My signature - One of my earliest weddings, I found this angle as a bride was looking at her groom, and I've captured this image many times.  For me it's the most important photograph I take all day. Don't know why, just is - in many ways I could go to a wedding take one photo and this is it - then go home.  It tells me everything that needs to be communicated in a wedding photograph.  So, how do you think Loren feels about her man in the image above, slight tad bit of affection, ahh, yea, just a little.

I am selling this Canon 5D body, if anyone is interested.  Camera works great.  It's just that I've got 3 of them, and don't really need the extra gear, so I'm lightening my load.  Let me know if you are interested. Email me  james at jameshazelwood dot com

I've photographed Marisa and Shamus wedding, their pregnancy photos and now their first child.  I can only claim arranging the Engagement photography back in 2006 for Australian Photographer David Williams.  He was in town to teach a workshop at my place, and we asked this couple to pose - they were great as were David's images.   So young Finn was born in mid-December, and just a week or so ago, I was with Marisa and Shamus at their house.  We spent about an hour or so doing a variety of images for an album of this new family.  As Marisa said, "Finn you will be one of the most photographed boys on the planet, if I have anything to do with it."

What I love about this family, aside from great looks, is Shamus' commitment to being a father.  As you can see from those forearms, Shamus is kind of a big guy.  Electrician, the kind that climbs the big power lines and hooks up a million volts so the  twon can have power.  This guy could play Rugby, Football and go Snow mobiling in one day and not get tired.  But, he is also full on 100% into being a Dad.  Yup, changing diapers, takes care of the kid when Marisa goes out with the friends.  Awesome!

My new lighting technique with newborns is to use continuous light.  I've got three flourescent daylight balanced tubes inside a 50inch Softbox.  This means lots of softlight, and no flash.  Why no flash?  Babies whince, blink, flinch everytime you pop off that flash.  People say they don't notice it.  You they do.  The continuous light lets them relax and you can see what you are photographing and how to shape the light.  I love it.   Used the 50 mm 1.4 Canon lens most of the time on this shoot.   

It is the great asperation of all young american males, then the day comes, and you wonder, what in the world have I gotten myself into...the shoes alone are gonna kill me.

Now the lighting is really dark, so I shot this image at ISO 3200 - not a bad image eh?  Autofocus is much improved plus it has a 28-112 zoom.  So far so good.  It's a little smaller in my big hands than the x100, but I keep reminding myself that it is a point and shoot, and designed as a carry around all the time camera.

For me it translates to good photography.  Plain and Simple.  

Does it mean every CPP Ph Cr, MA Ph, PhD, ph balnced photographer is worth his or her weight in salt?  Of course, not, we all know credentials need to be combined with experience, personality and old fashioned hard work and desire. 

I got into photography when I was 16 years old, photographing my brothers soccer games, then photographing all the cool people for my High School Yearbook, later in College for the school newspaper and radio sation.  In graduate school I worked for the Public Relations office in New York City.  One thing lead to another, a fund raiser for my son's PTA lead me to someones wedding, then The Knot saw one of my photos online and asked me to use it, pre 1999. Then digital, more weddings, some work for non-profits and churches, more wedding and portraits.  

And the road goes on, we move forward, like sharks, or we die.  What's next?  I'm dreaming of a motorcycle trip across the African continent photographing the work of relief agencies.  It's years off, maybe for a next sabbatical, who knows...

But for now, gotta go order some new business cards with fancy initials -

I'd love to do a portrait of him, if anyone has connections.  In the meantime, here is an article that is good for anyone in any field. Click here.

La Bella Bride magazine liked it so much they put it on the inside cover of their 2012 magazine.

Anyway, I was away for 2 weeks, actually 12 days, in beautiful, dry and relatively warm Arizona.  We celebrated Christmas with the extended family in the Phoenix area, watched the patriots game from a Sports bar named Hazelwood's, and then I made a five day trip into the desert on a motorcycle.  No not the Royal Enfield you see below, but a rented Yamaha.  It was a great ride, and I gave it a little write up on a Blog I started about my experiences on a Motorcycle.  If your interested in the Motorcycle blog, the link is here.  But, not it is winter here in the Northeast, and I put my own bike to bed for the winter, so any posting in these days will be few and far between until the weather warms.