast in the limo.














While Kate set up the shots and made images from the front, I would work around the edges and look for different angles.












A radiant Ellen arrives at the church.

















One of the bridesmaids catches a glimpse of Ellen and her dad as they prepare to go down the aisle.



























































Joy and relief!





















The formal shots (which were delightfully informal) down by the water at the beautiful Wequassett Inn in Chatham.






































































The candlelit reception was beautiful.













As was the candlelit dinner.
































Kathootz rocked the house!














Kate, thanks for asking me to assist! And Ellen and Robb—it was so fun to be a part of your amazing day!

Dartmouth Commencement

I've said it before and I'll say it again: in terms of emotion, beautiful moments, and rich tradition, one of the few things that rivals a wedding is a college commencement.

I had the opportunity to be a staff photographer at Dartmouth’s commencement yesterday, and though it threatened to rain, it never did. We just had beautiful soft light.

















Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the college's popular and dynamic president.
















President George H.W. Bush received an honorary doctorate for his bravery in World War II, and his long life of service to our country. Yesterday was his 87th birthday.















Former First Lady Barbara Bush, as poised and gracious as ever.















In a seeming non sequitur, Conan O'Brien also received an honorary doctorate and gave the commencement address.











He kept everyone, including President Bush, laughing for nearly twenty minutes before talking about how to deal with disappointment, referring to his loss of hosting the Tonight Show when NBC gave the position to Jay Leno. You can see the address at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmDYXaaT9sA.







The real stars of the show, of course, were the graduates.













There was a mixture of joy, relief, and pride on everyone's faces.



















































And celebration between classmates who supported and encouraged one another over four years.





































His graduation gown will never smell quite the same.














Joy, relief, pride, and disbelief.


















































After the ceremony, families express their feelings as well.

The Ashworth House

Last fall, Dave Snyder and Sara Coffey asked me to do a series of documentary images of the Ashworth House in Guilford on the eve of its restoration.












The house, built around 1790, has been owned by only two families for the past 200 years and has basically been architecturally untouched since it was first completed.

David and Sara are restoring it for use by musicians recording at Guilford Sound and dancers doing residencies at Vermont Performance Lab.









As I was doing the documentary shots, I began to envision images of dancers in the space before it was renovated. With the help of some wonderful dancers, I developed a series, "Spirit/s of the Ashworth House."



















Luminz Studio's Aurora Corsano, Fallon Burner, Marshall Jarreau, and Brooke Paige and Marlboro College dance students Cookie and Sarah brought their creative energy to each of the images.

Leslie (artist, friend, and wife) did the post-production digital interpretation.

[You may click on any image to enlarge it.]