Single Photo Friday:: Gaga

Lady Gaga speaks in Portland, Maine against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.

Lady Gaga came to Portland recently and I photographed the event for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

It was all very last minute and a little chaotic (celebs don't make their way to Maine everyday), but such an amazing moment to be part of. I forced my way through the crowd so I could shoot from the front rather than on the press platform that was roughly half a mile away (dramatic exaggeration). By getting up close I found myself surrounded by lots of local college students who were seriously gaga for Gaga. I think being in the thick of their energy and excitement made the whole event an even more powerful experience for me. I loved watching them all go nuts both for her and all the speakers who came out to tell their stories. I watched people's eyes fill with tears one minute, erupt into screams and applause the next. Had I stayed back on the dreaded platform I would have left having felt maybe half the emotion.

And truth be told, I don't care what Lady Gaga wears at a big Hollywood events. The fact the she makes some pretty great music and is standing up for something she believes in are the only reasons I need to like her. And it's always cool to photograph people I like.

...

Make it Happen, Maine!

I believe in Love.

I believe in Marriage.

I believe in Equal Rights.

I make my living as a photographer, which includes photographing weddings. I would love the opportunity to photograph a same sex marriage, and I'm hoping that after today I will be able to do that in Maine. I also hope to photograph a biker wedding and an Indian wedding, but those aren't items we as a people need to vote on.

If we all want to greatly impact the lives of our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and more, then we need to get out and vote TODAY. TUESDAY NOV 3. It could prove to be life changing for all of us. Especially if it opens the doors to acceptance of those different than you.

Well said.

Places to vote in York and Cumberland County go here .

Support No on 1.

...

Waking up after Election Day

Wow. Today is an amazing day.

Although this is not a political blog, I feel compelled to post the day after our nation's most historic presidential campaign. Today we are all part of a changed American landscape. We have all just seen our country vote for its first African-American president. I'm not sure how anyone, no matter what party you support or what you believe in, would be able to sit back and not feel how huge this is.

I watched the coverage until late last night. I am not afraid to admit that when Katie Couric looked at me through the television screen to say that it was official - - Barack Obama would be our next president -- I felt a huge wave of emotion. I was not really prepared for that. But the reality of how huge this moment was sunk in and sunk in fast. A tear may have been shed.

Ok, so there was more than one tear. But photographers don't cry.

Well, this one does. This one knew she was watching a huge moment for her country and even for the world unfold in front of her eyes. So, ya, big deal. This photographer shed a few tears.

Almost twenty years ago my father was able to show me where he was when he heard that Kennedy had been shot. We were on the campus of West Virginia University, getting a tour and thinking about where my future might lead me (we now know it didn't lead me to the fine state of West Virginia). He pointed to a red car parked on a hill, and filled with patriotic pride and sadness as he was able to tell me that's where he was standing when another student told him the news. "No one ever forgets where they were when they heard about Kennedy ," he told me. At the time I didn't really get it, politics weren't exactly my thing. But now, after sitting on the red couch that was once his and watching history happen, I wish he had lived long enough to share this moment with so many of us. I wonder what he would have to say and how he would want to remember it. I will remember that I sat in a house once occupied by him, and felt the world shift, shedding tears and sharing smiles with people in all corners of the globe.

And now, it's the day after and I have decided I am tired of hearing 3 certain words : Joe the Plumber. I could come up with some new people for us to look up to/watch. How about Judy the Photographer? Or maybe Doug the Teacher, Amy the Doctor, Andy the Lawyer/Musician... And this guy - Scott the Weekend Warrior/artist/accountant/husband/son/brother/uncle/friend/neighbor. We could talk about him for awhile, even though he might not like the attention. Or we could just look at this photo of him polishing his El Camino.

I think I just gave myself my next project! Portraits of these Average Joes in my life that are really anything but average. I have had this in the back of my mind for a while, but now it's moving quickly to the front. Better get to work!

..