Boston: State Street Headshots

Recently, I shot a three-day session of headshots at State Street in Boston, having previously shot this creative headshot session on location.

Headshots are a lot of fun and depending on how many people you're shooting, and sometimes you only get a few seconds to capture the moment and get to the natural smile.

There are a lot of great techniques out there for posing, and sometimes they work, other times it's like middle school portraits all over again, right?

So, to change it up, I try to surprise them, ask what they do, talk about their outfit, ask how tall they are, comment on how tall I'm not. That's when their shoulders relax, they exhale and give me their REAL smiles.

To me, a good head shot is all about the spark in their eyes and a true, genuine smile...

These are just a few of over 175 staff photographed at State Street, Boston, November 2013

Boston: Meet K.H of State Street

An example of how amazing social networking is, is how I met KH of State Street, why through Twitter, of course! And then we connected through Linkedin, another great place to network.

We had a fun time shooting on location at the State Street headquarters in Boston.

Boston: The Paint Bar

I haven't painted in yeaaaaars. I have two giant canvases at home, but have yet to make it happen. So, when I was invited to paint at The Paint Bar in Boston, I asked if I could bring along some friends to try it out with me and they were gracious enough to host us!

At the Newbury location, we were welcomed by Breanna, who was the instructor for that evening. Mia, also an instructor, was behind the "bar" that night.

Not only are the canvases included in the cost of the evening, but they are laid out with clean paintbrushes and water containers. All the paint is provided with instructions on how many pumps of paint per color needed for that particular painting. Aprons are also provided, for those paint (or wine) spills that may occur during a fun-filled night!

Thanks Ana for this photo of me pumping paint! We all loved how paint-splattered the aprons were, so beautiful!

The best part was the actual instruction, entertaining and easy to understand, with music provided between instruction so that you can really get into it!

Ready, set, GO!

I loved Ana's painting pose.

Wine to set the tone of my piece...of course!

Our finished work, L-R, me, Alaina, Ana and Chelsea.

A terrific way to spend an evening; so meditative! PLUS, you get to go home with a nicely painted canvas with something that resembles the ones Jackie has painted. Jackie is the daughter part of the "mom-daughter" team of Jackie and Jill Schon who started The Paint Bar, along with sister Mia.

Thanks ladies for having us!

OH, and I'm happy to say, my painting is hanging up at my just-moved-to-Boston-brother-in-law's home!

 All images shot with the iPhone5s

Boston: MFA, John Singer Sargent Watercolors

Violet Sleeping, ca. 1907-1908, Brooklyn MuseumIt's always such a treat to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Remember this?

For me, it's a way to decompress, find inspiration and reflect on my work as a photographer. There's always so much to learn. With the MFA's newest exhibition of Johh Singer Sargent's Watercolors, it's the first time that his most significant collections of watercolors from both the MFA and the Brooklyn Museum have been exhibited together.

I invited some of my favorite ladies in Boston, Elizabeth S who I love to see at Neiman Marcus events, Elizabeth H who I recently dined with, Ana and Alaina who I often have tea with, to join me at the MFA. We were honored to get an inside look of Sargent's Watercolors from the MFA's own Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings, Art of the Americas, Erica Hirshler.

When I studied Art and Art History back at the University of Toronto, John Singer Sargent was always one of those painters who we looked to for his work in oils and always for his ability to capture LIGHT. I had never had the opportunity to view his watercolors in person, until now and they are beyond exquisite.

My favorite piece  "In Switzerland" dated to 1905 is of Sargent's friend Lawrence Harrison whose lanky frame barely fits the bed. The fore-shortened view adds to the interest of the painting, highlighting the shoes dangling off the bed frame.

Sargent's watercolors can be looked at as fragmented moments captured in time; little snapshots, all of which speak volumes of an artist ahead of his period. It's incredible to think that his works were created on moving gondolas, along the hillsides of the Alps, situated in middle eastern bedouin camps, even such challenging locales as the Carrara marble quarries in Lucca.

If only Sargent could have used Instagram....

Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings, Art of the Americas, Erica Hirshler, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Simplon Pass: Reading, about 1911, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Simplon Pass: Reading, about 1911, Museum of Fine Arts, BostonSimplon Pass: The Green Parasol, about 1911, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Gondoliers' Siesta, 1902-1903, Museum of Fine Arts, BostonBedouins, 1905-1906, Brooklyn Museum

Thank you to the Museum of Fine Arts for having us!

The Sargent Watercolor exhibit at the MFA is on now until January 20 2014, for tickets visit the MFA website.

Boston: Red Sox Parade

The Red Sox 2013 World Series champions paraded their way through Boston today, via the city's famous site-seeing World War II amphibious vehicles, the Duck Boats.

The whole city lined the streets for a glimpse of the Red Sox team and crew...

Remember this time I was at Fenway Park?