A Year of Portraits with Maine’s Wildlife Commissioner

October 23, 2024 0 Comments read architecture, Blog, Editorial, Mainers, Mainers at Work

Over the past year, I photographed Commissioner Judy Camuso of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) as she experienced Maine’s natural landscapes through different seasons. These portraits reflect her deep connection to the outdoors and her commitment to conserving the places she loves.

Since being appointed by Governor Janet Mills in 2019, Judy’s leadership has gained national attention. Now serving as President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, she represents conservation efforts across North America, focusing on wildlife policy, funding, and collaboration between agencies.

Judy’s roots as a wildlife biologist run deep. From her early days at Maine Audubon to becoming the first Maine commissioner on the North American Wetlands Conservation Act council, her career is built on a passion for protecting nature. Whether she’s in the field or at the table with policymakers, her connection with and dedication to Maine’s wildlife is clear.

Being able to capture these images of Judy in her element—hot, freezing cold and in-between—was such a pleasure. I love environmental portraits like these because the locations themselves tell such an important story about the subject. As such, it’s important to take the time to find the right spots well

before shoot day, and then be prepared with options in case of last minute schedule changes, late-season snowstorms and other unplanned events. My hope is that these portraits capture just a bit of Judy’s love of the outdoors and her deep sense of responsibility for Maine’s wilderness.

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Showcase: Tyler Technologies

August 1, 2018 0 Comments read architecture, Blog, On Assignment, On Location, Showcase

Happy to be able to show some of the work I’ve been doing for Freeport-based Zachau Construction. They recently had me photograph the recently-completed $24 million expansion of Tyler Technologies’ Yarmouth, ME campus, looking to capture the unique feel and design both inside and out.

Architecture seems like a departure from my portrait work, but I think it’s not as different as it seems. Location and context have always been key components of my work, whether featuring people or spaces (sometimes with people in them). Creative use of light is always an important element as well, as is the combining of existing, ambient lighting with flash in an artful, storytelling way.

Buildings and spaces tell stories about the people who design them, live in them and and work in them. The process of architecture work is a bit different, and often more technical, than portrait photography but the goalto convey a mood and a feeling, and to capture a moment.

Client Work: People and Spaces, reimagined

April 4, 2018 0 Comments read architecture, Blog, Client Work, conceptual, On Assignment

Dunham Group

I recently wrapped up an ad campaign for NAI The Dunham Group in Maine that I’m so happy to be able to share.

If you were to look through my portfolio you’d find…people. Portraits, candid moments, people doing interesting things. I’m often called on to photograph locations and spaces for my clients, as well—everything from straight architectural views to images that show spaces being used—lived in, enjoyed, worked in. While architectural work is technically challenging and I enjoy making images that showcase the feel and mood of a space, I loved this campaign for The Dunham Group because it humanizes the spaces in a unique way.

The concept was to photograph marque properties in the Portland, Maine area in a way that showed how they integrate into the neighborhoods around them. Instead of focusing on the buildings themselves, my idea was to show the way life—people—flowed around them. The structures ended up being a key element of each image, but they served more as the backdrop to the activity and life that was the real focus of the image. I worked with East Shore Studio and Print to conceive of and execute the plan, which involved shooting hundreds of images of the spaces and then compositing them together in an interesting way.

From my perspective, the results achieve the main goal of any image I make: to convey a certain feeling and a sense of context and connection. Doing so takes an image from just a static ‘beauty’ shot to something that tells a compelling story.

Here are a couple of the images from the now-complete campaign. Enjoy!

Dunham Group