First pix of my new granddaughter!

Sophie meets Gemma for the first time.

Happy Gramma (me!) with unhappy baby.

Happy Great Aunt (my sister!) with even unhappier baby.

Grandpa Bob meets the baby.

Great Grandma came to visit at the hospital!

Tired new Mom still has time for Sophie.

Happy Dad!

Photo of the Month

Here is Sophie, the high-flying Butterfly Princess, entertaining herself (and her grandma!) as we wait for her sister to be born. Due date was three days ago!

Alex, Gil and clan

Gil and Alex have created a warm and rollicking home for their children. I photographed them last month for my project Gay Dads and their Kids.

Boston area Business Portrait Special

Do you love your business headshot? Do you HAVE a business headshot? If not, join me and makeup artist Lori Johnson for a Business Portrait Special on November 4. Click here for details, and here for examples of our work!

New Photos of cancer patients on MGH Wall of Hope

I am moved and thrilled that six of my photographs of cancer patients have been added to the Wall of Hope at Massachusetts General Hospital's Cancer Center. The photos are beautifully framed with the patients' stories, written by Louise Smith. You can see the exhibition at the Yawkey Building at MGH, 8th floor.

Great exhibition in Belmont, MA

I attended an incredible reception at Digital Silver Imaging last night! The place was jammed. I felt like I was at a NYC art opening! Photos, printed by Eric Luden and framed by Ava Art, are gorgeous. Go see!

Family fun at Wollaston Beach

I had a great family shoot at Wollaston Beach in Quincy with Elliott and his adorable kids! The weather was perfect: just some light clouds.

Yum!

Sophie tests the frosting for her Great-Grandma's 89th birthday cake!

Day-in-the-life portraits in Dedham

I love spending time with a family to capture special moments in their lives. It helped that the kids (and parents!) were adorable!

Backyard portrait #2

More candid portrait of Bill and his kids!

 

Backyard portrait

Bill is a fantastic dad to his kids. They have a great back yard, perfect for frolicking and photos!

�

A portrait for Cedar

This was my first horse portrait! Cedar was a great subject.

Great blog post about headshots

Great post on publicity headshots by PR guru Sandy Beckwith.

Two more Business Portrait Specials

We had such a great response to our last business headshot special that we've decided to add a few more dates! For details, click HERE. These are a few of the intrepid folk who took advantage of our last event:

Daria Mark

Gabriel Cheong

Andrea Novakowski

Heather Jack

Alexis Levitt

Business Portrait Special

I am collaborating with makeup artist Lori Johnson of Your Best Image to offer a Business Portrait Special on April 20 and 21. Click here for details! You can see some of my business portraits here. Signup ends on April 18.

Top Ten Tips for a Great Business Portrait

Top Ten Hot Tips for a Great Business Portrait!

1. Get one! If you haven't been asked for a professional headshot, you will be. It's just a matter of time. You will need one for your web page, as well as for newsletters, news releases, articles, profiles, brochures and speaking engagements.

2. Hire a professional to photograph you. Office mates or spouses with new cameras don't count. Fancy cameras and lenses do not a professional make. You have to know how to use them!

3. Recognize the components of a good headshot: A neutral backdrop; A well-fitting simple top/jacket; Professional makeup; Good lighting; A relaxed expression that shows your competence and approachability; A flattering pose.

4. Choose a well-fitting suit and/or blouse that is multi-seasonal with a simple weave. Textures such as tweeds are distracting, and can create an undesired phenomenon of digital artifacts called "moiré".

5. Wear a solid color. You have a wide range of choices here: Gray, blue, green, purple, red, pink, or beige. Deep grays or navy blues photograph better than blacks. Avoid whites or very light pastels.

6. Have your makeup applied by a professional who understands studio lighting. Strobes can wash out your features, so extra enhancement is important. For both men and women, a good foundation powder can smooth the skin and reduce glare.

7. If you bring a friend, have him or her wait in another room. An extra pair of eyes may distract you during the session. The relationship between you and the photographer is a key element in making a successful portrait.

