MRT - Heroes

Merrimack Repertory Theatre is performing "Heroes". I'm told it's a French play, translated by a Brit (Tom Stoppard), and now performed in America. It takes place in 1959 in a vets' home, and 3 feisty old guys hatch escape plans while dealing with each other's wildly entertaining foibles. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Oh, and the actors are all award winners and/or nominees (from http://merrimackrep.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/cast-crew-of-heroes-announced-merrimack-rep/):
Tony Award-winner Ron Holgate (Gustave)
Tony-nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Jonathan Hogan (Philippe)
Ken Tigar (Henri), a television regular with over 130 television and film credits

Bekah Belly

Did you see the latest postcard? Would you like to receive one? Just email me with your real-world address, and I'll send one out.

This quarter's postcard included a photo of Bekah's son J. But first, Bekah's belly before we all met J.

Bekah held her son up for me - he was 5 months old for this photo. There's a window with southern exposure to the right of the photo. And the glass was pretty dirty! So we got some nice diffusion. And to the left of the photo, behind J's head, is another window, with eastern exposure. A nice fill. Plus, who wouldn't enjoy the exit/salida sign with J's excellent expression?

Family portrait at home

Had a wonderful family portrait shoot this weekend with Tiffany, Mick and their daughter K. at their home. Ready?

And I get applesauce in my ear

C feeds the baby doll applesauce. Snuggles the baby. Holds the baby out for me to snuggle. I snuggle the baby.

Applesauce transfer complete.

Lotta Artists

Compare and contrast. A photo taken in September 2005, on the weekend of the first Lowell Open Studios that Western Avenue Studios participated in. The building had started in July 2005 with 35 or so artists on the 5th floor. And that was it. None of the other floors had been built out yet.

The second photo was taken at the beginning of October in 2009. There are over 200 artists in the building. There are 143 studios spread out among 6 looooong hallways. We have a co-op gallery. We have a goal: raise $2Million to put a down payment on the building so it will remain artist-occupied in perpetuity. And we have lots and lots of people.

For one thing, our faces are a lot smaller in the 2009 photo. And I had to stand on a ladder to take the picture, rather than putting people up a ladder. Heh.

Thanks again, John Greenwald, for pushing us to do the first picture - a historic moment! - and for pushing us to do the second picture 4 successful years later.

Oh, and here's a link I'm often asked for: Megpix:WesternAve
That's the link to pictures I took of the inside of Western Ave while many of the industrial machines were still in situ.

Flying Karamazov Page 6

There's a review in today's Boston Globe for the opening show at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, the Flying Karamazov Brothers' "Flings & Eros". Guess whose pictures are used? Mine! And guess who got a photo credit? Me! The Globe has been much better lately about photo credits, and I am thankful. MRT always insists on the credit, and the credits have been there more often than not.

What does a photo credit do? Why, it allows me to grin madly and wave the tear sheet around. Which is what I'm doing here. Virtually, of course, so you're not obligated to grin back at me. Even after 10 years at this, tear sheets are still exciting.

Here are the photos that accompany the printed article, which appears on page 6 of G, the arts & entertainment section.

Free photo shoot dates announced

Updates on the Megpix News page: fall Painless Portrait dates have been announced - those are the free ones!

And a new Megpix shoot type is available for $99 - I'm trying it out. It's called Special Studio Sessions. Weekday mornings from 10-11, I'm available for shoots by appointment in the Lowell studio. Is this right up your alley? Let me know!

This kid can MOVE

Just before C's bedtime, we were finishing up at Barnes & Noble (the other Big B Bookstore, you know - the one that's not going bankrupt). Had some quiet time in the kids' section, C watched a girl read out loud to her mother.


And then - the crazy kicked in. For whatever reason, when bedtime gets close, C gets a little frantic. He had a jolly time cruising the aisles at maximum warp speed - book it down one aisle, make a sharp left, and another - book it down the next aisle! I thought he was moving randomly, joyfully, 15-month-oldy. Until - we ended up right back in the kids' section, halfway across the store.

Our Lady of Western Avenue

Amber Daniels and I keep meeting in odd places at Western Ave. Stairwells, parking lots, poorly-lit hallways.

To pre-emptively strike out any rumors of illicit trysts, here's Amber striking a saintly pose. I shall call it - Our Lady of Western Avenue.

Daniel and Anna's wedding

My best friend from college got married last month to the best person in the world for him. They were married in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, near Anna's family's cottage. Anna got ready at the cottage:
Daniel's father Paul took a picture of us when we were done with the family portraits. Upon reluctantly handing back the camera, flash, battery rig, he declared that he's found his new career!
Anna wore a gorgeous dress:
Daniel wore a gorgeous... uh... tie:
I think that we all played grown-up quite convincingly:
And they danced!