What's been keeping me busy...

Today, is the last day of my capping class and it has been a very interesting journey. At Marist, instead of writing a senior thesis students taking a capping class and in many of these classes the students can do basically whatever they want. (where "whatever they want" translates to: a project that the professor of said class deems appropriate for a senior-level, semester-long project). In my case, I had no clue what I was going to do. A great part of me considered a photojournalism project, a photo book, exhibit, documentary, etc. But then, I decided I wanted to go back to those years of theory classes and communication strategy and create something that combined web media and a strong communication plan with hopes of creating something that had some staying power.

Well, what happened is my classmate, and long-time friend, Jim Urso (@JimUrso, for all you tweet-heads) decided to create a blog that would give back to Marist and we hoped the pilot that we ran could help convince some higher-ups at the school it was worth pursuing. So, we created Marist Office Hours and alongside of it a well-researched proposal for why something like this should be expanded and continued with sponsorship by the school.

While, I don't think it has succeeded on its own as well as we had hoped I have learned a lot. We've spent a lot of time reading, researching, studying, and writing. Now, we are coming to the end of a proposal that we are hoping to present to the Dean of the School of Communications and the Arts. Wish us luck!

That's been only one-facet of these last few months. In the first week of November, I started interning at IBM as part of the Technology Adoption Program (TAP). It's been a great experience, and not fetching coffee, but doing actually working including blogging, community management, surveys, and a lot more (especially, as we dwindled to a 2-man operation). I can say too much about it, but MIT Tech Review wrote a great article that focused on us called Experimenting on Themselves.

I've worked with some great people, experienced some ups and downs and gained a lot of experience. Not just from work, but from managing a schedule that often includes 30-40 hours of work and a full class schedule and the occasional photo gig and a stray social event.

I have not abandoned my pursuits in photography! I've been taking Advanced Photography here it's a traditional dark room photography class, well, not sure its traditional. We've been working with 4x5 press cameras, 8x10 pinholes and other bizarre photo techniques inside the lab and outside. Including most recently, cyanotypes (those are those blue-tinged prints you've probably seen learn more here..)

Also, there are some digital shots that I've yet to share here. So, check 'em out for now and expect much more as I've started collecting more classic cameras and am itching to use them as my schedule allows...

State of the State

Governor Cuomo gave a State of the State address at Marist and I covered it for the Marist Circle.

Also, I took some photos of Art Himmelberger for a feature on him for FoxTalk magazine, the official magazine of the school of Communication and the Arts.

FoxTalk

One of the most exciting changes in my personal life has been moving into a new apartment and getting my first pet, Soro!

Soro (Zorro)

And last, but far from the least, here's a link to an album that consolidates all the pictures from the past 3 years of my postings. It's a quick and easy study for newcomers and an easy way to just glance through. Though I'd recommend going post-by-post to ensure you don't miss out on any of my insightful comments... ;-)

RJH Photo

Where have I been? Will there be updates? Answers below.

I realize that I have not posted here since November and actually that is about the time I started at IBM. Between work and school, I just haven't had time for this blog (I actually blog and write for both) and I also haven't been photographing much. I have worked quite a bit in the studio learning more about large format films and even working with 8x10' film in a pinhole camera and as of yesterday, my first cyanotype!

I know, I know. I should be posting that work, but I want to get a high-quality scanner, so that I can do the prints some sort of justice and share them here.

I've been working on my senior project blog Marist Office Hours. The blog is the culmination of an idea that my good friend, Jim Urso and I had been kicking around for awhile. It developed into that blog and a proposal and work into determining the value and desire for blogging in a way that supports and showcases the college. Essentially, marketing it in an indirect way. Really, it's brand journalism and we created a pilot and took a first stab at product that I wish we had several more months for.

Alas, my college graduation lies 23 days away and after that I will only (ha!) be working for IBM, for as long as they'll have me, and after that who knows! But, I promise to myself, that I am going to blog more and take more pictures!

In the mean time, I'd like to share some of the pictures I took on my most photo-centric event of 2011. I went to the MAAC basketball tournament again this year, this time it was in Bridgeport, Connecticut.




The Marist men improved from their horrible 1-30 season to win about 6 games and win the play-in game of the tournament. The Marist women continued to show that they are an elite mid-major program and contended on a national stage, winning the MAAC tournament, defeating Iowa State in the NCAA first round and barely lost to, tournament #2 seed, Duke in what I really saw as a statement game. After losing the best player in program history, the 2010-11 Red Foxes were better than the year before and I hope to see them continue at this high level for many more years!

Abandoned: Piano

Check out these shots I took a couple weeks back of a piano in an abandoned resort. It's creepy, no?

More Fall Drives!

Here are a few more shots from a drive I took back in October with my lovely girlfriend. Our eventual destination is Sleepy Hollow, but we saw some beautiful things along the way.

