So I can finally post larger photos I have moved on over to my original home
Dubsidephotography.com
Constant work in progress.
Come check out what my photos look like not the size of a postage stamp.
*(the old photos will still be small, but I’ll probably repost some of them again.
bye wordpress.com
Ben
I got the chance to go out to TX for a workshop this week both given by, and attended by, some of the most amazing photographers I have ever met. It is weeks like this past one that remind me…….. Why I became a photographer. Why I miss critique. How being surrounded by photographers with creative ideas and lots of energy can really be contagious. Be true to you in your photography……. and above all else that I am so happy with this life, honored and privileged to get to do the things I do. To live a dream I never thought possible, to make photography my full time job.
I sat on the two planes home with my headphones on and my eyes fully closed, starting to absorb all of what I learned and what I was inspired by. It’s rare you have an excuse to sit for three hours and do nothing but think. It was a fun, informative, inspirational and emotional three days……… and when I opened my eyes from going back over this amazing weekend and clearing my head this is what I opened my eyes to……… fitting.
One of the most beautiful things in the world is watching the sunset from above the clouds.
I killed an old friend today. My trusty website. It was time.
To honor my fallen friend I’m going to start posting some of my older work as well. A lot of the work was taken while I was in school, so I find it appropriate to call these post Old School. Photography school was the most fun I have ever had.
Apple picking is one of my fonder childhood memories. I make an effort to still go every year. There was only one day this month that Laura and I could both go and that was this past Sunday. When we left the house we were determined. Full on rain storm, sick as dogs and stubborn as hell. Well, about a mile before we got there that rain turned to snow and thus started an amazing day!!
We won. The prize….. a surreal, snowy, apple orchard with only two people in it….. us.
This is my third year shooting this golf tournament and as always, it was a blast. I’ve never been particularly fond of golf. Get this many cool people, most of whom like to drink, together for a good cause and a good time will be had by all. Tons of hard work from all the volunteers makes for a great party on and off the course.
I’ve learned a few things over the past few years:
golf carts are even more fun than they look
doing this has nothing to do with how far you will hit the ball, but it looks cool
there’s is one in every goup
cigars apparently make you golf better
as do cool hats
some people take golfing very seroiusly
some people don’t
this looks fun
golf isn’t all bad I guess…..
I went to the Maahshfield Fair to check out the last little bit of the Music Festival. Great music, really friendly down to earth musicians and great people watching. I wandered off for a bit between bands and didn’t get very far before stumbling upon a very large cage and an even larger crowd. I’m sold, I have to see what is going on over there. I find an extremely large cat, not unlike the one that wakes me up every morning, only bigger. Next are two very excited puppies, begging for belly rubs and all. Last, out comes a very excited Ben……….. not me, but a large black bear named Ben.
I came back once the crowd was gone and spoke to the woman who had been giving the show. She had been trying to educate the crowd on the animals during her show, and after, allowed people to come through where they were kept and get a closer look. I was curious to know where these beautiful animals had come from? Had they been ripped from the wilderness and sold to the fair?! From the affection she had when handling the animals, I thought not.
I learned that the mountain loins had been born in a zoo that just couldn’t house them. The wolves were found during the aftermath of Katrina by a kennel that didn’t even realize they were wolves. Ben’s mother was shot after a woman made a habit of feeding them and then decided to stop. The bears didn’t seem to think her door was much of an obstacle to get to their meal. These animals are the outcasts. Not able to live in the wild, not so exotic that they get some big fancy glass enclosure at the local zoo, and simply just too much to handle for most average animal rescues. I don’t love the fact that they had to stay in less than ideal cages while on the road, but I’m sure that they have a little more breathing room on their 400 acre ranch in upstate NY. I wish we lived in an ideal world we these animals could run free in the wild, but the reality is, they were too used to humans and when big animals get close to humans they get shot.
I’ve just been thinking about this a lot the fast few weeks and it has left me torn. The animal lover in me feels such empathy for these animals that are so majestic, deserving nothing less than a wild alpine sunset from a mountain top at the end of long day hunting things.
The realist in me see a whole bunch of people who would never have been exposed to or likely even learned much about these animals. If the next generation of up an comings gets to see how truly amazing and powerful these animals are and that they deserve land and space and preservation, from us, hopefully some of it will stick.
Judgements aside, I at least know they are loved.
I know less about the birds, and secretly wanted to untie them all.
These are from the music festival and the fair. Great music and interesting people.
How much do I want to be this guys friend!!
Got to hang out with some fam for a bit down at Castle Island in Southie tonight. There’s nothing like hangin with kids to keep you on your game. They are always down for anything but you gotta be able to keep up.
a good night 
