Cass & Kell

 I've had the pleasure of knowing Cassie and her brother Kell since 2004.  Cass and I went to Clark University together, and were both members of the Clark U Swimming & Diving Team.  She is definitely one my absolute best friends and I was more than excited when she asked if I would photograph her and her brother as a present for her mother's birthday!  Cass and Kell came into the shoot super super open minded, were totally happy to put up with my silly ideas, and we had an absolute blast!  It's shoots like this that make me realize I have the best job in the world! At the end of the day, I get to hang out with friends, play with kids, and creatively document fun.  I can't thank Cass and Kell enough for being awesome models, and even better friends!

 

As an only child, it's super fun for me to deal with siblings.  I love the contrast between the typical sister-brother bickering, and the deep deep connection that is only shared between two siblings (especially when they are so close in age).  It allows for real fun, silly, but realistic photos like the ones above. :) But, of course, we make sure we get those special lovely moments too...

 

This photo was one of their requests.  Cass told me their mother has a photo of them as little kids where they're faces are really close and they're giggling at eachother.  They wanted to recreate this pose as adults and frame it for her.  I think recreating poses from childhood memories or actual photographs is always a wonderful gift for a parent or grandparent.  It can definitely be a bit of a challenge, especially when you haven't seen the original, but from what I've heard we did a pretty great job matching poses, and look how sweet this is! 

And of course, there is nothing better to end a perfect shoot with than a rockin' sibling jump! Thanks again Cass and Kell, you guys are the best and hope to take more photos of you all soon! Someday soon, you will get to see our shoot with Cass and her favorite cat, Midnight. Until then, enjoy!

-Jess

Heels in The Aboredom...

    As I continue to slowly work my way through hundreds of photos to clean out my harddrive and update my website, not only is my computer happier, but I get to find older shoots that are such gems, I have to share! This shoot was at the Arboredom in Jamaica Plain, MA sometime in the chilly Autumn of 2008 (I think!).  Angie is a good friend of mine - a very talented dancer, and even better model! Angie is always up for a photoshoot and open to helping me try out new poses, ideas, projects, etc.  

Thanks for all your help and continuing support Angie!!

 

I just love the warm morning light streaming through the branches in this one. Now "warm" is meant  more specifically in coloring terms, than say, that of temperature, haha, poor Angie - It was quite a chilly early morning, but she's tough, and it was clearly worth it :)

 

 

 Don't worry, you'll be seeing more of Angie! Enjoy!

-Jess

Schmidt Anniversary 2008

Last summer I had the honor of photographing my best friend, Annika Schmidt (www.annikaschmidt.com)'s parents 40th wedding anniversary party! She used the photographs as her present to her parents.  It was a while ago, but it was a great, relaxed and fun afternoon with great family friends and my own family as well.  Wanted to put up some of my favorites from the day...

The beautiful wedding photo

Gunnel's friends' swedish toast - so cute!

The sparklers leading up to the cake!

Andd of course we had to have a kiss :)

And now, the new and improved...

Man, have I been a bad blogger or what! It's been nearly a year since I last posted and the things I have to show !  Now the only problem is where to begin...

Unfortunately I didn't end up receiving any grant money from the MCC http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/applications/fellowsapp.html, but with the growing numbers of amazing artists that apply each year, its not super heartbreaking.  I found out that I was even going up against my two amazingly talented photography teachers, Stephen DiRado (http://www.stephendirado.com/index.html) and Frank Armstrong (http://pitchertaker.blogspot.com/)! But I have no doubt that I'll be applying each year I can! Hopefully someday I'll get that 10,000 dollar prize, and be able to do my big US east->west roadtrip photo project!

Back to things that are of the more recent present... About a month ago, I reached my one year anniversary working with the super great Portrait Simple family, and am loving it more than ever! (www.PortraitSimple.com)  But as the busy christmas season begins (yes, we start our holiday season on August 31st! haha!), I'm busy with my own freelance work tying up loose ends and finishing projects/jobs before fireplaces, ornaments and photo cards take up most of my time.

To catch you all up to date, the next couple posts are going to be highlight shots from my shoots from the last year!  And eventually we will get to the two beautiful weddings I shot the weekend of August 14th and 15th! Hope you're excited!

Now, enough talking, lets see some photos. These first ones are from a sampling of dance performances and competitions that I was either watching or a part of. (I have a couple years of experience competing and performing in the latin ballroom and salsa world)

 

Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagorouitchenko @ BU, Boston, MA

Leon Turetsky & Ania Lukas @ Springstep Medford, MA

Leon Turetsky & Erin Kaya @ Springstep Medford, MA

Yulia Zagorouitchenko @ BU, Boston, MA

 

FitzGerald & partner @ Eastern Championships Cambridge, MA

 

Helle Rusholt Yi & Steve Yi @ Eastern Championships Cambridge, MA

Hope you enjoyed them!  The Ballroom world is a unique, firey one and is extremely challenging and fun to photograph! Before I go, here's one that I dad (Stewart Clements, also a photographer www.clementshowcroft.com) took of me during one of my own performances!

 

 

okay, so I said one and I end up with four, but hey, theyre fun! Enjoy!

-jess

Night Drive...

Only at night can the beauty of mystery, fear, and truth be fully captured. The snow falling on this tree shows how loud the quietest moment can be.  

Seemingly stagnant & unoccupied scenes are quickly transformed into a mystery of curiosity and wonder exploring all that surrounds us. 

Abandoned and shut down might be boring to the untrained eye, until given life once again by showing its unique, textural beauty. 

It is the essence of truth when water and sky meet man-made invention. Organic stillness is joined with structural harmony in this powerful moment. 

For once it is not darkness that brings fear; rather the streaming intensity of light provokes the anxiety that most shadows bring.

For a little explanation... My dad talked me into entering photos to the Massachusetts Cultural Council to apply for the 2009 Artist Fellowships.  Each year they give out artist grants 1,000 - 10,000 dollars in different art genres, and luckily this year they photography was one of the catagories !  It won't be until June that we find out, but hey, either way! Feels good to be in the race!

Keep those fingers and toes crossed! Until later!

-Jess

Instinctual Inspiration... Uncovering the Familiar Thesis Show 2007

Senior year of college, I took the thesis course for art majors which allowed me to be a part of the most fun and inspiring group of artists. Along with coming up with and executing our own concept for a final project, our other challenge was to plan, design, and curate our own thesis gallery show. Having little experience in the gallery setting, this was an amazing and terrifying job. The photos below are the results of many tears, allnighters and coffee/ciggarette breaks at 4am...


Instinctual Inspiration

My photographs are intimate insights into the personalities of the individuals pictured. Through countless visits to local zoos, farms, and animal shelters, I began to grasp a new understanding and appreciation of the animals I came in contact with. While photographing, it was very important that I concentrated on one animal at a time, allowing for the most intimate and intense interaction possible. Each photograph is unique to its subject, and how they react to their environment and as well as to me.
I began photographing animals with the intent of capturing a moment that expressed the individuality of each animal. Over time, I began to get so involved in this process that my drive quickly changed from documentation to awe. I began to follow individuals for hours as they went about their daily routines, trying to get as close as I could to entering their world. The animal world is one of vitality, intensity and passion. To live as intensely in each moment, as these individuals do, a human can hardly begin to understand. It is this innate gap between humans and animals that draws me to photographing these amazing individuals. This series of photographs is an attempt to fulfill my own primal need to gain a deeper understanding of the way in which these individuals live.