Black & White Spider Awards: 12th Annual Edition

I am honored to have four of my photographs included in this year's Black & White Spider Awards, in four different categories.

Honorable Mention

Photojournalism

""Breathe, just Breathe"" 

portrait of a patient awaiting a double lung transplant. She fights for every breath.

Nominee
People"Maine Ocean" 
A very quick dip in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine.

Nominee
Portrait
"Tremaine, in Dorcester" 

Nominee
Architectural

"The Wharf" 
The Shacks down by the wharf in Maine

Mom

...ok, late for Mother's Day on the blog.  I posted it on Instagram & Facebook, on Mother's Day.  I guess it never hurts to post on the blog.

everyday is Mother's Day, so....I guess today works.

Little League

If it is spring, then there are tons of little kids swinging bats, catching baseballs and looking up to the MLB players.  The first Little League game was played in 1939.  The basic goals of Little League then were to provide the basic fundamental principals of good sportsmanship, teamwork and fairplay, all skills that can be used later in life.  

Support your local little league.  If you have a player, help out.   The organization is run by volunteers, and you can never have enough volunteers.

Some new work

....Some time to edit.  Experimenting with adding some depth to my black and white portraits.

Here are the results so far:

The Fight to Breathe, "New Lungs for Sue"

I don't do much video, still photography has always been my focus.  This is my first video I am putting out there for the world to see.  It is very close to my heart.  It is the story of my friend from 3rd grade, Sue and her fight to live.

I hope you will watch this and share her story.
Here is the miracle patient and her story.    New Lungs for Sue

Be Bold Be Bald

....A very busy winter and not much time to be on the computer.  Catching up on editing & looking at my work and sharing a few things from the last year.  I am fortunate to be able to love my job, and every day behind the camera or going through my work is a good day.
Today I look back to some work I did for the non profit Be Bold Be Bald (http://beboldbebald.org).  Be Bold Be Bald is an event that takes place on the third Friday of October every year, and can happen anywhere.  People wear a bald cap, or shave their head to honor those fighting cancer.  People who participate get sponsors for their bold move to wear the bald cap.  Participants then pick a charity they would like their fundraising efforts to benefit.  While the event happens on the third Friday every year, you can form your team and get started anytime.  Once again, our team this year will be the Newton North Football team, who will be on your team?

Hope Help Live; www./helphopelive.org/campaign/12194

Not my typical blog post......

HelpHopeLive

My good childhood friend is awaiting approval for a double lung transplant.  In short, while going for extensive treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fl. her employer was not able to keep her on short term disability.  She is fighting for every breath and waiting for approval and is now faced with expenses.
In the spirit of the season, if you can donate, no amount is too small.
Thank you.


From Sue Dow Smiley's   Help,Hope,Live page

Sue (Susan Dow Smiley) is a loving mother, grandmother and registered nurse.  For those of you that know Sue, you know that she is an amazing, all around giving person. She has spent her life being an exceptional loved one and friend to so many and is now literally fighting for every breath. The person who has given to so many, for so long, now needs help from family and friends alike.

In August, Sue was hospitalized with an upper respiratory infection.  Shortly after release from the hospital, she was placed on oxygen and became progressively worse. Her local primary care physician and specialists that were consulted were both puzzled and challenged by her quick decline.  After a month or so with no identified improvement, she was referred to the  Mayo Clinic facility in Jacksonville, Florida for further evaluation.

After identifying that the infection was present for some time prior to being diagnosed, it was determined that there was already permanent lung damage, so Sue was referred for evaluation to the Mayo Lung Transplant program, while simultaneously being treated with rigorous IV drug therapy.

So just a few months ago, Sue was caring for patients, spending time with her family, especially her 4 grandchildren who give her tremendous joy, enjoying kayaking and taking longs hikes on the beaches and state park trails.  Today she is dependent and tethered to oxygen and unable to go more than a few feet without needing to recover. But there is hope!

Sue is continuing to work with the amazing doctors and staff at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and we are hopeful that she will be approved for a double lung transplant.

While working through the extensive testing, temporarily relocating from her Tampa Bay area home to Jacksonville, and trying to fulfill the stringent requirements to be a transplant candidate, her employer was unable to keep her on short term disability.  Even with insurance, costs for pre and post transplant are staggering.

Please give what you can to help Sue transition through this journey and realize the dream of breathing freely again.  Help hope live!

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Codman Square Health Center

I recently did some work for Codman SquareHealth Center,Dorchester, Ma.  A series of portraits on the streets of Dorchester for their new X Clinic.  Next time you are on the Red Line look out for this:

Playball.....Softball

These girls mean business, but I bet they don't know the origin of the game.

