Birds in Flight

Whenever possible I enjoy taking time to do a little wildlife photography. One of my favorite places is the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury. Like most wildlife photography trips you never know what you'll see or if you'll see anything at all. The day started off slow. It was hot and sunny and I wasn't seeing a lot of birds but I decided to stick around anyways. After a couple of hours I was able to find a Snowy Egret feeding in one of the salt pannes and as I was photographing the egret a Glossy Ibis came to feed as well. Sometimes all you need is a lot of patience and a little luck.

Nikon D810, 1/2000 @ f/7.1, ISO 500, 500mm with a 1.4x teleconverter

Nikon D810, 1/2000 @ f/7.1, ISO 800, 500mm with a 1.4x teleconverter

Strawberry Moon with Thacher Island Twin Lights

I'm very fortunate to live in an area with multiple lighthouses. I've photographed the north light of the Twin Lights many times before but never with a full Strawberry Moon. These are NOT photoshopped images and only took a little planning and a some luck from Mother Nature. Using the app The Photographer's Ephemeris I was able to put myself in roughly the right area to catch the moon as it rose above the Twin Lights in Gloucester last night. Luckily the clouds held off long enough for me to capture this image. Digital technology has made creating images like this easier to plan and possible to execute without the need for Photoshop.

Nikon D810, 1/25 @ f/6.3, ISO 400, 70-200mm

Nikon D810, 1/20 @ f/6.3, ISO 400, 300mm with 1.4x

The Trophy Shot

Westwood's Andrea Meincke holds up the MIAA Division 1 girls lacrosse state championship trophy for the fans after their win over North Andover, 13-7, at Boston University.

Championship games always allow for a chance to get a nice trophy shot. From experience I knew one of the team captains would bring the trophy over to show the fans. I headed over towards the bleachers and waited. This shot happened to work out just as I hoped it would. Anticipating the moment and experience got me to the right spot at the right time.

Nikon D3s, 1/800 @ f/9, ISO 400, 24-70mm

The Face of Graduation

Members of Joseph Vigliotta's family cheer as his name is called to receive his diploma during the Danvers High School graduation inside the high school field house.

While looking for candid moments of graduates with their diplomas and cheering on their classmates I happened to hear the crowd start to cheer loudly. It was clear what the crowd was reacting to and I was able to get my shot.

Nikon D3s, 1/250 @ f/5, ISO 4000, 70-200mm

Graduation Celebration

Mack Brunot celebrates after receiving his diploma during the Malden High School graduation at MacDonald Stadium.

Graduations offer a lot to photograph. There seems to be endless photo opportunities if your in the right place at the right time and are able to anticipate the moment. Sometimes the cheering from the crowd as a graduates name is called to receive their diploma can help you gauge if a student may celebrate as they receive their diploma. 

Nikon D3s, 1/1250 @ f/4, ISO 200, 70-200mm

Habitat for Humanity

Benjamin Murphy, left, and Braun Stephanos, right, of Premier Builders cut a window frame to size during a Habitat for Humanity affordable home project in Ipswich.

I was given free reign to roam around the construction site. There were a lot of photo opportunities between all the different projects going on at the house. I noticed two men carrying a large frame and followed them. I made a few images of them as they worked. I like how the frame they are working on helps my composition by the use of "leading lines".

Nikon D4s, 1/250 @ f/6.3, ISO 100, 24-70mm

Dancing the Charleston at 105 Years Old!!

Tony Bucci and Robert Cecchini look on as Nancy Kreatz-Cecchini dances the Charleston with Mary Cecchini, who will be celebrating her 105th birthday on June 2, while inside Mary's daughter Julia's house in Medford.

I had the great privileged of meeting Mary recently and was thrilled to be able to photograph her demonstrating her favorite dance step.

Fighting Fire

Hamilton firefighters work at the rear of this building on Highland Terrace in Beverly to extinguish a two alarm fire that started around 7 in the morning.

It happened to be a morning I was already awake when I received an email alert for a fire. I turned on my police / fire scanner and heard radio calls which sounded like the fire was pretty big. I didn't waste any time and got there in a few minutes. Access was difficult and most of the photographs I got were from the rear of the building.

Nikon D4s, 1/160 @ f/5.6, ISO 320, 70-200mm

Prom Moments

A Danvers High School senior talks with a little girl before the start of the annual senior promenade march inside the Danvers High School gymnasium.

I was luck to catch this moment. While talking with a high school student, who was interested in photography and had a few questions about my camera, I noticed this scene that I photographed. The moment only last a second or so before they saw me and the moment ended.

Nikon D3s, 1/250 @ f/4, ISO 6400, 70-200mm

Mentoring A Broken Heart

Will Butler, 10, who suffers from a heart ailment, reacts after beating his mentor Noel Siegert, a junior at Ipswich High School, in a game of Tic-Tac-Toe inside the library at the Doyon School.

