David
There are many great shots of David. But this one is a favorite. We were at a birthday party for my nephews in Scotch Plains, NJ. It was a grab shot. The background was perfectly blurred. I had tilted the horizon to give the picture more dynamic interest. It all worked.
Julia, Straw Hat
Xcaret, Mexico. The family was wandering around the local market. Julia tried on this hat and it was meant for her. We bought it. I thought there would be many great potential photo ops with this hat once we were back home. On the return trip, Julia left it in the airport. I remember seeing it there and of course we left it behind on the seat in the airport lounge. It’s hard to keep track of all the carry on stuff.
Biking Uphill, Vermont
Highgate Springs, Vermont. The Tyler Place was a family resort where we vacationed for many summers. This was 1997 and Lisa was training for the Boston to New York AIDS ride in September. I took this shot on one of her training rides. You can make out the Camelback hydration system. But mostly, you see a hill. It’s not much of a hill in a car. But, to a biker, it’s a hill that could go up and up for a long time. We hit a couple memorable hills like that during training. I admired Lisa for her perseverance and determination.
Thistle
Bear mountain, Harriman State Park, New York. I used to take the kids to Bear Mountain to see the fall leaves each year. When there were too old and too busy with their school schedules and friends to go any longer, I still would go to see the fall foliage. Driving along the Seven Lakes Parkway, I passed this scene. Actually, I making photos of the lake beyond before looking down to notice this detail. With the background out of focus, this graphic was pleasing.
Balloon Launch
Lewiston, Maine. A balloon festival occurred one summer weekend in Maine 2007. Since I lived close by, I was able to attend frequently. There were scheduled events during the weekend, but the balloon launches were weather dependent. In order to be favorable, the winds had to be calm, which was usually in the very early morning and evening. Aside from the pageantry, the balloon owners made money and expenses from giving balloon rides. Each launch period the balloon pilots would meet to discuss weather conditions. The winds were not great over the five-day period so that many times the launch was canceled at the very last second. As a result launches were extended past the weekend. When launching balloons was a go, there was always a frenzy of activity. I was fortunate to be there to watch several launches close up. There were photo ops everywhere you looked. Too many great shots were there everywhere you turned the camera. Here, I have to summarize in just one image.
photobackstory 