Category Mainers at Work

From Cartoons to Glass: A Creative Maine Journey

August 22, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Creativity, Editorial, Inspirational, Mainers, Mainers at Work, Portraits, Storytelling

Maine Glassblower David Jacobson — David Jacobson, Glassblower, Belfast, Maine. © Brian Fitzgerald

David Jacobson was a freshman majoring in telecommunications at Kent State University in Ohio when he happened upon an outdoor glassblowing demonstration. “I knew at that moment that was something I needed to do,” he said.

It took a few years—and a few colleges—but Jacobson did end up studying for an MFA in glassblowing. He also became a professional editorial cartoonist for a Gannett newspaper in New York, where he is from, spending his career cartooning for various publications and with a full-time syndicated cartoon with United Media. Still, he found himself taking more glassblowing classes on the side. “Things were going well there. Yet it turned out that my cartooning supported my glass habit,” said Jacobson.

By 2003, Jacobson’s glass art was selling in galleries. He relocated to Montville, Maine that same year and did what Mainers do: cobbled together an income, by running a glass studio and a house-painting business.

He rebuilt his 200-year-old barn into a glass studio. “There was a lot of hard work, a lot of doubt, and a lot of moments thinking, ‘I’m the biggest idiot in the world.’ But the passion was always there and fortunately, the talent was always there too. I just kept meeting the right people and kept saying yes.”

Saying yes is what led Jacobson to co-found a studio with artist Carmi Katsir as part of the Waterfall Arts in Belfast. They built out the studio using much of Jacobson’s equipment from his old studio, adapting it to run off of vegetable oil and electricity—one of just a handful in the US. Now, Jacobson produces his own work and, together with Katsir and others, teaches hot glass classes to the public and to Belfast high school students.

David Jacobson, Glassblower, Belfast, Maine. © Brian Fitzgerald

Of the studio, owned by Waterfall Arts, Jacobson says that he’s grateful. “It allows me to do work that makes me the happiest I’ve ever been.”

As a creative business owner, Jacobson was used to being a lone wolf but is excited by the community aspect of the Waterfall Arts Glassworks. “One of the greatest assets of glassblowing is that it is community-oriented. People are trained to work with someone. So to come into this community situation is thrilling. It’s affected my work in that it’s given me great enthusiasm to try new things,” Jacobson said.

“It’s beyond any kind of vision that I ever had.”

David Jacobson, Belfast, Maine ©Brian Fitzgerald

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Find out more about the Waterfall Arts Glassworks or to sign up for a class at the only public-access glassblowing studio in Maine.

Creating Spaces is a project that explores the connection between Maine artists and craftsmen and their physical workspaces—places that are often hallowed grounds of creativity and solitude, far from the public eye or the gallery.

A Tradition Forged in Iron

July 25, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, Creativity, Industrial, Mainers at Work, On Location, Projects, Video

The artists and craftsmen who call Maine home share a cultural heritage with those who have gone before them. This link to the past is epitomized by Sam Smith, an aptly-named blacksmith who operates several forges across the state as guildmaster of the Maine Blacksmith’s Guild.

Smith and the guild use and teach 19th-century techniques and practices and have an active apprenticeship program. Smith also teaches and works his trade in Germany and Brazil for months each year.

“Preserving the skill set of working iron by hand and not allowing machines to do the work is my mission,” says Smith.

I spent time with Smith last year as part of a larger project on Maine craftsmen and artists and am happy to be able to show it here. Smith was crafting a Brazilian Churrasco BBQ knife with a handle made from Peroba wood reclaimed from a 120-year-old home.

*Brazilian Churrasco Knife, © Sam Smith*

Capturing Reality with Scientist and Innovator Sarah Martinez Roth

May 2, 2023 0 Comments read Client Work, Editorial, Mainers at Work, Portraits, Storytelling

*Sarah Martinez Roth, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, MA ©Brian Fitzgerald*

A few months ago, Colby College commissioned me to photograph one of their distinguished alumni, Sarah Martinez Roth. A 2011 Biology graduate, Martinez Roth went on to earn her master’s degree and Ph.D. in tumor biology at Georgetown University.

As a senior scientist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Martinez Roth develops treatments for sickle cell disease and has received the Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award from the Posse Foundation for her work.