My assignment was to photograph Will and Noel interacting during one of their mentoring sessions. I hung around while they played a few games in the school library. After taking photographs for a while the two were able to relax and ignore the camera and I was able to capture this slice of life moment. You can read about Will's struggle with a rare condition called scimitar syndrome here at Wicked Local Ipswich

Nikon D4s, 1/160 @ f/4.5, ISO 2000, 24-70mm

Down and Dirty

A Wakefield player safely slides back into the bag after taking a lead off first base during their game against Melrose at Walsh Field at Wakefield High School.

Baseball is a sport where you really need to pay attention and understand the game. There are a lot of small moves which make a big difference in the outcome of the game. It's a good idea to know what plays may be made and to be ready for them when they occur.

Nikon D4s, 1/2500 @ f/5, ISO 280, 300mm and 1.4x teleconverter

Moon Over White Mountians

The White Mountains region of New Hampshire is a beautiful place with lots to explore. There are many towns in the area which offer unique views of the surrounding mountains. I decided to head to Bethlehem, New Hampshire, which is a town I've never been to before. After finding a great scenic location I noticed the moon start to rise above the Presidential Range of the White Mountains. I grabbed a tripod and set up my shot. This panoramic image is made up of 5 photographs stitched together.

Nikon D810, 1/80 @ f/10, ISO 250, 70-200mm

Silver Cascade in the Spring

I spend the weekend in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and was able to come back with this image of Silver Cascade in the spring. I have photographed this waterfall a few times, but always in the fall. Most of the time the water level was very low and I knew spring would be a better time to capture the falls being more active. I was lucky the sky was mostly overcast which helped to keep the highlights and shadows in check.

Nikon D810, 1/4 @ f/16, ISO 64, 70-200mm

Cygnet

Wildlife photography has been a passion of mine for a long time. I love nature and being outdoors, so bringing along a camera makes sense. Spring is the best time of year to capture young animals learning the ways of the world. I spotted a couple of swans and their cygnets in a pond in Topsfield a couple of days ago but was unable to stop to photograph them. Luckily I was able to make it back to the pond a few days later and spotted the swans again with their cygnets and spent some time photographing them on a beautiful spring morning.

Nikon D810, 1/800 @ f/10, ISO 500, 500mm with a 1.4x teleconverter

Grazing Horse

I couldn't help but to turn my car around after driving by this white horse grazing in a field of flowers. I was heading to an assignment in Ipswich and have driven by this farm many times. I almost didn't stop because I didn't want to be late for my assignment, but I knew the moment and light would not be the same if I went back later. I photographed the horse for a few minutes, got back in my car and continued on my way to my assignment.

Nikon D4s, 1/400 @ f/8, ISO 100, 70-200mm

Long Jump Landing

Photographing track and field can be a little tricky. There are usually multiple events going on at the same time and trying to capture it all can be difficult. I spend a little time at each event and capture what I see. I enjoy the variety and always look forward to a good competition.

Nikon D4S, 1/2500 @ f/5, ISO 200, 70-200mm

Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor

Boston Marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile talks with a group of volunteers who are making improvements to his home to help accommodate his injuries.

It was wonderful to see all the improvements these volunteers have made to help make Marc's life a little easier at home. Improvements such as an elevator, hardwood floors and ramps are just a few of the projects that have been worked on. I love how my camera helps me gain access to meet new people and learn a little about their stories. It's always been the people I've meet and the stories they've told that make me love my job so much.

Nikon D4s, 1/160 @ f/6.3, ISO 200, 24-70mm

Nikon D4s, 1/100 @ f/5, ISO 2000, 24-70mm

Thacher Island Lighthouse with Sea Smoke

This is another image I took of one of the twin lighthouses on Thacher Island back in February.

Mother Nature and time of day play a major roll in landscape photography. In order to capture dramatic and moody landscapes you need to pay attention to the weather. Even a rather dull scene can look more exciting when there is fog, snow, or dramatic lighting to add interest. After all photography is about capturing light and moments. When I photograph landscapes I usually don't take any pictures in the middle of the day, instead I scout for locations to photograph at sunrise or sunset.

Nikon D810, 1/125 @ f/13, ISO 200, 500mm

Safe?!?!

Softball and baseball are two sports where you really need to concentrate and focus on the game. Both of these sports have long periods waiting for key moments that happen quickly.

Seen in this photograph, a Saugus player reacts after a Swampscott runner was called safe at second base. The umpire called the runner safe due to the Saugus player having her foot off the bag. I like how the Saugus athlete is pointing down at the bag as she looks towards the umpire.

Nikon D4s, 1/2500 @ f/5, ISO 400, 70-200mm with a 1.4 teleconverter

Boston Celtics Green Team

Lucky the Boston Celtics Green Team mascot dunks the ball during an exhibition for students at the Glover School in Marblehead.

This was a fun, fast, and high energy assignment. The members of the Green Team really know how to put on a show. I arrived early to this assignment and the athletes were already warming up. This gave me a chance to see what kind of stunts were going to be performed and figure out the best place to position myself. There was a lot of high flying action and after a few stunts the show was over and the Green Team was off to help cheer on the Boston Celtics in their tournament run.

Nikon D4s, 1/800 @ f/6.3, ISO 25,600, 24-70mm