2017: Year In Review.

 

Where did the time go? I feel like it wasn’t so long ago that I was building this same year in review post for 2016. I enjoy looking back each year. It’s a good exercise every once in awhile. It helps you see how you’ve gotten better, but also how you need to learn and improve. 2017 was a crazy busy year, but that’s how I like things to be and I’m lucky that they were. I took on as much work as I could, and pushed myself hard this year.

Above is a gallery of my favorite images and favorite memories from 2017. Click on any individual photo to enlarge it. I’ve also included some of my favorite video pieces from the year. 

I completed my eighth year as a photographer working in Major League Baseball, and my sixth as a Boston Red Sox team photographer. This was our second year working as the newly formed Creative Services department within the marketing arm of the Red Sox. Already having a year under our belts, our group gelled so well, produced incredible content, and continued to set the standard in sports marketing. It’s a privilege to work along with the photographers, designers, creative directors, and social media gurus at the Red Sox. They are all so talented. As far as the photography itself, I tried to push the limits as far as access and storytelling, and I’m excited to build upon that work in shooting for the Red Sox in 2018. 

As in years past, I tried to navigate my full-time Red Sox schedule and take on freelance work. It was great to be back at the BNP Paribas Open with my good friends, and I loved returning to shoot the US Open in New York City for the first time since 2011. I wish time allowed me to shoot more tennis. I enjoy it so much. As you’ll see above, there were several unique sporting events that I got to cover for Getty Images, which I’m very thankful for. I also tried my best to find new clients and maintain relationships I’ve built over time with old ones.  

On the video side, I continued to shoot, edit, and produce work. Video is a never ending learning process for me. I’ve tried to up the production quality and value within my videos, and I hope to expand upon that as well in the new year. 

It was an eventful year in my personal life, too. I moved from Brookline over to Dorchester to become a homeowner for the first time. One new condo and new car later, I’m a happy guy but it’s time to start saving again. My girlfriend Alaina moved up to Boston from Baltimore after getting a job as a psychiatric nurse at Mass General Hospital. I am so proud of her, and feel so lucky to have her with me. I’m very thankful for the important people in my life – family, friends, colleagues, and mentors – who provide so much support and encouragement every day. You all know who you are.

Thank you as always for following along all year! Happy New Year!

Pumped for 2018.

2016: Year In Review.

 

Another year has come to a close, and as I’ve done in the past, I’m taking a little bit of time to look back at my year of shooting. I always think it’s a good exercise that helps you compile what you’ve done, look at how you’ve grown, and see where you still need to learn and improve. It was another busy year in 2016. I’m lucky to be able to say that it was nonstop from January all the way through December. I like to be busy, so I took on a lot this year and worked really hard.  

Above is a gallery of my favorite images and favorite memories from 2016. Click on any individual photo to enlarge it. I’ve also included some of my favorite video pieces from the year. 

I completed my seventh year as a photographer working in Major League Baseball, and my fifth as a Boston Red Sox team photographer. 2016 was a transitional year for us at Fenway Park, as the photography staff was melded into the Marketing Department under a newly formed, specialized group called Creative Services. That transition certainly presented it’s challenges, but also gave me the opportunity to work on some cool projects that I wouldn’t have been able to contribute to in the past. From a shooting standpoint, I had a few lightbulb moments of clarity during the season that I’m excited to build upon starting on day one of Spring Training in 2016. I also felt like I began to push the boundaries a little more, and made better images on a more consistent basis, rather than just here and there. I wan to continue to be bolder, closer, and more creative in my shooting for the Red Sox in 2017.

As in year’s past, with my full-time responsibilities at the Red Sox, I’ve had to make some sacrifices on the freelance side of my career. Still, I was able to navigate the schedule and take on as much freelance work as I possibly could. It was great to be back at the BNP Paribas Open and Connecticut Open to keep shooting the professional tennis world that I love so much. As you’ll see above, there were several unique sporting events that I go to cover for Getty Images, which I’m very thankful for. I also tried my best to continue to work for new clients, and maintain relationships I’ve built over time with old ones.  

On the video side, I continued to shoot, edit, and produce work. While I didn’t make as many videos this year as in 2015, I believe the ones I did make were of much higher quality, and were more polished overall. I’m excited to continue growing on the video side in the coming year. 

