Mom’s Pie, Syracuse, New York, 2009

There’s a good chance I’ll be heading into the woods for a few days this fall with my brother. When I lived in Maine he came to visit and we canoed 4 days in the Grand Lake Stream region. It was wonderful. We saw more moose (5) than people (2). Being able to explore these remote areas is a profound experience, especially with the people I am closest to.

Ray, Grand Lake Stream, Maine, 2007

The day after Thanksgiving I’ll be flying down to Patagonia for 2.5 weeks of photographing and traveling with my older brother, Ray. One of the locations we’ll be visiting is Península Valdés, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Watch this view to get a sense of how truly magical this place is.

Although I have never had an animal experience quite as extraordinary as the one depicted in this video, I have had a memorable one.

In the winter of 2007/2008, I lived in a farmhouse nestled back on a dirt road in Tenants Harbor, Maine. One night after finishing work I pulled into the driveway to see a red fox sitting on a large clump of snow in the middle of my yard. Snow was falling slowly from the sky and a calm dimness surrounded as the sun had recently dipped beneath the horizon. I exited my car, stepped up two stairs and onto the porch attached to the front of the farmhouse, and sat on a different set of stairs closer to the red fox. For a short while we simply sat there and curiously eyed each other. I watched his snout, the way he intuitively smelled the air, and the way his bushy tail aligned with his calm, attentive body.

He walked right over to where I was sitting, so close that I could have reached out to pet him, but I did not.

I call experiences like these perfect moments, where everything falls into place and you are reminded that it’s happening for a reason, that there’s something special beneath the surface always waiting to be discovered.

It’s been awhile since I’ve made any photographs of my family but this afternoon I started photographing my mom again.  I like most of the photographs I make of my family.  There is a certain comfort and honesty I am able to create when I photograph them.  I believe it’s expressed during and through the created photographs.

Pictured is my mom floating in our pool.  Some days upon returning home from work she floats in the pool and either reads, naps, or does both.  I see the pool as a place of meditation for her; a place of peace.  If you think about it, we begin our lives in a water-filled sac, the womb, and maybe that’s why many of us like being in water so much.

She always looks so at ease when I photograph her in the pool.  I like seeing her at ease, relaxed, and restful.  She always looks youthful during these times.

It’s ironic, I suppose.  When I’m searching for my own peace I sometimes find and see it in others.

Mom in Pool, Syracuse, New York, 2009

We didn’t catch anything but she has a great cast.

Katie, Southold, New York

Katie Swinging, Southold, New York

Dusk, Southold, New York

Katie, Orient Beach State Park, New York

I’m out in Southold, Long Island for a few days spending time with Katie and seeing family… life is grand!

Katie on the ferry from New London, Connecticut to Orient Point, New York.

Mesclun greens and BBQ chicken for dinner!

I’m bidding on Bovine Bliss.