anna holmes hurley

Here are some pics from a recent shoot with stylist, Anna Holmes Hurley.  She's got a great sense of style, loves dogs and the occasional pig.

arm wrestling with the folks at this american life

This summer I was contacted by This American Life to make pictures of some of their producers for a new show they will be launching next week called Serial.  I was pretty excited to meet the people behind the voices I had been listening to for years and these guys did not disappoint: they were smart, funny, interesting and interested.  They hated getting their pictures taken but what can you expect from radio people.  One thing I think we were all a little surprised to realize was how similar our jobs are.  Very simply, we want to connect with our subjects - find common ground, gain trust (for me, I prefer to do all of this in good light).  It was nice to be able to talk both jokingly and earnestly about the parallels. 

At one point when things were getting a bit heavy (the content of the new show is pretty dark), Ira Glass entered and somehow conversation shifted to arm wrestling. What seemed like idle chit chat quickly turned very real and in an instant, Sarah Koenig and Ira were crouching over a small table, in position to spar.  Sarah (who swims in the ocean most summer days) took Ira down in a matter of seconds.  I, for some reason, assumed I was stronger than Ira and in a rare moment of switching roles from witness to participant, I jumped into the match - only to lose even more spectacularly than Ira.  What's the takeaway here?  If you ever happen to meet Sarah Koenig, do NOT challenge her to an arm wrestling match.  Anyway, here are some photos....

Ira Glass 

Julie Snyder

Dana Chivvis 

Sarah Koenig

Emily Condon

obercreek farm and herbs

Here are a few pics from a recent story I shot and wrote (such as it is) about my cousins' farm and their herb garden for Gardenista.

The town I live in (Beacon, NY) is full of families that have been here for generations where kids will grow up and live across the street from their parents (as is the case with my neighbors).  This is not a model that I saw much growing up in Detroit though it was reinforced on my dad's side with weekly Sunday dinners at my grandma's house.  On my mom's side I was raised with the idea that you grew up and then got out of that place for greener pastures but now I realize how much that had to do with growing up in a city that, while totally wonderful in so many ways, did not offer a ton of support or opportunity.  Little by little, my family has joined me here and as I raise my kids I feel happy to be in a place that they might like to stay in, or at least near, when they are older and to be continuing my grandmother's tradition of Sunday dinners. 

and beatrice

Here's the latest edition to an old and dear friend's family.