As with every year, I learned a lot, both professionally and personally. There are still questions that I toss around in my head all the time. Am I doing the right thing? Am I working enough? Am I working too much? Am I where I want to be in my career? I’m not sure the answers to these questions ever become crystal clear, so I just try to keep my head down, work hard, and trust the process. What’s most important is how lucky I am to be surrounded by amazing people in all areas of my life. Friends, family, colleagues, and mentors. I’m thankful for the support and love I feel from so many people every day. 

As always, thank you for following along all year! Happy New Year!

I’m excited for 2017. 

Photos: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets.

Here is a set of images from a Christmas Eve game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. 

This game was a complete blowout in favor of the Patriots, so aside from the first half, it was pretty much operating on cruise control from a photo standpoint. Still, there were some nice moments, particularly with the heavy rain falling in the first quarter, and I had a great time shooting. These are a few of my pics from the day.

Thanks to Getty Images for having me on board for the day!

Portraits: Colorful Seamless Set Up.

Here are some portraits I shot this weekend of my favorite model, Alaina. I’ve been trying to experiment with different types of portrait work lately, as I’m always looking to become more versatile and well-versed as a photographer. 

I wanted to go for this colorful look on seamless paper. They have a stock photography feel, but I think this relatively simple lighting set up is valuable and can be applied to many different types of work, either with models, props, or both. 

I feel good about the results!

Photos: Boston Red Sox Holiday Caravan.

Last week, The Boston Red Sox visited local hospitals, schools, and community centers as part of their annual Holiday Caravan. This year, Red Sox infielder Deven Marrero, and pitchers Robby Scott and Heath Hembree joined the Caravan, which stopped at Codman Academy School in Dorchester, Massachusetts General Hospital, Shriners Hospital For Children, The Jimmy Fund, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, and The BASE. 

This is always a great showing of community outreach from the players and organization. Here are a few photos from the two day event.

Photo: New Kids On The Block Pose For Portrait At Fenway Park.

Here’s a quick portrait of several members of New Kids On The Block, who made an appearance at Fenway Park yesterday to promote their upcoming concert there next summer. 

Photos: 2016 Globies Awards.

Last night, I shot the second annual Globies Awards for Fenway Sports Management.

The award show recognized the sports scene in New England and honors the most successful athletes and teams from the previous year. 

There were several photographers on hand, each with their own shot list to cover. I was assigned to the “orange carpet” to get athletes as they arrive posed with a bright yellow Mercedes-Benz parked out front of the House of Blues. Got to make those sponsors happy. Then I stayed backstage during the award ceremonies, shooting interactions and posed photos with the athletes after they accepted their awards. There were a lot of moving parts backstage, but it was fun to be there, and was happy to get about 20 seconds with David Ortiz to shoot a portrait of him in the Green Room. 

Photos: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks.

I was on hand yesterday at Gillette Stadium for the game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. I was there to edit for Getty Images team, so I didn’t have much time to shoot. This is by no means a complete take of the game, but just a few selects I was able to grab in the free time I had at the beginning and end of the game. 

Hoping to shoot more football this season.

Video: ECNL Soccer – ‘Unshakable’ Promo Spot.

Here is my latest video piece I shot, edited, and produced for Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) soccer. It’s a promo video for the release of their advertising campaign for the 2016-2017 season. 

Our goal was to show the long hours and dedication put in by players in the league through the eyes of one girl. We shot the main footage under an abandoned bridge in Boston to give the piece a gritty feel, then combined it with previous ECNL tournament footage I’ve gathered. 

The piece was shot on a Canon C100 Mark II mounted to a Movi, as well as with a Nikon DSLR.

We tried to be different with this video compared to others we’ve worked on for ECNL in the past. We wanted this one to be more cinematic and moody, and I think that comes across well. 

Enjoy!

Photos: David Ortiz Attends Boston Common Magazine Event.

Our old friend Big Papi made an appearance last night at Strega Waterfront in Boston for the Boston Common Magazine release of their newest issue, featuring Ortiz on the cover. I shot the event for Getty Images.

Nothing crazy here, and certainly no art, just a few quick snaps for the record. Thanks to Boston Common Magazine and Getty Images for having me out!