There are approximately 5107 miles between Kona, Hawaii and my home town of Bath, Maine. Going that distance yesterday required 2 cars, 2 airplanes and 2 shuttle busses. It also took, for me, a deep breath and a few tears to initiate movement east.
Once again taking to the sea for SwimVacation.This time I'll be not only instagramming for myself and SwimVacation, but also our partner for this trip, Ocean Minded. Check it out - it's all right there in my first SwimVacation blog post. Stay tuned - it's sure to be another increadible ocean experience.
Ready to share the Aloha....
- HP
PS. While in Hawaii, the #kidsinthehood 365 project will of course continue. Neighboorhood is where you find it and kids come in all sizes...
Today is my birthday and I am once again giving myself the gift of discipline - making a picture a day every day for one year.
In watching my son become more and more a part of the fabric of our neighborhood, I decided to feature the cast of amazing characters I see in our immediate environs every day.
There will be periods over the next year where I will be away from home. But everywhere I go, I immerse into my local community. So when I'm on the road, I'll photograph folks in my temporary hoods away from home.
Collectively, this project will be a portrait of home turf, and in studying our most local community this way, I'm guessing I'll learn a thing or two about what neighborhood really means.
As always I thank you for your support, and I hope you'll follow along. You can see the gallery here.
So pleased and happy to have my video footage featured in Wednesday night's episode of Nature: The Mystery of Eels. Written and produced by my friend and colleague James Prosek, the piece is beautifully filmed and a story overdue of such a thorough telling. My video footage of alewives and young eels in Maine makes up 30 seconds to one minute of the entire film, but I couldn't be happier to have it included. And of course it's a kick to see my name in the credits!
In case you missed the original airing of the episode, you can see it here.
- HP
At long last, the product of my work with National Geographic Channel and South African Tourism has gone live on line. Watching brings back great memories of a fantastic assignment.
- HP
Like love, open water swimming is part joy, part work, part ecstasy, part laundry. When we set out for a week of swimming in the sea, we make a commitment. For better or worse, in good conditions and bad, we're here to swim.
Time is speeding up now. I blink and another day is over. But we continue to fill them with adventure and an openness to what's offered. Thursday. We wake at our mooring at the caves of Norman Island. The beautiful full moon was setting over an island in the distance.
Apparently Sonia thought this was RunVacation. The woman (along with Will and Chad) left this perfectly comfortable boat again at 6am for a hilly run on Virgin Gorda. We just can't seem to tire her out.
When you play in the ocean, you see things. But first, a trip to land. The day started verrrry early. That dinghy I mentioned last night left for the dock at Peter Island and 530 am. On it were cool crew member Jessica headed for home, and Captain Chad, Guide Will and guests Sonia and Natalie, all headed for a run (up hill).
Yes. That's a lot for the title of tonight's blog. But when you have many memorable things happen in a single day, you give these stories the attention they deserve. We woke up to lovely skies in White Bay, Peter Island. Coffee, fruit, quiet beginnings.
Day 1. For the guides, there's nervousness and excitement. I want everything to be just perfect for our guests as they arrive. I scurry and prepare and go over things with Captain Chad. As I run around I narrate to Alina (guide in training) and she pitches in and picks up everything on the fly.
Travel day always goes something like this: Wake up at ridiculous early o'clock. Grab bags (already packed of course) throw them in car in darkness. Turn car on to warm up, run back inside, kiss husband, kiss son (he says with closed eyes "Don't go!"
I finally figured out what my problem is. I'm solar powered. I love my home in Maine, but I can't lie - come the end of March, I'm about stark-raving mad. I'm pale and tired and cold and I look like hell, no matter how much I've been working out or hanging with family and friends.
At long last I can share with you the product of my work with South African Tourism last October when I was on assignment in Cape Town. This vignette is one of many in the Through The Lens series, which features National Geographic Photographers in regions of South Africa that match their photographic style. The minute-long features will run on the NG Channel throughout Europe and Asia.
Filming with an amazing crew made up of many talented people from Cape Town, London and Paris was a fantastic experience for me, and the work offered me a thorough overview of the city before I set out on my own for another week of freelance shooting.
Thanks again to my agents, Alice Keating and Sara Snider Papademetriou at National Geographic Assignment for sending me on this assignemnt, to Lindsay Rocke at NG Channel, Ian Utermohlen at SAT, and everyone of the great people who put this together. It was an experience I will never forget.
- HP
In between snow storms here in Maine, I hopped south for a few days of editorial meetings at magazine headquarters in New York City. Looking forward to building relationships with the folks at both Audubon and Martha Stewart Living, and hopefully doing some work for them this year. I even ended up with a spontaneous meeting at Self Magazine which might lead to some stock photo placement.
Thanks to friends Matt & Ray, I had great accommodations (and sleeping buddy, Scout the dog) on the cool Lower East Side. While navigating the subway system, I did a fun little instaseries I call #sleepingonatrain. Right before flying home a enjoyed an art opening for friend and eel colleague James Prosek. It was a great busy and bustling few days. Home to followups and more shoveling....!
- HP
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
#sleepingonatrain
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Every year I drag my boy into the studio for a photo shoot for our annual Valentine card (no, i can't get my act together to do Christmas or even New Year cards). It's getting to be more and more fun now that he is older and has some of his own ideas. He's even gotten a tad (just a tad) less grumpy about being called on set...
T'is the season for Love.
- HP
In response to a cool stock request by Wonderful Machine. Perfect project to work on today - a blizzard has turned the world stark white.
 |
 |
 |
|
Needless to say, my strongest suit is blue... - HP |
|
In an effort to stir the pot in my editorial work load, I signed on to the roster of photographers featured by Wonderful Machine. The team there has already been responsive - tweeting links to my new bio video, as well as adopting my home page image for their facebook page. Thanks guys, and I look forward to working with you! - HP |
|
Every year in January I head to DC for the National Geographic Photographers Seminar. It's 3 days of business meetings and presentations by a diverse group of working photographers. I always come back fired up and inspired to do more. This year was no exception. I'm headed back down in March for some more business...i feel like I'm in a perfect position as the agency portrion of the Society undergoes some rebranding in its effort to market NG photographers better. I'm excited for what the coming year will hold. HIghlights of the seminar for me:
It was a great week!
- HP
|
|
Early morning flight out of PWM |
Business men sleep on the plane. Not photogs. |
Landing in Baltimore. |
|
Suprise buzz by POTUS. |
Awesome mention at NG stock business meeting. |
Great interview with David Alan Harvey. |
|
Processing notes at Caribou Coffee (the best). |
(It kind of never gets old) |
Late home in fog. |
My agents at National Geographic asked some of the represented photographers to produce a bio video to be featured on the new NG Creative site, to be launched later this year.
I brainstormed and sweated over this thing. The audience is potential commercial clients who need a photographer like me. I had many long phone calls with dear friend and brand consultat, Amy Schoening, and through her found awesome film editor Doug Brown. I put a camera into the hands of friend Hopper and husband Dick and we shot what we needed to tell my photographic tale. Thanks to all who helped get it done, and done right.
-HP