Down & East

In the last 2ish years that I have lived in Poughkeepsie I have been mostly interested in what is up the Hudson and west of the Hudson (or really anyway to ocassionally break the "Marist bubble"). I have explored many of the little villages and sites around here and in to the Catskill mountains. This morning, post-workout, reading Sartre, debate writing and powerpointing I noticed a trend in my autumn extra-cirrucular activities.

I have been drawn to what is down and east. Partially the impending doom that is graduation is bringing me towards the more densely-populated areas (see: Westchester, NYC) that hold at least a sliver of occupational hope. Fortunately, I started at IBM yesterday and will be there for several months. It was a great day, very interesting. Snow on the way to work and a bunch of tax paperwork failed to impact the Christmas-like feeling of opening a new laptop and getting my name badge, office key and starting at what feels like a "perfect fit" job. Yet again, this new experience is down and east in Somers, NY.

So, as I sit here on this gray, chilly day I'm finally getting to share some photos from pre-Halloween. Luckily, the weather was much nicer on the weekend before Halloween and it led me and my girlfriend down the Hudson as far as Sleepy Hollow. I hope that these images help to brighten the day!

Fall & Autumn, Part II- On the Road

Fall & Autumn

Fall is a very interesting word. After this month, I personally prefer autumn. In the last month fall meant something else to me than to most in October. It meant an injured back, missed classes and physical therapy. So, as I feel much better from that and am pushing on at full speed again I'd like to share some of the better parts of this autumn and enjoy these last days before New York freezes up for the winter months.

On to autumn, autumn has overall been good to me. I got hired an intern at IBM, I'm doing well in my classes (even after missing a good number) and I've gotten back into the photography again. This summer I may have taken many shots, but it was more task-oriented rather than art. The art of photograph happens in a millisecond and also takes hours. While the image may be recorded on to your digital or celluloid recording device (both are great) in a split second, the adaptation, manipulation and life of that image has just begun.

Digressing back to my fall for a moment, what was the reason behind it? I was in a rush. My key didn't work in the door. I was frustrated. Angry. I turned around and fell on slippery steps. It was scary. All that rushing can not only be bad for you literally it makes us miss a lot of great things. So, as I traveled quite a bit throughout the Hudson Valley on weekend adventures, and doing routine tasks, I tried to stop. Look around and snap some pictures.

The pictures that I am including here today came from a weekend that started out rushing. Trying to get a tire replaced on my car. Shop. Stress. Not fun. Then my wonderful girlfriend and I decided to meander up to a bookstore and through the farm country of the Hudson Valley and explore and enjoy the world that is around us. The American car-focused culture can lead to a tunnel vision, the same places and faces blur together as we rush from work to appointments, classes and home. Instead of finding freedom behind the wheel it is easy to feel chained to it and become frustrated. Now, when I am stuck at one of the lights by Marist for the umpteenth time or am lost in an unfamiliar place, I stop and look around and try to see the beauty and be mindful of the moment.

I'm including a few pictures from Poughkeepsie and from that Saturday drive to show a contrast of night and day. Town and country. I enjoyed capturing these moments and hope that they highlight some of the things that we often don't allow to stop and notice.

Current Happenings & A June Day in Vermont

Well, it has been a bit longer of a gap than I would have liked here. I have been shooting various things for the Marist Circle, as usual. Also, lots of school work this semester. Challenging, but rewarding (final year!). I am working on shooting more B&W 35mm film and hope to eventually get some of those shots scanned and up here. In my copious amounts of free time I have had my girlfriend here for about five days now and she has already found a job and an apartment!

Today, I have two classes (both Math-based), a test and a phone interview for a Co-op position with IBM. Then, I am headed into NYC for what should be an amazing concert tonight by Great Big Sea. So, I have been up and about since sunrise this morning and thought I'd take the time to share some old pictures. This series comes from a day trip I made into Vermont. This first set is from the trip over and a very cool diner called the Blue Benn. More to come!



Buckwheat pancakes!





Enjoy these and I am hoping to have many more to come soon, from the "archive" and from what is becoming a beautiful fall here in the Hudson Valley!

Moxie Parade!

The Moxie Parade on July 10th was definitely one of the coolest events I saw this summer. Check out some of the highlights here!
The official "Mr. Moxie" (on left) points at the camera imitating the soda jerk who would have taken your order in the hey-day of the soft drink that claims it out sold Coca-Cola from it's creation in 1876 until the 1920's.
One of two "horse cars" seen at the festival.
A "monster" fire truck promoted Camp Sunshine and was part of a trend of things over-sized and miniature. Many go-karts, large vehicles and a few "normal" vintage sports cars filled in throughout the parade.

The rain held off, but not for long after this. Afterward we went to the book sale and the rain poured on us, putting a damper on some of the days' events, but the parade was quite excellent. I hope to return!

Look for more updates soon, as I go back through photos from the summer and add new stuff. Yesterday, I went to New Jersey to shoot for a piece that will be appearing in Marist magazine and tomorrow I will be covering Marist football vs. Bucknell for the Circle! Enjoy!

