Posts by Brian

Portrait Moments

November 9, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, On Assignment, On Location

I live for location work. Put me in a random environment, with changing variables and I’m in my element: solving problems as they occur. Capturing the flavor of the location in a true way. The person in the photo matters, but they are playing a duet with the background, each of them heroes in the final image.

What happens if you can’t rely on a cool and interesting environment? If you force yourself to strip out your background and all context, what are you left with?

Portrait moments, that’s what. Take out all of the other stuff that clutters the eye and what remains is mood and moment. The choice of lighting accentuates these moments, expressed subtly by eyes, lips, and posture. Here the subject is truly the hero of the image, and every subtle gesture speaks volumes.

Pretty lofty words, I know. But capturing the moment—that certain look in the eye, that lift to the chin—that’s the good stuff that keeps photographers going. That’s authentic truth, even in the middle of electronic flash mumbo-jumbo.

Case in point: this image of actress Liz Freeman that I’m publishing for the first time. It dates back more than a year, when Liz posed as a model during the Maine Light Workshop I was teaching on the creative use of off-camera flash.

I’ve been lucky to photograph Liz many times before this, but what made this situation different was that the shoot felt more like a hectic location shoot: constantly setting up gear and continually on the move. In situations like that, I have a loose ten-frame rule: if it doesn’t look good in ten clicks of the shutter, then it’s time to move on.

What struck me, going through the images, is just how present and serene Liz is in the middle of all of the activity going on around her (but not visible to the camera). I love this kind of quiet look: subtle, but an undeniably powerful, spontaneous moment.

Great job, Liz.

Faces of Industry

November 2, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, On Assignment, On Location, Showcase

A unifying theme of my work can be boiled down to, “people who work”. The people in front of my lens tend to do interesting things for a living, and my job often is to show them going about their duties. In the course of a week I might find myself in the cab of a delivery truck, perched on a platform above a factory floor, or scrunched into a corner of a conference room, camera in hand.

ecomaine is a waste management non-profit in Portland that generates power from the stuff the rest of us throw away. I’ve photographed their people for years and I absolutely love working there. As a location, it’s often dirty (they process and burn garbage, remember), the lighting can be an extreme challenge and the environment tends to be either freezing cold or stiflingly hot. But….on the other hand, they have cool smokestacks, pipes, walkways and big pieces of colorful moving machinery. Sign me up!

Recently they had me document and photograph many of their people at work and I wanted to show some of the results of that ongoing project. Produced completely in black and white, the images look timeless and give a human dimension to the industrial facility. Instead of the more intensive scenario-based images I might create in other settings, these are ‘quick-hit’ portraits done in work areas all over the plant and buildings, with minimal lighting. Basically, I have a lot of fun and get a workout at the same time.

Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places

October 25, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, On Assignment, On Location, Recent Work

As a photographer, I’m fascinated by juxtapositions and contrasts. I dig the unexpected (as a newspaper photographer I lived for moments like these and these). I like finding beauty where it’s least expected.

That’s the idea behind this photo shoot involving Portland Ballet Company dancer Kelsey Harrison. She’s the ‘beauty’ in this scenario.

The space? That’s the ‘unexpected’ part: a cavernous, dirty, dusty, rough space with unpainted walls, exposed subfloors and 15-foot ceilings. The kind of space that photographers dream of but also tend to be challenged by, too. Plenty of space for Kelsey to move around in and do her moves. Plenty of space to position lighting on all sides of her, creating an envelope of light. The goal was to use extremely fast flash duration—up to 1/13,500th of a second—to freeze Kelsey’s movements as she did her thing.

With enough portable batteries, lighting was the easy part. Too much and I’d kill the mood and drama of the place. Too little, and there goes the ‘beauty’. So I directed and shaped the light onto Kelsey and enough of the background to separate her from the environment.

Kelsey was a trouper. If you’ve ever walked around all day on a hard surface with no padding and no ‘give’, you feel it the next day. Kelsey spent an hour leaping and jumping, all in the name of art, and didn’t complain once. She made it look easy….but ‘easy’ it isn’t. A true pro and a joy to work with.

Finding beauty in unexpected places, indeed.

Finding Beauty

A Tale of Two (or More) Portfolios

October 19, 2016 1 Comment read Blog

The reality of being a photographer is that you need to have portfolios—online, of course, but also a body of work (in physical or digital form) that you can show to people who might want to hire you.

