I made Dan Woog’s Podcast!!

“Of course I will do the Podcast!” That was my answer after Dan asked me to do his 06880 podcast last week. He is a Westport treasure and his blog is my ” must reads” every day. I always said if it was not for him keeping up with town stories and sharing them, it would be a boring world. In retrospect I really should have given my father more credit for teaching me photography and helping me see things differently and as a photographer, try to make things “prettier”. Here is the podcast. Enjoy!!

Photographing the Westport Dog Festival

I was asked to photograph the Westport Dog Festival so they can use the images for future marketing and hopefully get new vendors for next year.. I think it is ideal to hire a photographer to show an outsiders point of view. Matt Mandell, the head of the Westport Chamber of Commerce said one of his biggest goals was to get an aerial with my drone. No problem. The dog festival takes place every year and it takes place at the dog park or Winslow park in Westport. They had many vendors and even a few food trucks.

There were many vendors with lots of samples.

Too low for me, but just right for the little ones.

The police had an excellent presentation.

I included the Westport Playhouse as a landmark for this drone shot other wise it would just look like a field from anywhere.

Engagement portraits at Compo Beach Westport

Julia and John are getting married in the fall so we wanted to get the word out to there friends. What better way to announce this by taking photographs together at Compo Beach! When it is sunny at the beach, you get a lot of squinting. Sometimes to the point where your eyes are watering and you are in pain. I have seen grown men cry from the glare of the sun. Not this time. With a well calculated overcast day, we set foot at Compo to grab these images. I enjoy shooting with my 85mm 1.2 lens because the bokeh is just gorgeous.

Here is my godox octogon that I like to use for soft fill light.

Delaware Graduation

My son Case graduated The University of Delaware with a degree in finance. He is already working with Salesforce in Manhattan. I am very proud of this guy and so I had to get some pictures of him on campus for our last hurrah. To cap things off, President Biden spoke at Case’e commencement. For the photos, I had a simple setup and had my wife Liz hold the flash for fill. I would just direct her to where I wanted the flash.

I remember visiting the fountain on the first day.

Fairfield University Graduates

Yesterday I photographed the next generation of talented young ladies. After meeting at the front of Fairfield University campus, we travelled to a few locations that will remind them of their journey through college. Even the Seagrape was picked for our exotic photoshoot. I remember going to The Seagrape when I played summer league baseball with Byron AC. After games we would usually celebrate our games their. Good luck ladies!!

had to get one with my assistant in there. Staples internship with Chase

All these images were photographed with the Godox Travel system and I used a trigger on top of the camera to fire the flash. Inside at The Sea grape I used a back light to separate the subjects from the background. It really is an ideal setup for a photographer.

Westport’s Little League Day

Every year the Staples Baseball Diamond Club sponsors Little League Day. This is a chance for the little kids to meet the bigger kids and learn and play some baseball. Running, hitting and throwing are all showcased on this day. In the end, there is also a hotdog truck supplied by Junior’s Hot Dog Stand in Westport.

Hero shows a youngster how to grip a four seam fastball.

Madelyn plays guitar

I make house calls!! This special portrait was photographed at Madelyn’s parent house. She is a musician and needed a portrait for professional use. Madelyn sang the national anthem at The “sticks for soldiers” Lacrosse fundraiser at Staples High School last week. She said this would not be her first time singing the Anthem, she had actually performed it twice before. I couldn’t do it.

I love shooting portraits. It is a very easy set up. backdrop and three lights. Main, background and a kicker light. I do love the soft light effect we got on Madelyn, it has a real fine look.

classic soft light with a little rim light.

What I love about my light set up is that I no longer need wires to connect to electrical outlets. It is all self contained. Setup is quick and I have more room to move around.

Fashion Show in Westport

I was the official photographer for this years Fashionably Westport. The sold-out event showcased downtown’s fashion and beauty merchants while guests enjoyed a festive evening. The event benefited Project Return, Home with Hope’s program that focuses solely on the needs of homeless women. I arrived early to set up and check things out and was happy to be let into the room where all of the models were getting ready. I enjoy the candid photography most of all. The runway images are a little tougher because of the quick movement of the models and the spot lights.

Jen Falik was the MC and Helen McAlinden the CEO of Homes with Hope, gave a wonderful presentation at halftime. They raised a lot of funds and everyone had a great time.

Maxx Crowley the new President of The Downtown Merchant’s Association

Fire Department Photography

I was asked to photograph all of the Westport Fire Department personnel and I wanted to show that you really do not need a lot of space to get some great portraits. This was photographed in the fire chief’s office and I used the main light, a backlight, and a little kicker camera left to get a nice little sheen on their faces. Up until a few years ago, all of my lights had cables to be connected to outlets. Now I am fully battery-driven using my Godox a200 and accessories. On Memorial Day, I am scheduled to photograph the whole department using a drone. Can’t wait!

My setup. It takes only a few minutes to set this up.

I took this group shot outside after we photographed the officers’ portraits.

It is going to look great in the firehouse.

Seaman’s Moving in Pictures

Seaman’s is a worldwide moving company. They are very busy moving people in and out of their homes. I took pictures for their website and for the new branding that they wanted to do. Whether it is 50 people or two, photography is very important in showcasing your produce, your company, and your look.