Sometimes the tried and true angle works out the best. For some reason, I never get sick of shooting sledding. Well, I can think of a reason…it’s awesome. Airborne kids, dramatic faces, crisp flecks of snow. But I started to wonder this morning if maybe I was copping out too much by just shooting with the 70-200mm, isolating the scene and stopping action. I decided to spice things up so I went on a “ride-along” with a 7-year-old girl. I sat on the front of her sled facing her and shot wide. It made for a cute shot but I wiped out in a pretty gnarly way. I fell backward, my camera slammed into my face, knocking my glasses off and finishing with a mouth full of snow. Remarkably, my camera, glasses and teeth are still in tact. Below is the picture for your reference.

NORTH FALMOUTH — 012212 — Sophia Ralston, 7, of Falmouth holds on tight as she starts picking up speed down the hill in front of North Falmouth Elementary School.

My point in sharing all of this is that, sometimes, I go out of my way to make what I think will be a more interesting shot, but then, in the end, the better photo was attained by simpler means. Not a really profound message, I guess, but a moment is a moment, you can’t beat that.

I ended up getting up close to some beautiful creatures yesterday. I’m not really an animal person. I mean, I like them and all, but I don’t usually get affected by them, excluding my cats, of course. So, when I had my first close encounter with a stranded dolphin I was surprised at how moving it was to see so many people gathering to rescue them. I watched as about six volunteers moved a squealing, flopping dolphin from the back of pick-up truck into the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) rescue trailer and I was awe-struck. Luckily, I snapped out of it quick enough and then swiftly befriended the volunteer driver, Curtis. I jumped in the back, where the dolphin in distress had just been laying. I was told when I arrived on the scene, that I wouldn’t be able to access the rescue site because it was not passable by car and the walk would probably take me a long as the whole rescue. I was certainly glad to meet Curtis, a friendly local guy with a truck who is friends with one of the IFAW stranding coordinators. Without him, I might not have been able to make the pictures I made…

As I sat in the truck bed, trying to hold on to my cameras, my body flailing around just as the dolphin was, Curtis navigated through the National Seashore sand dunes (with a park ranger escort) and I thought to myself: “This is awesome, we’re on a dolphin rescue mission!” We get to the mud flats and I start seeing all of the dolphins scattered about, 1, 2, 3….Five alive and one that had died. There was another one dead further away too. Certainly a powerful scene against the canvas of the ashy clouds, rippling mud flats and the peaceful dunes. I was greeted by my friend and fellow photographer, Julia Cumes, who was already on the scene. She started filling me in while I tried to keep my footing. At the advice of my photo editor, chief photographer and the IFAW volunteers at the staging area, I put on the pool waders in the trunk of the company car, even though they are about 3 sizes too big for me. It’s not easy to move around in these things on solid ground, let alone in the sinking mud flats. I got a few fair warnings when I felt stuck, almost lost my balance and then recovered but it was inevitable, I was going to go down at some point. So that feeling hits you…”Here I go, I’m falling!” and what do I do, I throw my arms out and instinctively try to grab on to Julia, my friend! Luckily I think I realized how stupid it was to try brace myself on someone else who was smart enough to wear boots that fit correctly so I let go and bit the muck. SPLAT! Mud all over me and my camera. No matter. Even though I almost sabotaged Julia, she was nice enough to help me up. I figured out that it was best to keep moving. If I stayed in one place for too long, it would be an instant replay of the last tumble.

After spending an hour or so photographing the scene in “the gut,” I hitched a ride back with the park ranger and filed at the library. I decided that even though it was getting dark, I would try to photograph the dolphin release at Herring Cove Beach in Ptown. It was bitterly cold and I was hungry but I’m glad I went. It was quite a site to see, all of the staff and volunteers coordinating to get those dolphins back to where they belong.

I decided to switch back to my regular work boots, which was nice and comfortable for a while but proved to be a stupid idea. This was a situation when I would actually need the waders. The volunteers brought each dolphin down one by one with a sort-of beach wheel barrel. The tide was coming in fast, lapping up at my heels, closer and closer every few seconds. A volunteer gestured toward the water (you’re supposed to be quiet for the dolphins) meaning “Watch out, the tide is coming in!” Naively, I thought, I’ll be fine, these boots are waterproof, even though everyone near me is in a survival suit. It was definitely dark out at this point (6:00) and before I knew it I looked around all sides of me and I was on a little island surround by knee deep freezing ocean water. Damn it! There was no way I could leap out of it, if I fell, my cameras would get submerged. So, I figured, I’ll stay, watch the release and maybe some hulking volunteer will give me a piggy back ride out of here. Well, the piggy back ride didn’t happen. Everyone clapped and cheered as the dolphins swam to back to freedom, I turned around and trudged into that water, cursing myself, “Why didn’t I just put those waders back on!!!” I scurried to my car and concerned volunteers were asking me, “Are you all right?!?” I was fine, but I needed to get the boots off immediately. It was all worth it, of course, but these rookie mistakes are starting to get a little silly. As long as they only effect me, I guess that’s the best I can hope for…

If you want to see more pics from the rescue and release check out the gallery: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/_flash/gallery/gallery.html&Site=CC&Date=20120119&Category=MEDIA01&ArtNo=119009996&Ref=PH

I took this photo in November at Town Fair Tire in Hyannis and never submitted it because I wanted to revisit the scene when it was more relevant, like before an impending storm, but I kind of regret it now because it’s such a perfectly mundane and human image. We’ve all been there. We know it sucks. You have to sympathize with those ladies, trying to drift away to another place but their tepid impatience cannot go unnoticed. The pungent scent of petroleum based rubber stings their nostrils, their legs brush up against the person next to them as they recross their legs trying to get comfortable in those crappy chairs, trying to fain interest in whatever daytime television show is on. Here’s to new tires! And here’s hoping they will last longer than a year this time!

