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!

Ezra Jack Keats

C settles in to read. It's Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, which is similar to the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle in that they're both drawn with paper cutouts. So far, the Caterpillar book holds his interest - the stubby pages in the middle of the book! the holes in the pages! - and the Keats book is good for a quick look and that's all.

I shall have a look for more activity-oriented books, I think. I-Spy and/or die-cut books. At least, until his imagination really kicks in and the pictures in the books start to represent ideas rather than shapes.

Nana blankets

A post about the kiddo, who is 14 months and counting. He learned to walk a couple of weeks ago. Today, he circled the interior of the house a couple of times without falling down. Good stuff!

Yesterday he got up on the couch, pulled 2 blankets up around himself, and sat. (This kid doesn't do much sitting still.) I gave him the comics to read. The blanket on the left is a quilt that Brian's grandmother made. The afghan is a quilt that my nana made.

Later, he pulled the blanket over next to me, snuggled up (snuggled! This is a kid committed to movement!), and we read a book together. He pointed out the dinosaurs' trucks, blocks, and 4 balls. Oh my, I could get used to this.

Later, he chased me around the house. I stopped and held the camera behind me as he was walking up. I love the way the stripes on his shirt blur.

And thanks to Emily, who entertained C. in the water, and then fed him some yogurt at home. He was entranced. Especially with Emily's very imitatable face.

Basketball at Night

There's a park at the end of the street where the guys play basketball at night. I drive by on my way home and wonder how it is. Tonight, a woman was silhouetted against the night courts. Bugs were flicking around. Motorcycles roared by.

And after I'd finished taking the picture, I learned that the woman's name is Sooj. Later tonight, I'll text her the photo.