Thanksgiving

We are out of town for a few days until Saturday. Heading to DC for Thanksgiving.

Peace

The Burg children make me look good

These brothers and sisters had to have been the easiest kid photo session of my life. They were fun, easy to work with and so cooperative. We had fun and got lots of images for Mom & Dad for Christmas.


I love this backdrop for Black & White images. It's taken me a while to get the tones and lighting right, but I like it now.

Lukas

Three years ago, I photographed Kate & Paul's wedding in Newport, Rhode island, at the Ocean Cliff Resort. This week I saw kate again, along with her beautiful 9 month old Lukas.

Sit Back and Enjoy

Tired of Winter here in the Northeast?

Retouching - Before and After

Sometimes people say, oh, I don't want any retouching, I like a natural look. Then i show them the difference, and they think. Well, ok, maybe I will have the retouched image.

I don't do a lot of High School Senior Portraits, maybe two or three a year. Usually it's when they want something a little different from the typical headshot. Nina and her mom met with me a couple weeks ago, so we worked together to give her something unique.

If you click on the images above, which will make them larger, you'll see the difference.

A Quiet Rainy Saturday

It's a quiet and rainy day here. I was bored so, I pulled up some images from 2008, and decided to play with 'em.

Holiday Photo Cards

Hey, check out these new Holiday Photo Cards. I just did one for Nicolette. Let me know if you are interested. jim@jameshazelwood.com

Four Years ago

Four years ago I was in Boston for a wedding at Boston College. The couple were huge Red Sox fans, and the night before the wedding the Red Sox had lost game three of the ALCS playoff series to the yankees. In fact, they got creamed. The groom was depressed. The wedding happened, and then that night the Red Sox came back and beat the Yankees in extra innings. They went on to beat them in a best of seven series, and later beat the Cardinals in the World Series. Every time I look at this picture from that wedding, i recall that magical Baseball event.

President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago

Democracy Can't beat it

Election Day, November, 1884
by Walt Whitman
(1819-1892)



If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and
show,
'Twould not be you, Niagara--nor you, ye limitless prairies--nor
your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,
Nor you, Yosemite--nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic
geyser-loops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,
Nor Oregon's white cones--nor Huron's belt of mighty lakes--nor
Mississippi's stream:
--This seething hemisphere's humanity, as now, I'd name--the still
small voice vibrating--America's choosing day,
(The heart of it not in the chosen--the act itself the main, the
quadriennial choosing,)
The stretch of North and South arous'd--sea-board and inland--
Texas to Maine--the Prairie States--Vermont, Virginia, California,
The final ballot-shower from East to West--the paradox and conflict,
The countless snow-flakes falling--(a swordless conflict,
Yet more than all Rome's wars of old, or modern Napoleon's:) the
peaceful choice of all,
Or good or ill humanity--welcoming the darker odds, the dross:
--Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify--while the heart
pants, life glows:
These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,
Swell'd Washington's, Jefferson's, Lincoln's sails.

I always wanted to be a cowboy

Pictures from my childhood. More to come over the next few weeks!

Never done this, until now

OK. I've never ever volunteered for a Political campaign. Why? I've never really believed in a candidate or a movement. Until now... So today I drove up to the Obama headquarters in Providence to make calls in the Get out the vote effort.

Here is a quick photo taken with my cell phone. There were people ranging from the 14 year old intern who was our supervisor t people well into retirement. The photo is of a few Brown University students I was calling with.

Is Obama a politician, yes, of course. Will he be human, of course. But, I just sense that this might be a chance for us all to enlist, re-enlist as citizens - step forward, and make a difference.

One of my favorite quotes is from Ghandhi, "Be the change you want to see in the world." I like it because it forces me to try to live out what I want in this world.

So I decided to step off the sidelines and into the playing field. I hope to make more Get out the Vote calls on Monday. Join me if you wish.