I'm away til Feb 1st

We are away til february 1st. Going to Honduras for some relief work. Plus the benefit of some warmth.

No access to email or phone til I return.

Back Home from the inauguration

We've returned from DC and the Inauguration. It was such an amazing experience. I wrote this article for a local publication.

On Attending the Inauguration

He had a video camera, and looked as if he might work for a television station. Sure enough, moments later I was looking into the lens answering questions about why we were going to Washington. D.C. “I fully expect to be standing in the freezing cold surrounded by massive crowds, but I wouldn’t miss this chance for witnessing history.”

In some ways that does capture our experience, yet does not even come close.

We had planned the trip for months, purchasing our plane tickets in October, and reserving our hotel room at the famous Benjamin Hazelwood Suite, located a couple blocks from the Lincoln memorial near the George Washington University Law School. It’s only available for small gatherings, and you have to know the tenant personally. Over the next few months, more people made their reservations, and in the end Lisa and I were joined by Valerie Lucas, and our friend Erik Bell and his 10 year old son Tyler. After much debate, we chose to awaken at 5:00 a.m. and by 6:00 we had bundled for the 19 degrees and headed out. Instantly, we found ourselves among thousands of people walking across the Mall in the early morning darkness.

We stood in massive gatherings of people, not exactly lines, but orderly movements of hundreds of people into different sections. While waiting to get in to one of the main viewing areas on the mall we experienced the great breadth and depth of humanity. A diverse gathering of citizens eagerly anticipated the days events. It was close quarters, claustrophobics had a difficult time, yet the closeness also kept us warm. We made our way through security and found a perfect spot. We could see the Capital building before us like a mountain rising from the prairie. Our viewing of the inauguration was aided by a giant jumbotron screen – the best of both worlds.

Then we waited, in the cold of the morning. The hours went by quickly, though slowly our toes and fingers began to feel the freezing temperatures. People danced to keep warm. But, when the ceremonies began, a silence came over the thousands that were with in ear shot. Of all the experiences of this day, it was the silence that spoke the loudest to me. Yes, there were cheers and jeers at times. But mostly a reverential silence.

The rituals of our democracy unfolded - The peaceful transition of power - An amazing and unique aspect of our form of government.

For many gathered on the Mall between Lincoln’s Memorial and the US Capital, we were participating in a ritual that was for me, an experience in American Spirituality. I’m not saying it was religious, not even church, and not necessarily worship. No, but it was an expression of our collective American spirit.

There were prayers at the beginning and at the end. Bookends if you will, unfairly characterized by one TV commentator as a Prayer from the right and a prayer from the left. No, it was a reminder that there can be an appropriate public display of faith that articulates our better designs. Rev. Warren and Lowery spoke to a breadth of faith, a call to justice, equality and the values that can hold us together in a diverse land.

The President spoke, and as he began, again, all around me, all I heard was silence. From the infant sleeping in his mother’s arms, to the college students and on to the many senior citizens including several in wheel chairs – a quiet eager anticipation of what this new young president will ask of us. The crowd cheered at moments, but quickly, ever so quickly, returned to the posture of eager listening. We were waiting, eager to hear, eager to be led.

Then suddenly it was over, the crowds dispersed. We walked back across the mall, this time facing the afternoon wind. After warming ourselves in my son’s little apartment, we ventured out for dinner at a local pub, and a toast in honor of 44. That night we returned back to Rhode Island.

The same news reporter who had accompanied us down on Monday, boarded the airline with us. He smiled and said he was headed directly to the Channel 10 station, when he got off the plane in Providence. That evening friends reported they had seen me interviewed “I fully expect to be standing in the freezing cold surrounded by massive crowds, but I wouldn’t miss this chance for witnessing history.”

And yet, it was so much more than that.

We are headed to the Inauguration!

On Monday morning Lisa and I will catch the Southwest air Bus to BWI. We'll meet our friend;s Erik & tyler and then join our son, Ben and Valerie for the Inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. It was about 16 months ago, when I read his Audacity of Hope, and said to myself, "Wow, what a day it would be if this guy was elected President." Then he won the Iowa caucas, and the train keeps on rolling.

Even though I've come down with a head cold, I don't care, I'm going. I'm so filled with hope that this man will lead this country, and ask us all to contribute, to serve, yes, even to sacrifice. "The only life worth living is a life in service to others." said Albert Einstein.

So we are off. If you are interested, I've opened a fuzzy photo page, which allows me to post photos directly to a blog from my iphone. I'll take some photos of the trip and post 'em. Though you'll probably get a better view of the inauguration on your TV.

Anyway, here is the link http://fuzzyshot.com/jameshazelwood

I'm not bringing my big camera gear, just a little point and shoot. SHould be fun! Should be cold, crowded, but who cares. It's about being a part of Hope and History.

We are very thankful

Lisa and I just got great news about her mother, who is 80. She has had Pancreatic Cancer for over a year, and yesterday she was headed to the doctor. We were anticipating bad news. Instead, the Doctor said, her tumor has shrunk and they can find no evidence of Cancer.

No one has any explanations as to how this happened. She has had no radiation or any other treatment.

Though I'm a person of faith, I'm still very reluctant to jump to quick pat answers about healing. Why, cause it often seems trite and not really thought through very well. For instance, if we attribute this to a healing by God now, what happens if the cancer comes back? Will that then mean God isn't in the healing business anymore?

So rather than say something trite and simple. We'll just leave it at... we are experiencing a moment of gratitude.

Melissa Raves!

I got this great note from Melissa about her new year's Eve wedding Photos, See her slideshow below.

James and Alexandria,

I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know that the wedding photos are amazing! We've watched the slideshow over and over. It is so great to relive those moments through your photos. You have received a ton of compliments from friends and families that have seen the photos. THANKS AGAIN for being part of my day!

Melissa

Winter Sucks!!!

Melissa & Adam

It was a rockin' New Year's Eve at the Biltmore hotel in Providence, Rhode Island on December 31. Melissa & Adam got married on a day with a wild snow storm. We had a great time. Check out the slide show down a few frames. Many thanks to Alexandria Mauck who photographed this wedding with me, she got some great images too - see the one with the flag out the window. Yes!

New Year's Eve Wedding

Oh Well, I tried

I just saw the news...I wasn't chosen as the official white house photographer. Oh well, I tried.

Published again

I just received an email from Susan at TASC in NYC. Several of my photos from the Spring session I did with them, were used in the Connect magazine. It's published by the synergy learning group in Vermont.

La Bella Bride magazine

The 2009 issue of La Bella bride Magazine is out, and we've got tons of photos in the issue. Including a feature on Sahil & Nisha's Wedding from this past summer. Plus images from the National Women's Museum shoot we did last spring. Check it out here.

Strobist Meet Up

January 1. New Year's Day. What to do? How about a strobist Meet up. A what? Strobist is a blog I read quite often. Started by David Hobby, Baltimore Sun photographer, now on his own, like every other newspaper photographer in the country. Anyway, he teaches photogs how to use small hand held strobes to create great lighting scenarios via his blog at www.strobist.com. You can earn a degree in lighting just by reading his blog. But, the best part. Around the country, world??, people have formed regional strobist groups. Small gatherings of photographers and models who get together and play, learn and practice all from one another. It's a mutual learning community. No rock star photographers selling their $399 DVD's, just grunts learning from one another. So about 10 of us got together in Providence yesterday for several hours. Here are some of the results.

Happy New Year

Danielle Meyer sent me an email asking if the film makers of twilight had stolen the idea from my image from her wedding. Hmmmm. It was years ago, on the Cape. What do you think?


Happy New Year everyone.