When Irene hit, it hit the business hard, flooding Thomas’ pottery studio, and filling the mill’s basement with more than eight-feet of water before receding and leaving a wasteland of mud and silt. While the building’s upstairs shop rooms and store were saved, much of Shackleton’s lumber was ruined, as were a number of machines. Cost of the damage clocked in at well over six figures, with only a portion of it covered by flood insurance.

It’s a powerful story. A hopeful story–Shackleton reopened for business less than a month after Irene came through. I’m looking forward to finding more of these stories to tell. Stay tuned.

Tonight I took a little time and went through some of the images I’ve made over the past year. This is a favorite. In fact, this whole portrait shoot, which I did on an old farm in Dublin, New Hampshire, is a favorite. Photographing kids is unlike any other kind of photography. I find that being a runner helps. I mean, let’s face it, you’ve got to move around a lot to keep up with them. With these two brothers, I just gave in to their energy. Actually, I tried to utilize it. My instructions were simple. Start over there, and just run to me. And so they did. Of course, we had a few sweet moments, too.

I love autumn weddings. And I love autumn weddings in Maine even more. The light is spectacular this time of year, and near the ocean at dusk it’s sheer magical. That was certainly the case in mid-September when I traveled to Bar Harbor for Rich and Maya’s gorgeous wedding at the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, Maine,, a beautiful old hotel that’s situated right on the ocean. The weather more than held up, and as evening descended, the final hour of light provided some unforgettable photography. Thank you Rich and Maya for including me in your special day.

I love it when clients get creative and really go for something special and unexpected with their portraits. Not too long ago, friends Ian and Jess Nelson contacted me about some images they wanted made to celebrate their upcoming five-year anniversary. They’d seen some earlier shots I’d taken of my brother, Wesley Aldrich, in an old, crumbling space above my studio in Peterborough, New Hampshire. They loved the texture of the room, it’s colors, and the gorgeous sunlight that flows through it. The kicker was they wanted several of the shots to be of them  in their wedding clothes. How could I resist? So, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Ian and Jess brought over a six-pack of beer, and we spent a couple of hours trying different things as we tried different ways to use the room. I loved the results. A few other early favorites.

You learn pretty early on as a wedding photographer that the mood of an event is set by the energy of the couple getting married. In late July I had the opportunity to photograph Molly and Chris’ wedding at the stunning Cobb Hill Estate in Harrisville, New Hampshire. Even to those of us who’ve seen Mt. Monadnock countless times, the views of that big rock and the surrounding region are impressive. But all of that paled in comparison to the energy and love that defined Molly and Chris’ wedding. This was as much about celebrating their union as it was honoring those lucky people who are such a big part of their lives. There was great music. Lots of dancing. And tons and tons of laughter. When the party started to come to a close, a warm summer rain rolled in and a beautiful double rainbow appeared. Not a bad ending. Thank you Molly and Chris for letting me be a part of your big day!

Some weddings you just don’t want to leave. Even when it’s the end of the night, you’re dog-tired from a full day of shooting, and your body just needs some rest. Dennis and Molly’s wedding earlier this month on the Cape was like that.

Both are fun, easy-going, and clearly adore one another. It was hard to pull myself away–from them and their celebration. Dennis is a big golfer and since the reception was on a golf course, we had a chance for some creative portraits. Just a special day for a truly special couple.

In the old building where my studio is located in Peterborough, New Hampshire, there’s a gorgeous, unused space on the top floor. It’s crumbling. It’s forgotten. Big windows. Old wood. Even older looking plastered walls. Which is to say I think it’s the perfect the place for portraits. A couple of weeks ago I got my brother, Wes Aldrich, to give me an hour of his time so I could experiment with the space and with him in it.

Wes was really generous with his time. And patient with  me as I moved him around a bit. Try sitting on the old drawer. Stand in the doorway. Look away. Now look directly at me. In the end, though, I landed on a few selects that I really like.

During our two-plus weeks in Portugal in Spain earlier this month Grace and I made the four-hour journey up from Luz, the lovely little town in the Algarve region, to Lisbon where we met up with some friends, Robert James and Esther Brooks, for the weekend. Our travels together included a car ride back down to the Algarve, slicing through gorgeous farm country, where houses and people cling to the hillsides. The journey also included the obligatory cigarette stop. I made this picture during our last pull-over. We stretched our legs, tried to ignore the big barking dog from across the street, and took in the large swath of beautiful farmland that was for sale. For a second, Grace and I considered buying. But then it was time to move on.

I’m a big fan of dark chocolate. And I’m talking about the dark stuff. Like 65% cacao and up. I’m an even bigger fan of Ava Marie Handmade Chocolates in Peterborough, New Hampshire, whose work is so good I’m eating milk chocolate again. Ava’s is the brainchild of Susan Mazzone, who started her business in 2003 in the kitchen of her Peterborough home. These days, she’s got a beautiful shop right in town in the old Peterborough Transcript building on Grove Street. Over the last several months I’ve done several product shoots for them, including last week’s Easter session. Artisan eggs. Big chocolate fudge eggs. And an array of basket combinations. Really good stuff.

As anyone who’s ever done it, food photography is a challenge. Chocolates, even more so. They’re delicate, sensitive, and, um, enticing, if you know what I mean. But it’s fun work and with my stylist and wife, Grace, we’ve had a great time working with Susan on putting together kinds of chocolate combinations for their new site. A visit to the shop is a must if you’re in town. Just know that they serve killer ice cream, too. You’ve been warned.

Another one from the archives. Another favorite of my friend Bill.This one was taken in 2002 during a second visit to Montauk. During our final morning there Bill had decided, without telling anyone, to walk down to the water, doing his best to keep his shaky balance on a beach of large rocks. I eventually found out where he was headed, but couldn’t get out there in time to prevent from taking a terrible fall. Somehow he avoided any real serious injury. We cleaned up his bruises, and then headed off to painter Julian Schnabel’s home next door before making the long drive back to New Hampshire.

Schnabel was more than a friend. He helped Bill with his bruises, giving him a seat in front of one of his paintings while he took care of him. I captured this image just before Schnabel attached a large bandage to Bill’s face. Bruise and art melded together.