It’s not a fun process for me. I used to be a photo editor and love editing work. But my own? I’d rather insert bamboo slivers under my fingernails. I start with the best of intentions and end staring at all of my images, rocking back and forth, and muttering something about pursuing another career in cosmetology. Nothing looks good. All I see are the flaws instead of the patterns.

In short, when I look at my work, I’m not an editor, but just another neurotic, perfectionist photographer scratching his head.

This year I embarked on a project to rebuild my body of work and my physical portfolio—a process now largely done, but of course—never fully complete. I worked with a consultant and shot a lot of new work. I worked with Scott Mullenberg to create an additional folio to accompany the unique books he’d already created for me.
In the end, it was a process that even changed the way I approach my daily assignment work.

At my showings so far, the feedback has been so helpful that I swear I should be paying them for the insight I’m getting.

Based on my experience, I’d venture that most photographers (and other creatives) would benefit from a regular portfolio tear-down-and-rebuild. Here’s why:

1. It gives you perspective. You get to take stock of where you’ve been and where you’d like to be.
2. It can change the way you view not just your work, but how you approach your assignments with current clients.
3. It gets you “out there”, giving you the opportunity to show your work to others and to really talk about your value and their goals.

So take a look at some of my new work at Fitzgerald Photo. There’s more on the way.

Inspired Mainers: Pat Gallant-Charette

October 13, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, Inspire Maine, Mainers at Work, On Location, Recent Work

Inspiring Mainer — Pat Gallant-Charette wears the names of two of her now-deceased brothers on her arm for every swim.

This week I published an Inspire Maine issue featuring Pat Gallant-Charette, a 65-year-old grandmother from Westbrook, ME. Some would say being a rockstar grandmother is inspiring enough—one that’s written her own children’s book, no less.

But that’s not the inspiring part. Gallant-Charette recently returned from the U.K., where she became the oldest person to successfully swim the North Channel. That’s the 21-mile stretch of freezing cold North Atlantic brine that separates Ireland from Scotland. At 65, Gallant-Charette was the oldest person to ever do the swim, by 13 years.

And that isn’t even the amazing part. This is one of five swims she’s completed as part of the “Oceans Seven”(No, that’s not a buddy movie). It’s seven channels of water, from Japan to Hawaii to California…and the British Isles. To boot, Gallant-Charette finished the Strait of Gibraltar swim faster than any American woman since 1928.

To her grandkids, she’s just grandma who travels a lot. But trust me, she’s amazing and a nice person, too. I photographed her at Kettle Cove in September and we had a great time despite the windy, chilly day. I loved the images but even more, I loved getting to meet with Pat. So do yourself a favor and check out her full interview over at Inspire Maine. You’ll be glad you did.

Inspired Mainer — Pat Gallant-Charette, photographed at Kettle Cove in Maine. Being a Mainer helped her train for her marathon swimming success. “This is the best training ground outside of the North Channel and the English Channel,” she says.

Inspiring Maine — One of my favorite outtakes from the shoot, which I think looks best in black and white. I can imagine Pat swimming alone in the dark and the cold, but fueled by her bright, optimistic nature.

Faces of Portland: Sam Smith

October 5, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, Inspire Maine, Mainers at Work, On Location

The thing I most love about Portland is definitely the diverse, interesting people that it attracts. Creatives, entrepreneurs, craftsmen, free spirits.

I recently photographed Sam Smith, a blacksmith who operates the Portland Forge out of the old Portland Company complex on Fore Street. All of the adjectives—creative, entrepreneur, craftsman, free spirit—apply.

Sam has a well-deserved reputation as an artist and a craftsman. When he’s not operating a portable anvil out of his van somewhere in Maine, or teaching workshops in Europe, he’s hammering steel in the dark corner of a former train locomotive foundry that dates back more than 150 years. By the way, that space, and much of the complex itself, will soon be part of Portland’s past. The city’s master plan proposes a 10-acre complex of condominiums and retail shops to occupy the space that these red brick, charmingly dilapidated buildings now occupy.

For now, Sam continues to work a forge that he created himself, in a small corner of Portland that—for now, thankfully—remains firmly rooted in the past. Thanks, Sam, for letting me and my camera into your world for a little while.

