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Consequences

Published on June 1, 2010 in Photojournalism. 0 Comments Tags: Boston Herald, Dorchester, Gangs, Guns, Murder, Shooting, Spot News, Violence.

Some people make the argument that Memorial Day weekend marks the first days of summer. When it comes to news, the warm weather always brings with it the threat of violent crime outdoors. That about summed up my weekend, where I was sent to two homicide scenes around the city.

Sunday night, I was sent to check out a brazen murder around sunset in Dorchester. All we heard was that someone on a scooter had been shot in the upper body. Followups showed that 14-year-old Nicholas Fomby-Davis had been dragged off the scooter and executed by two gang members, according to a gang unit officer who witnessed the murder.

5.30.2010 — BOSTON — Boston Police examine the area around the scene of a homicide at Olney and Bowdoin Streets in Dorchester on May 30, 2010. According to police, the victim was riding the scooter.

It’s rare that I get to follow up on these spot news events, as night-day shift turnarounds are somewhat uncommon for me. This time was different, as I got to meet the Fomby-Davis family and help them paint a picture of their son, who by all stretches was a good kid to the people who knew him — accepted to an engineering high school in Hyde Park, volunteered to help out at school and even painted the front and back porch of his house before he left that night.

5.31.2010 — BOSTON — Nathaniel Davis mourns the loss of his son, 14-year-old Nicholas Fomby-Davis, who was shot and killed on Bowdoin Street, on May 31, 2010.

5.31.2010 — BOSTON — Jojo Bourciquot, 16, breaks down in tears before laying down a teddy bear in rememberance of her friend, Nicholas Fomby-Davis, who was shot and killed at this location at the intersection of Olney and Bowdoin Streets the night before on May 31, 2010.

5.31.2010 — BOSTON — Jojo Bourciquot, 16, is comforted by a friend after laying a teddy bear at the site where her friend, 14-year-old Nicholas Fomby-Davis, was shot and killed the night before at the intersection of Olney and Bowdoin Streets on May 31, 2010.

Mr. Davis called on the mayor and police to take swift action on the gang activity in his community, commenting that gangbangers should be treated like “the Taliban.” Understandable. The police did make a bit of a statement, converging on the intersection shortly thereafter for a roll call and making a display of force with the community that violent behavior will not be tolerate in the neighborhood.

5.31.2010 — BOSTON — Boston Police Superintendent in Chief Daniel Linskey organizes officers at a department roll call at the intersections of Bowdoin and Olney Streets on May 31, 2010. The police held their roll call to show their committment to stopping violent crime in the area and to show the violent criminal element that they are on notice, Linskey said.

Here’s the Herald’s take on the story, which I worked on with reporter Richard Weir.

6.1.2010 — Boston Herald Cover

The mayor said violence in the city is by no means “out of control,” but we’ll see how things shape up this summer.

Sunset Yoga

Published on May 30, 2010 in Photojournalism. 1 Comment Tags: Boston Herald, Charles River, Esplanade, Yoga.

I’ve been back home working as a professional for close to two years now, and I’m continually amazed by all the cool people doing interesting things around this city. Earlier today, on one of my usual adventures looking for people enjoying (or sometimes not) the weather around town for the Herald, I ran into this group doing some yoga along the Esplanade. They seemed so focused, but everything about the scene just worked together from the poses to the light to the weather.

Here are a few photos from my walk along the river.

5.30.2010 — BOSTON — Jen Hui Bon Hoa, right, and Sara Bercholz, of Boston, and Michael D. Andelman of Cambridge practice their yoga along the Esplanade on May 30, 2010.

5.30.2010 — BOSTON — Jen Hui Bon Hoa, left, and Sara Bercholz, of Boston, and Michael D. Andelman of Cambridge practice their yoga along the Esplanade on May 30, 2010.

Grease Balls of Fire

Published on May 28, 2010 in Photojournalism. 0 Comments Tags: Boston Herald, Fire, firefighters, Spot News.

Heard a call on the scanner last night about a really smokey fire at a restaurant in Charlestown. It was a one-alarm fire when I took off, relatively minor, but the smoke was what made me get in the car. I was right about it being minor — it was pretty much out by the time I got there about 10-15 minutes after the call, though it had been upgraded to a two-alarm very briefly.

