The person behind the camera:

I can’t even begin to image how many thousands of photographs I take in one calendar year but I do know how many photographs there are taken OF me during the year. The answer is:  AS FEW AS POSSIBLE.

I admit that I am far more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, but I thought it might be fun before moving on to 2010, to look at my year–the trials and triumphs–through some of the photographic moments others have caught of me:

January:

On the way back to Vermont from a photo conference in Mystic, CT, friend and fabulous photographer Barrie Fisher and I pulled off the highway and  into a Radio Shack to hear Obama sworn in as President of the United States.

February:

What do you do when traveling to a Vegas photo conference with a pack of fabulous and fun women photographers? Why, take pictures,of course!! What else? Well, you know what ever happens in Vegas, stays there! Rear (left to right): Barrie Fisher, Robin Langsdorf and Alex Kendall.  Front (left to right): Marianne Martin, Me, and Daria Bishop.

March:

Early 2009 was hospital season for me-one knee surgery and and two carpal tunnel surgeries had me ready to go for wedding season. By a strange set of circumstances, Barrie Fisher, Daria Bishop and I all ended up at Fletcher Allen Hospital O.R. on the same day (Barrie broke her wrist and Daria had a small growth removed from her forehead) and we didnt even know it until we all saw one another in the recovery area! Here’s a great shot, thanks to Barrie’s Iphone!

April:

250 people gathered at the Unitarian Universalist church in Burlington in a vigil before the Freedom To Marry Bill went to the Legislature for the vote. I was one of many who spoke that day for Equal Rights and my partner took this photograph:

After the passing of the Marriage Equality Bill, SEVEN DAYS   Newspaper highlighted the issue in their paper and did an article on me (I had been actively covering the legislative process in photos for various publications ). Matt Thorsen shot this for the paper:

May:

Having moved into new studio space with the amazing photographer (and friend!) Jeff Clarke,  I needed a new promo shot to start advertising my dog portraiture. Jeff took this:

Jeff and I threw a great open house at  the studio and about 150 people stopped by to say hello and see our work.As an added bonus, I had a surprise visit from my old friend and photo colleague Jym Wilson, who I worked with through most of the 1990’s at the Burlington Free Press. JY had moved on to be a photo editor at USA Today and I had not seen him in about 10 years!

July:

I love it when someone takes my picture at a wedding and sends it to me and it’s always fun to add that photo to the end of a wedding blog posting. Here are 4 of my favorites from the summer season:

August:

This is the month that my family disappears for 12 days (missing only one wedding weekend!)  to our cabin in the lake district of Northeren Ontario for some well needed R&R. Here’s a shot of my son and I paddling along our little lake with one of the pooches as a stow-away:

September:

The annual Firetruck Pull to raise money for OUTRIGHT Vermont included a team of CVU high school football players, including our sons and their friends, and Gillian and I leading the pack:

October:

Jeff Clarke and I are photographed by Daria Bishop at the 2-day workshop by Photoshop guru Kevin Kubota in Sugarbush–

November:

Over Thanksgiving, my family celebrated my dad’s 80th birthday and to honor the occassion, I felt a new portrait was in order. This pictures included my dad and his wife, the families of his three children, his brother and wife and the families of their 3 children! Awesome! (This was one of those great self-timer shots where I ran into the frame at the last second):

I end with one of my favorite photos of the year, though technically, it was shot on January 1st, 2010 by my brother while I was photographing his family at my studio. He picked up my camera and grabbed this photo of me and Greta. I adore it… a great way to start the New Year!