I had the pleasure to work with some inspiring people in the latest issue of Colloquy magazine. Scott Lee has done fascinating things since his 2003 graduation, mostly focusing on South African and Indian community health, although he does place interest in US healthcare. His work centers around engaging communities to operate more safely and efficiently, with an underlying emphasis on a sustainable, healthier lifestyle.
Scott was easy to work with and was motivated to work with me to get try a lot of different pictures. I couldn’t have asked for a better subject. The light was great that day. We started in mid-morning in front of the library, but shot all around the campus. The shot chosen for the photo feature of the article was taken at the Harvard Business School Chapel. Inside, there’s a Koi Pond and nonstop beautiful light. The first shot we snapped inside turned out to be the one used in the article. I find that hour one of any shoot is when my subject and I find a groove and get comfortable. When I feel things start flowing together, that’s when I’ll act spontaneously, which is when some of the most successful photographs can occur.
There were plenty of interesting, quick reads from the latest issue. Nicholas Sardini wrote a great peace on Fallon Samuels, a structural engineer, who won the Graham Foundation grant with architect Delia Wendel. Together, they worked on a collection of Essays based around the importance the relationship between space and politics. The article examines how we can make mass transit more efficient to accommodate the growth of American cities, resulting in the restoration and engagement of surrounding neighborhoods.
For the photo of Fallon, I traveled to Brooklyn and did the shoot on the Nostrand Ave LIRR platform. I traveled there soon after hurricane Sandy and saw very little damage to my surprise. Nearly half of my 24 hour stay in New York was spent on a train. That allowed me to catch up on some reading and properly prepare for my approach to the shoot. Fallon was a happy and fun subject. We were lucky to have more sun than wind. After the shoot, I met up with designer Donovan Brien who recently relocated to Brooklyn, and we chowed down on some amazing Mexican food at Chavellas on Franklin Avenue. It was just what I needed to keep my sanity after 12+ hours traveling in less than a day’s time.
This was the most fun I’ve had working on any magazine. The feature article for this issue is pretty great too. Briant Schmidt, an astrophysicist who specializes in supernovae, discusses the race to build one of the three biggest telescopes currently under construction. Nick Cubbin shot the front cover, a talented photographer based out of Sydney, AU.
Thanks so much for checking in. It pleases me more than I can even describe to provide the world with my photographs. I feel fortunate everyday to be able to do what I do. I’m always open to feedback or just a quick hello.