I just looked back on the last few posts of this blog and I have to give myself credit, I was doing pretty good for a while. Fairly consistent, decent commentary. But yet again, I’m making the old “here I go again” post. It’s a New Year and among many other plans for myself, I would like to dust off the blog and keep it up.

I was super jazzed about this picture after it all came together. I found Chris by himself digging in the sand. I started taking pictures but wasn’t too excited about the scene because I have taken many a picture of fishermen fellows digging for clams, but then the kids circled around him and I knew something interesting would come of it. The more I observed and listened to the family interact, it all made sense. This is a typical Cape family! Commercial fisherman dad has the kids in his “office” as he finishes up his workday. And of course he needs to hustle up because Maddy needs to get to yoga : ) It took a little time and, of course, a sacrifice of my nice, dry clothes, kneeling into the wet sand and digging in my elbows for support on the low angle, but that’s my barometer these days…if I’m not getting dirty, it ain’t gonna be a good picture.

PLYMOUTH — 113011 — Professional dancers Kalin Mitov, left, and Michael Winward rehearse at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. The gay dancing duo will be performing in a fundraiser they are organizing in Provincetown for the “It Gets Better Project.”

Had the pleasure of photographing Kalin and Michael rehearsing for their upcoming dance showcase fundraiser for the “It Gets Better Project.” Two very talented men doing good for a deserving charity. The pair says they are the only competitive same-sex dancing couple in Massachusetts based on the fact that they are only two men dancing together at the competitions. Want to see their amazing show? Go to the Club Purgatory in Ptown on Thursday, December 15 at 8:30. For a suggested donation you will be entertained by their superior dance skills. I also produced my first DSLR video on this assignment. You can check that out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9NnKZDMaXbQ

If you want to see a photo gallery of more gay dancing, go here: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/_flash/gallery/gallery.html&Site=CC&Date=20111204&Category=MEDIA01&ArtNo=120409997&Ref=PH&SectionCat=NEWS01

This picture developed out my sheer dorkiness. I took the long way back to the office. I already had a feature in my back pocket, but I’m always keeping an eye out for something more interesting. So, as I am cruising down Route 28 this piano playing kitty caught my eye. Mostly because I wanted to snap a cell phone picture of it and send it to my fiance because we both love cats and weird random folk art. When I approached the sculpture, much to my delight, I found this elderly man fiddling with some lawn care equipment. In chatting with him, I quickly realized he would make a nice picture. He was pretty excited about my interest in photographing him so that made it even more fun. Sadly, the image didn’t make it to print, but, I wanted to pay tribute to the very friendly Frank…cheers!

I think I’m just too much of a sucker for the way Cape beaches look at low tide, all a-ripple with little puddles scattered about. I know this picture has been done a million and one times, mostly because I have shot it so many times, but I think I’m going to keep shooting it every time I see it. When I arrived at this beach to look for wastewater treatment disks washed ashore from N.H., I was pleasantly awe-struck when I happened upon this glowing sight. It was just one of those moments when I thought to myself, “Damn, this is beautiful.”

Shhhh, it’s another unpublished example of my wild adventures on Cape Cod Sundays. You get the exclusive! I’m not sure why I like this photo, maybe I shouldn’t. You tell me. I spent all of this time working this huge 11-ton concrete whale he has on the course, but none of those worked and then I started ignoring the whale, paying attention to the ropes. I’m doing my best to try to find ordinary moments and present them from a different perspective. Odds are, I will probably have to go find features on the Cape again this Sunday. Give me an assignment. What should photograph? How should it be photographed? Give me some perimeters and I will deliver you something special. Yes, I am officially taking requests…

I spent a decent portion of last week hanging out with this fellow, Nikolas Qvarnstrom, and his family. Nick was adopted at age 3 from an orphanage in Kazakhstan. He has a long list of emotional and developmental issues including Reactive Attachment Disorder, anxiety and autism. His mother and father have gone to great lengths to get him the care he needs but have been met with many struggles along the way. Their latest push is to get Nick a therapy dog because they have noticed the positive effect other therapy dogs have had on him. Getting a dog properly trained and placed into their home would cost a minimum of $5,000 for the Qvarnstroms so their friends are hosting a fundraiser to help them out. Cape Cod Times reporter Patrick Cassidy and yours truly thought it might help to write up a little story and come up with a few pictures to get the word out about the event. Check out the story and photo gallery here.