Famous Family Members

So everyone in my family is getting prime time exposure. Tonight, my brother Dan, appeared on the CBS evening news with Katie Couric. He was interviewed about the phenomenon of political candidates being caught on video tape saying, hmmmmm, stupid, wrong or offensive things. Dan's a consultant in DC. His 12 second sound bite was bascially, "it's a 24/7 world out there and everybody better be smart about what they say."

Then, I learned that my cousin Robin was interviewed on Fox news about her recent book, which is a fictionalized version of her own experience as a model in New York City in the 1980's & 90's.

So beware, maybe I'll make it on some news show soon. Hmmm, do I really want to be on the News? Probably not.

The Last of a Generation

The World War II generation is fading, not from memory, but the men and women of 1941-1945 are now in their 80's & 90's. Newport Life Magazine asked me to do a portrait of Herb Rommell, who was on board the USS Oklahoma at the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Mr. Rommell lives in Newport, RI. His wife passed away 5 years ago, so he lives alone.

When I arrived to take his portrait, he was dressed in his Navy Blues, all his medals, and seated in this simple chair in the center of his living room. I only had about 10 minutes with him. He was a gentleman, quiet, but with a nice soft laugh. He's seen alot in his life. The magazine will be out for December, and will feature Mr. Rommell's life and his recollections of Pearl Harbor, along with one of the portraits. You never know which one the editorswill choose, and it's totally out of your control. I like this one. Mr. Rommell's face and eyes show a long life, of proud service and hardship.

This was different

Brandon & Sam wanted to do engagement photography - OK no problem. "We'd like to do it at the beach." So I said, sure, thinking we'd go for a little walk on Green Hill Beach right down the street from my house. Before getting in thier car to drive down, Samantha says to Brandon, "now you know we're going to get wet." So I thought, I better bring my sandals, well, I should have brought my swim suit too. What a great photo session. It was short but sweet, after all the dry picks, they walked right in and let the waves crash. This one is from the end, when we were walking back to the car. Click on the photo to see it larger on your screen, you can tell they had fun. I got wet, but my camera stayed dry - I'll post a slide show of the whole session a little later.

I get such great mail

Carrie and Joe had a wonderful wedding. Plus she wrote me this sweet thank you note. She was also an awesome post-wedding bride. Huh? What do I mean by that? Well, she got her prints, selected her images for her album right away, so I could get them to Shawn who does my album designs, and bam, her album is being assembled at the company today. Now that's a quick turnaround. All because she didn't procrastinate. I should have Carrie give lessons to brides. If any of my past wedding clients are reading this, it's not too late to choose your wedding photographs for your album.

Thank you, Kodak.

I just found out that Kodak has decided to publish in print form the Pro Pass Magazine. The first issue is due out this fall and the feature that included my work in the online version last spring will be in the new issue. here are the images they chose for the magazine. An interesting assortment of Black & White photographs from over the years. I always loved the two flower girls, plus the shot of the cake cutting with the crowd watching.

It's up and running

My new website described below, dedicated to my documentary photography of people and places is now running live.

www.jameshazelwoodphoto.com

Am I the only one?

OK, I said, I wouldn't use this blog to rant against the machine - but.... Am I the only one who is outraged by the recent admission that the US has secret torture cells around the world? Forget about the political aspects of this. Doesn't this go against the heart of what I always believed was the moral character of who we are as a people? I mean, America was against the Nazis because we were outraged at what they were doing. We were on the side of good, and we even helped design the Geneva convention, which set up rules based on a morality and ethic of value of human beings. Now......? Urrggggg, If we give in to evil and start practicing what our enemies are doing, what does that leave us, what kind of people do we become.

"An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind." Mohandas K Gandhi

New Website Launch

I am launching a new website www.jameshazelwoodphoto.com. Don't fret, the portrait and wedding one is staying. I needed a separate web site for my other work - people, non-profit, stock, lifestyle, travel. Art Directors weren't getting it. "But, you're a Portrait & Wedding Photographer...how can you go to Honduras." So, I'm splitting it up. It will serve as the main site for what I'm calling my humanitarian photography. Photographs of people from around the world. The site is done, but we'll have to wait a few days for the dns server links to filter through the world wide web. In the short term, you can link to the temporary site at http://www.jameshazelwood.com.temp.livebooks.com/

One from the Archives

I've been going through all my old photographs lately, and found this one from years ago. Probably one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've seen in Newport. The location is Fort Adams, site of the Newport Jazz Festival among many other events.

Listening to Dylan

Today, I saw the new Dylan CD Modern Times at Starbucks. $16.95. So I went home and downloaded it on iTunes $13.99. i should leave a $3.00 tip for the gal at Starbucks. So ..... it's great. I like the bluesy sound. Dylan says he's in a Cowboy Band now. Last time I saw him, about two years ago at URI, it was this sound. He's touring again, the perpetual tour. Maybe I'll go.

Though I'm too young to be a child of the 60's, I did discover Dylan at a young age, 1974. Blood on the Tracks. That whole time period of his music that became the Rolling Thunder Review. Desire, and even the underated Street Legal. Great stuff. Times have changed, but Dylan's music and lyrics take me some place few other artists can.

I lost interest in his music in the 90's but have recently discovered again some great songs from that time period, and now Modern Times. Good stuff, spiritual in a non-religious way. I like that.