I guess I just like shooting artists

Louise King, with her dog Toad at her Washington home where she builds her mud ponies and soot monoprints, will have her work on view at the Gunn Memorial Library in Washington beginning Dec. 12.

Star Party!!

Nov. 20, 2009: Stargazers take turns looking at stars through a telescope during Friday's Star Party at White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, hosted by the Friends of the Morris Public Library, in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy.
Josalee Thrift Republican-American

zombies, weddings, and field hockey

What do those three have in common?

I shot them.

Zombie Party:


Sarah & Tara get married:


Semi-final field hockey game goes into TRIPLE overtime:

Rocky Votolato

I shot pictures of one of my favorite musicians at a living room show in Burlington the other night, which was hosted by a girl I had actually photographed for the paper about two years ago. You can see a light I set up right next to him. I set up another light about five feet to my left, and I put a tube around it (made of cereal boxes covered with gaffer tape) to give it a spotlight effect. Afterwards I had a wonderful conversation with Rocky and his wife April.

It's November ALREADY.

In recent weeks, with only one or two night photographers working at a daily newspaper that covers almost 50 towns, I'm regularly shooting two sports games a night, plus other news assignments. It's crazy. Anyway, I just was able to catch my breath and thought I'd share this:


New Milford's goalie Jack Holub punches the ball away from the goal as his teammate Zane Swanson jumps for the ball along with Pomperaug's #14 Connor Kennedy, #12 Matt Ruston and #19 Kyle Molnar during Monday's game at Pomperaug. New Milford won, 2-0.

This coming up weekend is my four day weekend (a perk that comes with rotating schedules). I'm really looking forward to it since MAE the band is coming through and I'll be seeing them in NYC, and then I have a zombie party I'm going to as well, which should all make for great photos.

Chuck Connelly

Every day of working opens my world just a little more.

The other day I got a photo assignment to shoot some portraits of artist Chuck Connelly, the subject of an Emmy winning HBO documentary called "The Art of Failure," released last year.

I thought, "Cool, let me look this guy up."

I found this.

I thought, "Holy jeez what am I walking in to?!??!"

Then I thought, "Okay, whatever, I'll just pretend I didn't see it and I'll treat him like everyone else."

I had about 30 minutes at the art gallery in Litchfield before Chuck arrived with his assistant, Mark.

Now, I know I'm supposed to be an unbiased journalist, but come on, I'm also an artist, (in the most primitive sense of the word, I think) and his work was absolutely amazing, and in that short span of time I developed such a nervous excitement to meet the artist who's hands were responsible for all the stunning work that surrounded me.

And guess what?

We got along just fine.



The last shot, a painting of Chuck's studio, is my favorite piece from the exhibit. It reminded me of my favorite children's book when I was a kid, "Hey, Al."

Go to New Arts Gallery in Litchfield between now and Nov. 22 if you want to take a look for yourself.

Funeral for Army Capt. Benjamin Sklaver