Turned out it was a really bad grease fire in one of the kitchen vents on the side of the building. Unfortunately for the restaurant, the process of putting out the fire in the vents resulted in the kitchen getting flooded out. A big mess for a really inconveniently located grease fire.

5.27.2010 — BOSTON — Firefighters hose down a kitchen vent that caught fire at Olives restaurant, 10 City Square in Charlestown, on May 27, 2010. The two-alarm fire caused heavy smoke and was likely caused by a grease backup in the air vent, Boston Fire spokesman Steve MacDonald said.

5.27.2010 — BOSTON — Firefighters on a neighboring balcony take a closer look at a kitchen vent that caught fire at Olives restaurant, 10 City Square in Charlestown, on May 27, 2010.

5.27.2010 — BOSTON — A firefighter enters Olives restaurant, 10 City Square in Charlestown, to check on the status of a fire on May 27, 2010.

5.27.2010 — BOSTON — Cooks from Olives restaurant, 10 City Square in Charlestown, wait outside after their restaurant was evacuated due to a fire on May 27, 2010.

Hands Up

Published on May 27, 2010 in Personal Projects. 0 Comments Tags: Boys, High School, Massachusetts, MIAA, Preps, Sports, Volleyball.

An outtake from a high school volleyball assignment I shot today.

5.27.2010 — NEWTON, Mass. — Needham at Newton South. MIAA Boys Volleyball South Sectional Semi-Finals.

For the record, I have never claimed to be good at photographing volleyball!

The Fog

Published on May 24, 2010 in Photojournalism. 0 Comments Tags: Beach, Boating, Boston Herald, Fog, Water, Weather.

Between assignments yesterday, the desk heard a call about a possible stranded dolphin over the scanner, but we didn’t know where. Since I was already out, I combed the coast from Southie on down. Strangest thing, as I was getting close to the shore, there was some of the densest fog I’ve ever seen, and most of the beachgoers on an otherwise beautiful spring day were all going in the opposite direction.

I never did find that dolphin, but I did manage to run into this guy, Gary, who was grounded because of the fog and was waiting for his buddy Mike to come in from their fishing trip. Luckily, parking was ample, so I was able to hop out of the car and snap off a few frames of Gary in the fog. Good thing I did, because once I wrapped up, the sun started to burn off the fog, just as quickly as it had rolled in.

5.23.2010 — BOSTON — Gary O'Brien, of South Boston, waits at the shore of Boston Harbor at M Street Beach for his friend, Mike Nee, also of South Boston, who was caught in a fast-moving fog that caught and chased many beachgoers from the water. O'Brien was forced to come ashore using his compass, only seeing dry land when he ran aground.

Keep In Flight

Published on May 23, 2010 in Personal Projects. 1 Comment Tags: Aviation, boston, Flight, Kennedy, Library, Planes.

One of my photojournalism mentors, John H. White, has a catch phrase: Keep In Flight. It’s his philosophy in life, and it could be interpreted a bunch of ways that I’ll let you dwell on for awhile.

Anyway, John made a habit out of photographing birds in flight, pretty much whenever he sees one, and he’d be sure to point out any birds in flight in our pictures when he taught my class in college.

This is my take on “Keep in Flight,” only I go for the biggest birds — Planes! I snapped this frame while waiting for Conan O’Brien to arrive at the Kennedy Library Foundation dinner earlier tonight. Conan showed up about 30 minutes late, so I had plenty of time to find ways to occupy myself…

5.23.2010 — BOSTON — A flight bound for Logan International Airport descends above the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Dorchester, Mass. on May 23, 2010.

Great Chow!

Published on May 18, 2010 in Personal Projects. 1 Comment Tags: Asian, Cuisine, Dining, food, Japanese, Sushi.

I did some work for my Uncle Bill last week, producing some images for the new sushi menu that is now being offered at his restaurant, Great Chow in Quincy, Mass. My aunt and uncle have been in the restaurant biz basically my entire life, so I pretty much grew up on their food — Eat the chicken wings!

