Today we had another snow storm that was headlined as dropping copious amounts of snow all over New England. As of 6:30 am this morning there was about 5 or 6 inches of snow on the ground. I was awakened by Robert who was heading to work at Mabardy's down the street. The snow was wet and heavy in the morning which made moving the cars around sorta tough. Especially my little Smart car that's rear wheel drive. Oy! Once Robert was on his way to work I continued on clearing the drive way. By 7ish am the snow turned to sleet and shortly after it turned to rain.

Midday rolled around and I was itching to take ride around to see what scenes I could capture. A small side note, It would've been a great day for a fun engagement shoot or bridal session. Especially since it was fairly warm and overcast. It will happen eventually, I know it will. Back to my story, I drove down Cottage street then headed to Eliot street aka South Natick. I took a few shots of the Sargent Footbridge that goes over the Charles river. Then headed to Elm Bank for a shot in the insanely deep snow with a painful layer of ice on top. From there I headed to Lookout Farm, Pegan Hill (the highest spot in Natick), then back tracked to South street which is adjacent to the Broadmore Wildlife Sanctuary, and finally looping back around to Natick via 27.

Here's some of the images that caught my eye on my expedition to capture the big ol' New England Snow Storm of 2011. Enjoy!

Yesterday we had another big snow storm in Natick, Massachusetts. Snow totals for the area is at 60.3 inches of snow so far versus the last years season total of 35.7 inches.  I'd guess that most would consider this a lot of snow but, for me, it's just what New England is about and I say whatevah.... you could always move to Florida. With that being said, I enjoy the snow. Though, I do wish I was skiing instead of shoveling. Thankfully New England is prepared for such storms and basically roads/sidewalks are almost completely clear within a day. We have several ride-in snow removal machines for sidewalks and pedestrian access in town. They get cleared by the time the morning rolls around and life is basically unaffected.

Though, I have to say that I'm now starting to get used to this 25 degree weather. Murmuring under my breath, it feels kinda warm. I always find it amazing when I realize how cold it is and how it doesn't feel as cold as it is. It just goes to prove that we're able to adapt and function in diverse environments... such as a wedding day!

Here's some images that I captured while taking a little photo walk yesterday. Sorta like taking time to smell the flowers. Oh.. a quick side note, as I was walking around yesterday I kept thinking this would be awesome with a bride and groom. So, I'm putting out my intention of capturing a couple in the snow. I'm here and ready! Let's go and capture some great images!!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Pine trees at Elm Banks"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Locks and Keys art project at Yikes! pottery studio"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The Natick Center sign at the Natick Commons"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="651" caption="The gazebo at Natick Commons"][/caption]

Shooting outside is always a joy for me. Shooting at Hemlock Gorge reservation in Needham, Massachusetts with Candice and AJ proved to be simply awesome! Candice and AJ commissioned me to cover their wedding day on 11/7/10 at the Doubletree Hotel Boston/Bedford Glen. We met on a bright and sunny afternoon in May to capture their love and excitement for each other. We wandered around the reservation and captured a diverse amount of images that I think reflect their personalities. Here's a few images that I love from their engagement shoot. Congratulations Candice and AJ!

My father was diagnosed with cancer early in 2010. He struggled through the numerous surgeries and was given a short time to live. He passed on August 7th 2010 at the McCarthy Care Center with his wife, Judy and my sister, Christine comforting. I stayed with him the day before and shared some loving moments between us. I ended up shooting a wedding on the day he passed but, I felt his presence throughout the day. We buried him on August 12th at the Mount Hope Cemetery in North Attleboro. Below is a slide show that I put together for his wake and made copies for our family and friends. Goodbye Dad, I love you and I miss you greatly.

Here's his obituary: Paul John Newcum, 69, of Evans Avenue, North Attleboro, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010 at the McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich. He was the husband of Judith A. (Bruno) Newcum, to whom he was married on Oct. 11, 1980.