Arrested: Stories Behind the Badge

September 28, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, On Location, Projects, Recent Work

For the first time, I’m publishing a few images from a project on Maine’s Peace Officers that I’ve been working on for over a year with the working title, Arrested: Stories Behind the Badge.

‘Arrested’ is a series of portraits of law enforcement officers from across the state of Maine, photographed at the actual locations where they experienced a life-altering incident on the job.

The diversity of situations the officers I’ve interviewed have been incredible: some have been shot; others have had to use their weapons. Some have been injured, some have saved lives. All have had to react in situations that required skill, judgement and humanity.

Nationally, the idea that cops are dangerous and out of control, and are to be feared–this is an additional burden on officers in Maine, many of whom police the same communities they and their families live in. When a difficult incident occurs, they are reminded of it every time they pass the spot where it occurred.

This project is an attempt to convey the reality of the difficult work officers do every day. I’m thankful to the officers who have participated. I’d like to say that it’s been a good experience for them to share their stories, but I also know it’s not been easy for people who tend to avoid the spotlight.

It’s been an incredible experience for me as well and I hope to share the complete project, as well as the many stories, soon.

New Portfolio and New Look for Fitzgerald Photo

September 21, 2016 0 Comments read Blog

I’m excited to announce the release of a new portfolio of imagery, along with a newly-designed website and Fitzgerald Photo blog.

It’s been a long time coming.

Like many photographers, I split my time between many activities (only one of which is actually using a camera) that seemly add up to 29 hours a day. It’s critical to take the time to create new work and market that work so that others can find it, too.

Six months ago, I began working with photo consultant Selina Maitreya to edit my existing images and create a new portfolio. I’d worked with Selina in the past, but never had we stripped down my portfolio and rebuilt it in the way we’ve now done. I love the results. I am so grateful to have worked with some amazing people along the way. People like the folks at Energy Circle, a Maine-based technology company that provides marketing services for builders, contractors and HVAC professionals. I spent several days with the developers, salespeople and, of course, their dogs (Energy Circle is pro-canine) at their Yarmouth digs, documenting the people and the vibe of the place. The resulting visual story goes behind the scenes and gives an authentic view that a single image can’t capture.

So please check out the new site and my new portfolio and let me know what you think. And if you like what you see, come back regularly to see new work now in progress.

It’s always a work in progress.

Bernstein Shur: letting clients help tell the story

July 13, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, News, Showcase

Bernstein Shur: letting clients help tell the story

One of the largest single projects I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with over the past year was a branding redesign for Maine-based law firm Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, P.A.

I was contacted by Thinkso!, a New York creative agency, to produce all of the imagery for a comprehensive rebranding effort. Working with their creative team and with the amazing people at Bernstein Shur, we photographed all of the firm’s attorneys in Portland, Augusta and New Hampshire. We also spent time with several of the firm’s clients, photographing their operations over the course of several months. This project was unique not just because of its scope and size, but also because of the opportunity to work with Bernstein Shur’s clients in the course of showing the deep relationships involved.

The rebrand was rolled out at the end of 2015 and looks amazing. I’m grateful to have been a part of such a monumental effort and for the chance to visually tell the story of this proud Maine firm. See below for examples of the work in action.

Bernstein Shur: letting clients help tell the story

Showcase: Take your Millennial to Work Day, Dispatch Magazine

March 16, 2016 0 Comments read Blog, On Location

I’ve worked with Down East Magazine in the past, but this month my work was published in Dispatch Magazine for the first time (which shares some operations with Down East Enterprise, Inc.) Dispatch targets a readership interested in nightlife, events and food in Maine’s largest city. When Visuals Director Mark Fleming called me, asking if I’d take on concept of “Take your millenial to work day”, I was interested. It sounded like a challenge—not the least because it had to be set up and shot within the following three days.

I spent time with both subjects–Chelsea, a millennial working at a local bookshop, and Bill, a Boomer-generation copy machine salesman, as they visited each other’s places of work, and photographed them in a variety of scenarios both posed and unposed. The magazine ended up using a couple scenarios, but here on the blog I get to share a few more that I liked as well. Keep in mind the goal was to be a little over the top, with a wink and a nod to stereotypes about both generations. You can read more about the story, which I recommend, at Dispatch Magazine. Enjoy!