8. When posing, turn your body a quarter turn away from the camera. Then gently turn your shoulders and head back towards the lens. This pose avoids the straight-on mugshot look. Leaning forward slightly from the waist will elongate your neck and give you a welcoming look. Both good things!

9. Imagine that the lens is your best client. Welcome that client with your eyes. Think of the relationship you have with this person. This exercise will make your energy become outer-directed and add approachability and warmth to your portrait.

10. Recognize the value of a communicative, beautifully lit business portrait. You deserve the best when it comes to your professional image!

Gretje Ferguson Photography www.gfergphoto.com 781-461-9202

Another Portrait for Lahey Clinic

Meet Jackie (a participant in the new Lahey Clinic Portraits of Inspiration wall I am working on), who has been battling carcinoid for 23 years. Here is her photo and and incredible story:




With our feet on the floor

Just like my mother, who survived from 1967 to 1975 with carcinoid, I put my feet on the floor every day. As her caregiver, I lived through her story daily.

After my diagnosis, I continued to work every day for twenty years as an account manager for a paper manufacturer until 2006. That’s when my co-workers, seeing my increasingly difficult struggle against pain and fatigue, said gently, “Jacklyn, it’s time to go." I loved the teamwork of that job — in the office and with clients all over the country and abroad — and cried when I left.

When I see healthy, laughing people, I wish I could be as healthy and carefree as they are. Yet whenever I do smile, in that moment I too feel healthier and more carefree.

Now, in my twenty-third year of survival, I know that sharing stories with other patients helps me to fight both medically and mentally. When we share our experiences and feelings, we gain insights into each other’s mental being. We smile, put our feet on the floor, and keep on going with every ounce of our bodies — together.

Jacklyn Nadeau
Diagnosis: carcinoid at age 49
Date of diagnosis: 1986

Easter Children's Portrait Special in Dedham!

Easter is coming! Your kids will be all dressed up for at least five minutes. So if you'd like to have a photograph that commemorates this momentous occasion, check out this link! If you can't see it, here's the basic info:

The special will be at my Dedham studio, April 11 and 12 (Easter!). Just call me at 781-461-9202 for an appointment. The $200 fee includes a photography session, one 8x10 print (a $350 value!), and an Easter bonus gift from Dedham's The Blue Bunny!

$25 from each session will be donated to Generation Cures at the Children's Hospital in Boston.

Laura's Senior Portrait

Laura needed a senior portrait, and was a lovely subject!

A portrait of inspiration

I have been touched and honored to be chosen by the Lahey Clinic to photograph its patients who are coping with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. So far four pieces have been mounted on the wall at Lahey's Gordon Cancer Center, and feature a portrait along with a story about how he or she is dealing with the process of healing.

The stories are elicited/written/edited by Louise Smith, and the pieces are framed by Kathy Skarvan of Ava Art. The wall is called "Portraits of Inspiration." Below, meet Kristen, and read her moving story.

..

.

The kindness of others

"You have cancer": these three words forever changed my life and the lives of my family. Who would take care of John and our two daughters, Olivia (5) and Ella (3)?

"Don't let the fear consume you," advised my aunt, a breast cancer survivor. My friend Betsy, a cancer survivor herself, told me "It's the toughest thing you'll ever do, and you will do it." She was right.

I have a special memory from that time. When I was at Lahey awaiting my radiation treatments, I saw that a woman, Ginger, who regularly sat beside me for her own treatments, was knitting a shawl. One day I commented on how beautiful it was. "It's for you," she said. "When you feel down and alone, just wrap it around you, and you'll feel the love and care."

The kindness of others kept my spirit, strength, and hope intact during a very difficult time. My doctors, family, and friends kept me strong and on track during my cancer, and they continue to do so. Cancer did take some things from me physically. But the life lessons I learned and people whom I would not otherwise have met are priceless.

Kristen
Diagnosis: colorectal cancer stage 2 at age 31
Date of diagnosis: 2007