Moxie Day- Pre-Parade

As soon as I knew I'd be living and working in Maine for the summer one thing I had heard of and HAD to do was attend the Moxie Festival. It has been an annual occurrence in the life of my girlfriend for many years and I knew one of her favorite parts of summer. It also sounded just like the sort of small-tow event I think make this country great. Love it or hate it Mainers, especially Lisbon residents, are proud of THEIR soft drink. I thrive on these events.



Enjoy the photos! More to come from the main event: Moxie Parade! Check back for more updates and thanks for looking.

Maine Update, Moxie Day & Autumnal Aspirations

Welcome to Moxie Day! Many of you might ask, "What the hell is Moxie?" Well, Moxie is the official soft drink of Maine. This classic soda is loved by many and reviled by others, especially for it's strange and bitter aftertaste. For over 20 years now, the town of Lisbon Falls, ME and Kennebec's General Store have hosted Moxie Day to appreciate a unique part of Maine culture.
These three photos are from inside Kennebec's store, which is right along the parade route. Here you can see a Moxie float being made with Moxie ice cream! I had the regular Moxie ice cream myself and it was phenomenal. So, if you're ever looking for an interesting festival to attend and a chance to try Maine's soft drink check out Lisbon in July. There was an excellent parade, lots of food and other quirky events and stands. Look for parade photos soon. It was awesome!
I have not been posting here consistently, but that does not mean I have not been taking photos. This summer I worked for Kingsley Pines, an amazing summer camp! I took over 7,000 photos for them many of which will be used on their website to promote the wonderful camp experience they offer. I also took hours upon hours of video and created the camp session video slideshow. It was a lot of fun! So, there will not be too much to post from this summer on here because I had very little time to go "off-camp" and explore, but I promise more from Moxie Day and a few other highlights!

Autumn is here, September has come and that means many things, but mostly for me right now the beginning of the end at Marist! The first week of Senior year is done and it has been crazy, but fun. I have been to a bunch of classes, started working on the Circle again, have my family only 25 minutes away, have my sister visiting today and tomorrow is my housemates birthday!

Besides all of this I am trying to get out and take more photos and expand my portfolio. The Circle is working on using "New Media" more (as is the world). Check out the Circle Twitter. It is updated by our editors (including me!) and the most recent tweet is to a photo album (my photos!) from the football season opener vs. Sacred Heart. I have also opened up my own Twitter!

Please enjoy these photos and look for more to come soon! There will be more from Maine and definitely from New York as I explore more of this area. I will be taking Intermediate Photography at school and that will continue my study of B&W 35mm film and even working with medium format. I know I will be taking a lot of photos for the Circle, others for fun and I am looking for events, locations or just about anything to photograph!

If you have anything you want photographed, have interest or questions about photos I have taken, comments, feedback, critiques I would love to hear from you via e-mail: huttonrj@gmail.com

Blood on the Tracks...

These photos are from an abandoned train near Troy, NY. The large Pullman car's metal infrastructure is staying together well, but as you can see the wooden caboose is rotting and decaying. Certainly, there must be an interesting story that led to this.

These images are from early June, really the last I was able to shoot and process before starting work at camp. If you are interested in seeing some of the work we do check out: http://www.kingsleypines.com/

At Kingsley Pines I am doing all of the video for this summer as well as some of the photographic work. Check out the videos section and the weekly album. Not much is online as we are in the heart of summer, but over the fall a lot of content that I've shot and edited will be on their website!

Frontier Town

These pictures are also from North Hudson, NY. The top two are from Frontier Town a very popular attraction from 1952 till it's closing in 1998. The items from the park were auctioned off in a 2004 tax sale and today part appears to be owned by "Gokey's Auctions". This website has a lot more interesting information on Frontier town: http://www.frontiertown.net/

The bottom three pictures are from the Frontier Town motel, a walked in a room that was unlocked and was full of construction materials and salvaged items from the motel. There was still art on the walls and mattresses like Frontier Town it probably just never reopened.

More to come...

Route 9 - Left Behind

While New York's route 9 may still be a main road for many, and the center of commercial activity in still active towns and cities from Beacon to Poughkeepsie and Glens Falls to Schroon Lake, in many areas it is a graveyard to an era that passed away decades ago. The photos above are from North Hudson, a town that relied on it's amusement park, Frontier Town, and the fact that the main north-south road in eastern New York ran through here. Since then the world has moved on and no longer notices places like these as they travel the interstates and take their vacations in far-away places leaving places like this to ingloriously fade away.

Now, this bypassed byway holds a looking glass into the past. A past before the interstate highway, air conditioning and commercial airlines ended the idyllic family vacation forever recorded in family comedy classics from National Lampoon's Vacation to the John Candy classic Uncle Buck.

I have several more images coming from this stretch of Route 9 between North Hudson and Schroon Lake, NY. Look for them soon...