Banana Slugs. Fast Food. Hunks. SF SCRUMP zine is an exploration of devotion and friendship in the neighborhood of Bernal Heights.
Read MoreHigh School Gymnastics Meet /
Barbara Buck wears many hats; she is a senior at Penfield High School, a captain of the gymnastics team, an instructional coach, and competes as a USA Gymnastics club athlete. With all of the stigma and negative perceptions of gymnastics, it was incredibly moving to see the support of Buck and all of the other athletes at the High School gymnastics meet. There will always be the competitive nature to win, but it was delightfully surprising to see the teams learning competitor’s names (including Buck’s Fairport colleague Lauren Murphy), cheering one another on, and taking moments to celebrate big & small achievements. Below is a gallery of photos from the meet hosted at the Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester (GTC), in Penfield, NY on 28 September 2019.
2018-2019 Season /
For the past few months, I have been coaching at the Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester. It has been incredibly rewarding coming full-circle; returning to the gym where I grew up, training and competing. Many dynamics have gone unchanged: the aesthetics & signage, the family dynamics, and even my coach, Vladimir Simakov, who patiently and graciously dealt with my shenanigans for many of my early teenage years. What amazes me are the factors that have grown since I left in 2005; the competitive guys team is much more committed, mature, and driven than I ever remember being, and it has been an honor shadowing Vladmir’s coaching throughout the 2018-2019 season.
Below is a gallery of photos from two meets this year; local meet at Stumpf’s in Buffalo, NY and the state meet at SUNY Brockport.
Note: Please click to enlarge the photos, hover for the caption descriptions, and click to advance.
Best of 2018: Brigid and John with Brandon Vick /
One of my first shoots of the season was with the talented Brandon Vick, for Brigid and John’s wedding. Brandon takes great pride in his laid-back style and attention to ornate beauty, and this wedding was the pinnacle of both. Brigid and John celebrated their wedding day at their stunning home in Webster, NY. I had the pleasure of working with the ever-talented, detail-oriented Jorge Cazzorla, who planned the wedding and designed every floral arrangement. Brigid had an incredible sense of humor, and was warm and open in sharing her day. I could tell that John was beloved by those around him for a reason; he was similarly sincere and approachable, and was so eager to talk about his passion for photography and photographic gear. Working under Brandon Vick on John and Brigid’s wedding was an exemplary way to kick off the 2018 wedding season.
Best of 2018: Jacob and Heather with Tim West /
The third wedding collection that I am sharing, is another that I worked under Tim West. The first look at Letchworth State Park was a first for me; I enjoyed the covert adventure of tiptoeing the groom, Zach, to his position by the cliff side while he waited for his partner, Ashley. We had time to kill, so Zach proposed some fun portraits where he sat Forrest Gump style with strangers on the bench, and other photos where his groomsmen dangled him over the gorge wall. One of my favorite moments was Ashley’s sisters’ toast. I appreciate a good speech with embarrassing anecdotes, but Ashley’s sister’s displayed poster-size, archival-quality photo prints from their childhood. Nothing beats a larger-than-life display of moments you can’t unlive.