Great Chow is easily their crown jewel, with a branch in Abington as well. The Quincy location recently underwent a major expansion and renovation, and my Uncle Bill was eager to start getting some customers through the door with what else? The new food menu.

Here’s some pictures of the finest sushi you’ll find in Greater Boston, in my opinion (full disclosure: this restaurant is, after all, in the family. But I did eat it and can vouch for its deliciousness).

5.13.2010 — QUINCY, Mass. — Great Chow Quincy's Lobster Salad Roll.

5.13.2010 — QUINCY, Mass. — Great Chow Quincy's Caterpillar Roll.

5.13.2010 — QUINCY, Mass. — Great Chow Quincy's Snow Mountain Roll.

Hungry yet? Head on over to Great Chow and tell them my photos got you there!

Big Sky

Published on May 16, 2010 in Photojournalism. 2 Comments Tags: Boston Herald, Kites, Weather, Wind.

In the vernacular of my people here in Mass., it was wicked windy yesterday.

And what’s the best thing to do when it’s wicked windy? Well, if you’re part of the Gardner family, you hit the road and check out the rolling hills of Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester and bust out the kites. I ran into this troop of a family while getting weather art for the Herald to capture the wildness of the wind Saturday afternoon. Here’s some shots of them in action.

5.15.2010 — BOSTON, Mass. — The Gardner family launches their kites into the sky on a windy Saturday afternoon at Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester on May 15, 2010.

5.15.2010 — BOSTON — Bailey Gardner, 7, of East Bridgewater, guides her kite on a windy afternoon at Pope John Paul II Park on May 15, 2010. Her father, Dave Gardner, who drives for Fallon Ambulance, said he sees the kite flyers at the park on his commute in and thought it'd be a good idea to bring his kids out.

5.15.2010 — BOSTON — Kites soar through the sky at Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester on May 15, 2010.

Synchronized Bad-assery

Published on May 10, 2010 in Photojournalism. 0 Comments Tags: Boston Herald, Marine Corps, Marines, Military, Mother's Day.

There’s an old saying about the United States Marine Corps: “No better friend — No worse enemy.”

With Marine Week concluding in Boston Sunday, anyone at the Charlestown Navy Yard got to see Marine discipline in its full glory as the Corps’ Silent Drill Platoon put on a demonstration for a huge crowd in front of the old barracks.

Think synchronized swimming. On land. With guns.

The photos don’t really do the service justice — you really have to see it in person to get the experience — but here’s a quick look at the event, anyway.

5.9.2010 — BOSTON — Lance Cpl. John Nelson, of Amesbury, performs during the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon's demonstration at the closing ceremony for Marine Week at the Charlestown Navy Yard on May 9, 2010.

5.9.2010 — BOSTON — A Marine Corporal performs a weapon inspection with the Silent Drill Platoon at the closing ceremony for Marine Week at the Charlestown Navy Yard on May 9, 2010.

5.9.2010 — BOSTON — Members of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon perform a demonstration at the closing ceremony for Marine Week at the Charlestown Navy Yard on May 9, 2010.

I also got to spend a little bit of time with an amazing group of ladies, the Gold Star Mothers, as they were honored by the Marine Corps for their incredible sacrifice of their sons. It was Mother’s Day, after all.

5.9.2010 — BOSTON — Florence Johnson, a Gold Star Mother and a mother and grandmother to two Marines and a veteran of World War II herself, gives a hug to Lance Cpl. Timothy Potter at the closing ceremony for Marine Week at Charlestown Navy Yard on May, 9, 2010.

Mob Scene

Published on May 6, 2010 in Personal Projects and Photojournalism. 0 Comments Tags: Electronic, Live, Music, Techno.

So how cool is this? My cousin’s band sold out the Middle East Downstairs last night.

The band, three dudes also known as The Glitch Mob, kicked off their tour last week after playing the Coachella music festival. This time around, my cousin, Ed, got to come home and play a venue he’s dreamed about playing, and the crowd reciprocated.

When you get the kind of access that comes with being a blood relative, well, you take advantage of it. Here’s a quick take from what ended up being a full card.