Born in Galesburg, Ill., on Oct. 14, 1940, he was a son of the late Leon "Wayne" and Margaret Ross (Foster) Newcum. He was raised and educated in Indiana and Illinois. Mr. Newcum was a 1959 graduate of Riverside Brookfield High School in Chicago and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., in 1964. Mr. Newcum proudly served his nation by enlisting in the U.S. Navy on Sept. 18, 1964 and served admirably until Feb. 4, 1965, when he was commissioned, and served from Feb. 5, 1965 until Jan. 24, 1968 as a naval officer. He then served his Naval Reserve obligation until Sept. 2, 1970. During his tenure with the Navy, Mr. Newcum was stationed at the Pentagon in Washington.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Newcum was employed by IBM, and later was a self-employed computer consultant prior to his retirement. A resident of North Attleboro for the past 18 years, he previously resided in Smithfield, R.I., and North Kingston, R.I. A man of strong spiritual and religious beliefs, Mr. Newcum enjoyed "making the world a better place" through his ministry. He served as a volunteer for prison ministry and took his message to the streets of Boston. He attended the Free Evangelical Fellowship in Easton. Mr. Newcum held his private pilot's license and his instructor's pilot license for many years, and was the proud owner of two Cessna planes. One of his proudest moments was when he was able to fly a 757 into Logan International Airport in Boston in honor of his 30th birthday.

In addition to his wife of almost 30 years, he leaves two children, Christine E. Newcombe of Bethesda, Md., and Jeffrey D. Newcum of Natick; two stepdaughters, Elizabeth A. Gibb of Mountain View, Calif., and Amy L. Leval of Stockholm, Sweden; three grandchildren, Allison K. Newcum of Natick and Ayla E. Leval and Thea J. Leval, both of Stockholm, Sweden; two brothers, William C. Newcum of North Webster, Ind., and Joseph W. Newcum of Columbus, Ohio; two sisters, Anne M. Beckman of Indianapolis, Ind., and Elizabeth R. Andre of Los Angeles; and several nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

Burial with full military honors will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery and Arboretum, North Attleboro.

Here's a slide show of him from the earliest photos to just prior to his entry into Hospice.

BTW, it was great to find out that I'm the fourth generation of Newcum's who love photography.

Wow, has it been that long since I blogged? Yup, it has! Sorry, life has been crazy since the beginning of 2010 but, here's a post that I'm glad to show. Here's an engagement shoot with Claire and Will at the Minute Man National Historic Park in Concord, MA. I shot this engagement session with a creative eye on intimacy. We started walking through the park and we found several locations that were great for foreground and background ambiance. Claire and Will were great to work with, they really have a love for each other that is rare and genuine. It was a pure pleasure to capture their deep love for each other. Here's some of my favorite images from the engagement session.

Today was the 3rd time I shot the Boston Marathon from Natick, Massachusetts. I have to say that shooting the marathon experience is pretty awesome. I'm amazed by the energy, drive, and dedication to compete at this level. Running is just one part of the marathon and obviously it's the major part but, the wheelchair athletes simply astound me. I can only imagine the stories the coincide with their disabilities but, to come and compete any marathon.... Wow!!! Talkin about the will to continue in life. It only makes it crystal clear that the brain controls our body. Yet, some people let their body control their mind. Congratulations to all the marathoners and I look forward to next year.


[caption id="attachment_1022" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="W103 Amanda McGrory followed closely by W104 Shirley Reilly"]

Last fall I had the pleasure of capturing the wedding day of Kelly and Keith. I started at Kelly's house for the getting ready pictures. From there we headed to the Most Precious Blood Church in Hyde Park. The reception followed at Moseley's on the Charles. Also, this wedding hired me to cover 6 hours of their wedding day so, unfortunately I have no seriously rocking, jam on it!, dance photos. Now that I'm posting and reviewing the images from their wedding day, I'm wished I had another two hours to cover the fun at the reception. Anyways, here's the images that I love from Kelly and Keith's wedding day.