My challenge was to capture Martinez Roth immersed in her work within a bustling laboratory. I aimed to reveal that even when working at the forefront of technology, being a scientist still involves hands-on tasks in small labs filled with well-used equipment. I appreciate that the labs she works in are clearly spaces where work happens – far from the pristine, symmetrically gleaming, and unrealistic labs depicted in TV and film. My goal was to integrate as much of that authenticity as possible into her environmental portraits.

Scientist Sarah Martinez Roth — *Sarah Martinez Roth, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, MA ©Brian Fitzgerald*

Inside Northeast Air’s Hangar: Mechanics at Work

April 18, 2023 0 Comments read Behind the Scenes, Blog, Industrial, Mainers at Work, On Assignment

Aircraft Mechanics — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

I’m happy to share images made during a recent shoot with Northeast Air, a company operating out of the Portland Jetport. They specialize in providing ground handling, aircraft maintenance, fueling, and concierge services to travelers from around the globe.

The objective of this shoot was to capture images of Northeast Air’s skilled mechanics performing routine work on a Pilatus turboprop aircraft, located in the company’s maintenance hangar at the Jetport.

As an experienced editorial and commercial photographer, I’ve spent my career documenting technical and skilled labor like this. The inherent challenge is to focus on the individuals involved in the work, rather than solely on the impressive machinery they operate and maintain.

I love that my clients recognize that, at the core, they’re in the people business. They’re eager to celebrate their employees and give you a glimpse of what goes on behind the curtain—or, more correctly, what’s happening in the hangar.

Aircraft Mechanic — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

Interested in telling your brand or company’s story? Let us know how we can help!

Get Real: It’s about people, not brands

March 14, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Industrial, Mainers at Work, Marketing

Industrial Recycling Worker

The biggest trend in 2022 seems to be the embrace of artificial intelligence (A.I.) tools like ChatGPT, Jasper and MidJourney by content marketers. In an age of deepfake videos and faked resumes, trust is the only thing in short supply.

That’s why authenticity matters more than ever when it comes to social media and content marketing. Winning brands take a people-first approach and who create meaningful connections with their customers and audiences.

What does authenticity mean? It means creating content that reflects your values and tells a story about your brand that resonates, cultivates relationships and fosters loyalty. It means creating visual content that features your real customers, team or audience, rather than opting for stock imagery. After all, people follow people, not brands. Authenticity entails communicating your brand values and cultivating your brand’s unique voice. It also may include user-generated content and collaboration with influencers who can help you tell your story in authentic ways. Here are a few ways brands might choose to be more authentic and transparent:

Lift the curtain: Show what it looks like behind the brand: your process, your culture, your successes and, sometimes, your misses.
Tell stories about real people and the impact they and you have had on the world.
Use short-form video to cut through the noise and provide answers to customer questions, provide useful information or to educate and inform.
Leverage user generated content (but only if allowed, and always give credit).

In a time when people are extremely wary of marketing that is ‘business as usual’, the trend is towards authenticity, engagement and connection. If you want to create impactful, authentic content that will connect with your clients, we’d love to help.

Photographing the person, not the title

January 17, 2023 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Mainers at Work, On Location

© Brian Fitzgerald

One of my favorite projects this past year has been covering the campaign of Maine Governor Janet Mills as she ran for re-election against challenger, former Gov. Paul LePage. Maine’s first female governor (elected in 2018), Mills faced the Covid pandemic and the resulting, ongoing economic and health impacts.

I was fortunate enough to accompany her on a visit to her hometown of Farmington, ME, to a child care center, a health clinic, and other locations around Maine. In the process I met her family and photographed Maine Senator Angus King, himself a former Maine governor.

Being on set with the governor for several days over several months, I was able to see Mills for extended periods of time—when the camera and lights were on but mostly when they weren’t—capturing the kinds of unguarded moments I tried hard to find as a photojournalist. It was great to catch a glimpse of the person and not just the politician. It was a good reminder of something I try to keep in mind no matter who I’m working with: photograph the person, not the title.

The results, I hope, tell a more complete story of Janet Mills, the person. It was certainly fun to see the reactions of Mainers and visitors alike when they met her in our travels.

© Brian Fitzgerald

Showcase: H.B.Fleming Inc.

