Fitzgerald Photo

I"m known primarily as a portrait photographer. But the theme of much of my work is almost always about the act of working itself.

Even when photographing work being done, I'm' looking to show the human presence in the process, even when faces are obscured behind welder's glass.

I made this frame on a bridge while a welder was sealing a pipe as a storm moved in. Lighting isn't always about using a flash--it's about using whatever light is available to you.

Victor Wilson, 50, a Navy veteran who fought his own battles with substance abuse before coming clean and counseling other men on the Yakama Reservation in Washington State. This was taken in 2005 as part of a multi-year project on the Men of the Yakama Nation and was never published (the tighter version was the frame published in the newspaper). Perhaps a harder read due to limited space on the page, I love the feel of this image more. Victor occupies the frame, dead-center, part of the scene but not overpowering it—a quiet hero. I made all of the portraits for the project with an old Kowa 6x6 medium format (film) camera, primarily using Fujichrome. I called the portraits, “One light wonders” because I lit them with a single light, balanced with whatever ambient light existed. It kept things simple, and created dramatic looks that used as much of the environment as possible to tell the story. I liked the deliberate process of shooting with a cranky but serviceable camera, and the delayed gratification of film too. You can tell a great story with simple light if your location and your subject are interesting enough. Victor certainly was that.

Last fall I photographed inventor Danny Hillis for the Financial Times—the inventor of the Clock of the Long Now (it’s as cool as it sounds).
The shoot came together last minute and I didn’t have much time with him, but made a variety of portraits; some with test components of his clock. The clock being build in Texas is designed to operate with little or no human intervention for 10,000 years.
The portrait the newspaper used was one I got after the shoot was basically over, when I noticed him going back to work in his home office. I love the busy, cluttered desk in an otherwise immaculately kept home and asked if I could get a few more portraits. Definitely an example of planning for success but being open to better opportunities that might unfold.

I love location shoots because they impose a certain reality--a set of found circumstances, with limitations inherent to that particular physical environment--and often, time constraints. Yet, I usually find that if I look hard enough, I can use those limitations to my advantage.
This portrait was made on a stairwell landing in a busy building. on the MIT campus in Boston. An unoccupied corner, strong compositional lines and shadows cast by the strong afternoon sun helped make this moment work.

.

A few images from an assignment for the this summer featuring the luxury watches of Jason Wilbur and . Jason and I made images in his workspace at his family property in Vermont, and then was willing to try a portrait in his barn, holding a guitar he built at 16. I love that the Financial Times chose that portrait as their lead image. Here are a few more from the shoot.

From sea to plate:
This winter I photographed for the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, documenting the journey of local catch from Casco Bay to a Portland restaurant kitchen.
Maine’s working waterfront—and the people who keep it alive—are central to our culture and identity. This project was a chance to tell that story, one cast, haul, and meal at a time.

Reposting a few images from Gov. Janet Mills (and one of Senator Angus King) during her reelection campaign back in 2022. She’s one tough lady.

Inspiring work by Dr. Joan LaRovere, a pediatric cardiac physician at Boston Children's Hospital and co-founder of the Virtue Foundation, as she reshapes global healthcare with data-driven solutions. Recent work for the Financial Times of London. Read more on the Outtakes blog:

https://buff.ly/3YGBc4O↗

Transforming Global Health with Data and AI with Dr. Joan LaRovere | Transforming Global Health with Data and AI with Dr. Joan LaRovere October 29, 2024 0 Comments read Blog, On Assignment, On Location, Portraits Last month, I had the chance to photograph Dr. Joan LaRovere, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Transformation at Boston Children’s Hospital, for The Fi...