Softball dates back to Thanksgiving Day 1887.  Fans at the Chicago, Illinois Farragut Boat club were waiting to hear who won the outcome of the Harvard vs Yale football game.  Yale was announced as the winner and a Yale alumni then threw a balled up boxing glove to a Harvard alum.  The Harvard alum then hit the balled up glove with a  broom handle.  A reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade  yelled, "play ball," and the football fans continued to use the boxing glove and stick.

Going Back to Haiti

I will be on my way back to Haiti with the Rasin Foundation.  My last visit I went to various schools and took portraits of the students.  Needless to say, the schools were quite different from what we have here in the United States. A few snaps from the schools, view more on my website,www.cleggphoto.com.

Highschool age students in class.

 This was in the principal's office

 A classroom located outside beside a church.  Classrooms were separated by free standing chalkboards.

This guy was all smiles.

Maine Identity; Downeast

A little bit about my Downeast portrait series on my website.

Downeast Harborside:  A series in progress of portraits of the working Harbor of Corea, Maine.

The iconic Maine Harbor is changing.  Fishermen can no longer afford to live on the Harbor. At one time the lobster fishermen walked out their doors with the harbor in their backyard, allowing them to work on gear and their boats with ease.  More and more the families that have worked out of the harbor for generations are not able to afford the property on the harbor as the old generation passes and their properties are sold to people from out of state.  The new generation faces more regulations, higher cost of living issues and in the last few years a plunge in market prices for their catch as well as a changing landscape of people from “away”

finally have made time to editing files

Taking the photos is the easy part. I recently edited this photo, I took it last summer. 

Revisiting Winter

I decided I would participate in BLINK – Photo Exhibit, Sale, Party & Benefit, sponsored by Digital Silver Imaging.  I needed to pick out one image that someone might want to buy to put on their wall.  I decided to pick this one I took one winter while visiting family in Canada.  

Waiting for summer

Looking through some photos from last summer.  Waiting for warm weather and sunshine. 

Nature Challege

My husband challenged me to take part in the Facebook nature Challenge.  I try to shy away from those things, but it was my husband.
I created this shot in response.

and then I created this

Light's Fiberglass

Tucked away in the small fishing village of Corea, Maine is Light's Fiberglass.  A boat shop with two large bays and some very dedicated hardworking men.  The master craft men take an empty hull and finish off the boat before it hits the water.

Hoerbiger- Motion Magazine

Some work I did last fall for Hoerbiger-IEP Technologies

Take me out to the Ball game

It is that time of year, time for America's favorite past time.  Baseball.
I will be spending lots of time at various fields in the coming weeks.  I think I have already been to about 20 games.  It isn't the MLB, but these players are dedicated and determined.  High School, Middle School, Little League, Softball & Babe Ruth.....my players will keep me on the field.
Some snaps from this weekend.

....It's Been Awhile

Ok, it is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of social media, and posting things about me.  Life is busy and I enjoy living life more than posting about life.  Here we go though, as I am told, "you need to blog."
I know the calendar says April, but yesterday there was snow in Maine and upstate New York, so I think it is ok to post the ice hockey shot. 
Pond Hockey; Lac Brule 

 

Exhibit at the Newton Public Library, "Faces of the Rasin Foundation." Newton, MA

I guess if you actually read my blog, you notice that first I don't blog much, and second I don't say enough.  Well, I obviously, still am not moving fast with all of the social media outlets that there are.  

I am actually really late with this post.  Last night I had an opening for my show, "Faces of the Rasin Foundation," at the Newton Public Library, Newton, Ma.  Of course I should have posted this BEFORE the opening reception and not doing it today.  I was too busy updating the event little by little after the holidays on Facebook(thus the facebook banner shot attached), working and being with my family.  I need one of my kids to handle my social media, they are much better at it than I am.

Thanks to all of those who braved the icy January temps. and made it to the opening.

A special thanks to Digital Silver Imagaing.

If you didn't know about the show, now you do.  It is up the whole month of January at The Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton, MA

A little bit about the show:  I traveled to Haiti with the Rasin Foundation in 2013 & 2014.  This particular series (I have quite a few from my journey) are portraits of the residents who receive healthcare from the volunteer doctors at the Rasin Foundation clinic. 

Please learn more about the Rasin Foundation, visit them at:

http://www.rasinfoundation.org/

I hope you will stop by and see the show.  Leave a comment in the comment book provided by the Library.

The Newton Tab says it is one of 5 things to do this week in Newton:

http://newton.wickedlocal.com/article/20150108/NEWS/150107286