INSPIRE Boston 2010 is halfway done and it's been a great success from all accounts. This is the first ever INSPIRE Boston mini-conference for professional photographers! This retreat-format conference is hosted by the Boston Photographers Guild and Lens Pro to Go. Here's some of the after hours fun and excitement that is brought out when the sun goes down. Tomorrow is the last day of the conference and the wrap up party will prove to be an amazing event. I can't wait!!!

Last year I took a quick ride to NYC to check out the Obey installation and the limited edition run of the Obey X Levi's clothing. Shepard Fairey and Levi's teamed up to produce a limited run of shirts, pants, jackets, and prints. Shepard also had a live installation of his hip propaganda artwork and was present for a signing of the limited edition posters. Personally, I really dig the current style of Shepard's work. The layering of images and the use of the strong graphics with contrasting designs is wickedly cool. I've yet to attend a live installation but, I'm hoping in due time to get Shepard's attention when he's in Boston to document an install (sans cops and all). I ended up picking up one of the black Obey X Levi's jackets while I was out there and the set of prints which are proudly framed and hung in my office. Shepard, look me up when your in Boston! It would be great to catchup and document an installation.

Here's some images that I shot with a tilt-shift lens of the Obey installation at the Levi's store at Times Square, NYC. I also added a few images from my walk around NYC that day. Photowalking is super fun and so energizing.

Also, here's a Youtube clip from the installation.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvThhmCksic[/youtube]

Well, it finally happened. I'm now 39 and that much closer to the big 40. I feel like I've come pretty far considering the challenges that I faced and quite honestly we all have challenges that we overcome. I've learned that life's challenges will continue but, our ability to handle them in a productive way defines who we are. All in all I've had a life full of diversity and humbling experiences. I'm so blessed to have survived the storms and the ability to see through the challenges to emerge a better person. Life is never easy and quite honestly, who wants an easy life? I mean where's the fun in that? Life is a beautiful blessing and we  have the ability to be anything we choose regardless of what the past has presented us. Easy huh!

BTW: Here's some other people that share my birthday. I think I'm in good company!

20 - Feb - 1988   Rihanna  (22)
20 - Feb - 1976   Laura Bendixsen  (34)
20 - Feb - 1975   Brian Littrell  (35)
20 - Feb - 1971   Joost van der Westhuizen (39)
20 - Feb - 1967   Kurt Cobain  (43)
20 - Feb - 1967   Andrew Shue  (43)
20 - Feb - 1966   Cindy Crawford  (44)
20 - Feb - 1964   French Stewart  (46)
20 - Feb - 1963   Charles Barkley  (47)
20 - Feb - 1954   Patty Hearst  (56)
20 - Feb - 1951   Gordon Brown  (59)
20 - Feb - 1948   Jennifer O'Neill  (62)
20 - Feb - 1946   Sandy Duncan  (64)
20 - Feb - 1941   Buffy Sainte-Marie  (69)
20 - Feb - 1937   Nancy Wilson  (73)
20 - Feb - 1934   Bobby Unser  (76)
20 - Feb - 1927   Sidney Poitier  (83)
20 - Feb - 1925   Robert Altman  (85)
20 - Feb - 1924   Gloria Vanderbilt  (86)
20 - Feb - 1906   Gale Gordon  (104)
20 - Feb - 1902   Ansel Adams  (108)

I ended up being invited to go skiing in Vermont at Mount Snow and what a fun day it was. This was the first time I skied Mount Snow. The drive was pretty standard, about three hours from Natick. We skied for a half day but, the trails are challenging enough to keep it fun. I even entered the terrain park a few times and made a pass down the half pipe. Emm.. fun! I'm really thinking that I may transition to riding this year. I've been skiing since the 3rd grade and have numerous years of skiing under my belt. I've even had the privilege of skiing some of the finest northeastern resorts and even skied Snowbird in Utah once. Snowbird was amazing! Where are all my skiing/riding couples? I need to do an engagement session on skis then, maybe a wedding ceremony mountainside followed by a wild snowy reception. Yeah, those are the clients I want. I'm here and willing to capture your mountainside wedding day.

Here's some of the images from my iPhone and Shake it Photo that I captured from the day.