“Clarissa had a theory in those days – they had heaps of theories, always theories, as young people have. It was to explain the feeling they had of dissatisfaction; not knowing people; not being known. For how could they know each other? You met every day; then not for six months, or years. It was [...]

Alice’s adventures in Lewis Carol’s book is an accurate way of describing what I have felt this past semester at Salt, like Alice entering the world of wonderland. There have been many times where I went down the rabbit hole, chasing stories and chasing photos–and I have ended up in places and situations that I [...]

This semester has been long and grueling, but the view from the top looks nice! The story of the past several months has been filled with discovery, conflict, and quick pacing. The shift in perspective on a story from its birth to its completion is simply astonishing. The strangest part will come once our work [...]

Hey guys, my friend Jess Harvey helps publish a small magazine about Maine every few months.  It’s called “Flannel Magazine”.  It is dedicated to Maine arts and culture, and they focus on the cultural significance of Maine life: the great outdoors, the creativity, and the do-it-yourself attitude. As their website says, “Maine is more than [...]

I go to the island of Vinalhaven and ride around in a car with a young woman. We go round and round. She shifts gears and talks. I put a microphone in her face.
Doing documentary feels a bit like stealing souls sometimes. You show up in this person’s life and you start pulling language out [...]

I walk a fine line of ethical boundaries on a daily basis. This last week has tested my ability to decipher the lines and where they get blurry. When is it acceptable to help my subject and when do I become a part of her story? I can’t help but think that I am already [...]

So it’s week 7 and I’m thinking, “why don’t my subjects DO anything?!” And while I’m busy lamenting that “reality,” away from my subjects, frustration oozing out of me, the BEST moments are happening. A 15 minute walk away. And I’m ignorant of THAT reality. The real reality. The learning continues. Wait around a little, [...]

Why must it pour every time I shoot something outside?
Running down the Stone pier wharf on Chebeague Island yesterday my mind was full of dreamlike images of the Deborah Lee, run aground, so it’s captain could check out the damage he did to her over this past scalloping season: Him inspecting her wooden hull, peering [...]