March 8, 2022 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Case Studies, Client Work, Mainers at Work, On Location

Portland Maine

Sometimes, the best way to get a storytelling image is to get up high. I’ve worked with South Portland-based construction company H.B. Fleming for a few years, documenting some of their impressive projects throughout Maine and New Hampshire. The scope and scale of much of the work they do—building massive retaining walls and cofferdams, for example—are most apparent when viewed from above. In 2020 Fitzgerald Photo became a FAA-certified commercial drone operator. We’ve since been using drones for photography and video production for clients throughout New England. I’m happy to share some images from recent H.B. Fleming projects.

Construction Workers

Showcase: Mad Patti Hat Co.

June 14, 2021 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Client Work, Editorial, Inspire Maine, Mainers at Work

Mad Patti Hat Co

A couple of months ago, just as the weather was warming up and widespread vaccinations were becoming the norm, I met and photographed Meg Patti, owner of Mad Patti Hat Company, at her studio in Brunswick, ME for the June issue of Down East Magazine.

Meg is a hat maker, which is kind of like saying Tesla is involved in the transportation business. While true, it doesn’t capture the detailed craftsmanship or the unique, one-of-a-kind hats that Patti hand-makes and ships to clients throughout the United States.

Part of her unique process is to ‘age’ each hat, giving each–as she says–their own stories. Lucky for me, that process involves at one stage the strategic application of fire to burn off the wool peach fuzz and create other effects that, once applied, make each hat a one-off instance of wearable art.

The profile is featured in the June, 2021 edition of Down East Magazine. Watch the video below to hear Patti talk about her creative process.

Hatmaker

Maine Gives Back, 2020 Edition

November 10, 2020 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Client Work, Editorial, Mainers at Work, On Assignment, On Location

Linda Holtslander, 77, Preble Street Resource Center volunteer. ©Brian Fitzgerald

Fundamentally, making a difference starts with doing something that has an impact on someone else. This may entail something huge and world-changing (think of something like Matt Damon’s Water.Org), but more typically it’s a small kindness, a comment, a small gesture extended from one person to another. Small acts of this sort occur all around us, and they usually remain unseen and unknown except by those directly involved.

That’s why I loved being part of Down East Magazine’s annual “Maine Gives Back” feature published this November. I got to meet and photograph three remarkable Mainers whose efforts are changing the lives of others: 77-year-old soup kitchen volunteer Linda Holtsinger, who despite the pandemic never misses a day of volunteering; Rose Barboza, a mother who decided to create the nonprofit website Black Owned Maine as her contribution to racial and social justice; and Elizabeth McLellan, whose Portland-based nonprofit Partners for World Health distributes donations of needed medical supplies around the world.

Truly one of those assignments that energizes me and makes me feel better about humanity in general. Below are some of my images used in the issue, but read about many others in the November 2020 Down East Magazine feature, “Maine Gives Back”.

Elizabeth McLellan in a warehouse filled with medical supplies destined for countries in need around the world. © Brian Fitzgerald

Rose Barboza, founder of Black Owned Maine. © Brian Fitzgerald

Showcase: The Women of the Maine Fisheries & Wildlife

October 5, 2020 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Editorial, Mainers at Work, On Assignment, Showcase

*Michele Watkins, GIS Specialist-Cartographer. © Brian Fitzgerald*

Beginning in 2019, I worked with the great people at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) to create location portraits for an ongoing recruitment campaign. These portraits were to feature the game wardens, biologists, educators, cartographers and others who together protect Maine’s wildlife, habitat and the people who enjoy them.

It’s hard to imagine it would be difficult to find people willing to sign up for a job where their office is the great outdoors, but being part of the MDIFW team also means sacrificing physical comfort—especially on winter days spent outside when the thermometer never breaks north of zero degrees. And as with any job in law enforcement, Maine game wardens must confront difficult and dangerous situations, often in remote places.

I spent some very cold days with a few of the MDIFW team members at several locations around central and southern Maine. It was a blast. My favorite kinds of portraits are those that rely on mood, connection and place to create a real moment and tell a story about a person and a place. I hope in some small way that these images successfully do just that. My hope is to capture a sense of each person’s personality while showing the variety of environments they work in—their ever-changing office—day in and day out, in every season of the year.

*Sarah Miller, Maine Game Warden. © Brian Fitzgerald*

*Sarah Spencer, wildlife biologist. ©Brian Fitzgerald*

field biologist — *Sarah Boyden, biologist. © Brian Fitzgerald*

Marine Biologist — *Liz Thorndike, fisheries biologist. © Brian Fitzgerald*