EYE OF TOBIA PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

If there is ONE THING you watch this month

Tobia — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:53:37 +0000

LET THIS BE IT:

BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Wow.
Vision.
Scope.
Original.
WOW.

Looove doing Wedding albums

Tobia — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:44:29 +0000

They may take a while to get just right. They may take lots of input and emails back and forth.
Choices.
Layouts.
Covers.
More emails.
But how cool is it to hold in your hands THE document of a wedding. A big heavy piece that the grand kids will look through some day when they are planning their own weddings.
Pretty darn cool.

Our Favorite “new” Neighbors

Tobia — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:55:46 +0000

We have had a string of the coolest people live in the house next door. When we came to Providence a couple of years ago, Dunedin had her first crush on Max the 4 year old and his dog Sultan. (BTW: coolest name for a long haired German Shepard.) The mom is an awesome hobbyist photographer who I think could go pro. We were sad when they first moved a couple towns South and then, just recently, way way west to start a pediatric dentistry.
Then we had a great young pregnant couple move in to the apartment, find a house a few towns over and promptly move out again.
But we lucked out a third time with these guys. They greet us from their windows when we get home and my kids are always angling to see if they are back from school yet and trying to get out of eating dinner to go see them.
So thanks for moving in and making many school nights way more fun, A and R.
The Mom ain’t so bad either. Now that we are the ones moving, Dunedin asked if they could move with us to our new house. Luckily they aren’t so far away.

You saved my son’s life-Can I take your picture?

Tobia — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:39:01 +0000

You may think that I am being a little bit dramatic here but actually the opposite is true.
Let me explain.
A little more than 2 years ago I was Laboring away on that arduous task of Delivery that all of us are a result of in one way or another. Although easier than my first delivery, little Griffin still managed to enter the world with a bit of excitement and theatricality. He continues to enter and exit a room the same way. Sigh. I am getting off subject…
Back to that day in March 2008.
My sweet Griffin came out blue and with his cord wrapped around his neck. The team in the hospital was great. From my point of view, there was a flurry of activity- but all I really remember is that there was no cry and he hadn’t been handed right to me as D had been when she was born. Instead, he was lying on a table with a bunch of people searching for and passing items back and forth. A NICU team had been called down. And there was still no cry. I have no idea how long it was. It could have been mere seconds or perhaps minutes. It felt like forever. My husband started to made a move toward the table because it wasn’t going fast enough. He was going to jump in. It was then I felt a real pang of fear. I was taking my cues from him and seeing him worried was what made the moment most scary. But… At the head of that table holding my little blue son was someone who authoritatively put their hand up and signaled my husband to back down. She took control of the situation, calmly intubating little Griffin and getting the team to work together efficiently.
Soon after came the little cry.
Then the bigger cry.
Then my cry.
If memory serves there was a bit of crying from Griffin those first few months. You would never know it now looking at him now but he didn’t allow us a full night’s sleep for almost 2 years. Likely just to make up for not crying during those first moments of life.
In the first few months, along with some other family medical dramas, a move to a different state and managing 2 little ones, the memory of those first few minutes of Griffin’s arrival sort of faded from my consciousness.
Flash forward to a day in July 2010.
I am photographing a lovely family with a 9 month old that I knew from the days of fraternizing with the UMass Medical people. And as I am driving home from my session, I realize this is the woman that saved my sons life by taking quiet calm control of a situation and doing her job with efficiency and grace. It is hard to explain how I separated my memory of K from that NICU fellow in the room… but I think I can blame the epidural and lack of sleep during the next 2 years.
Anyhow. K, I thank you for what you did that day and what you do every day. I am sure countless families count you among their blessings. And so would my son, if I could only get him off the garage…*

*just kidding… he is only just in the plotting stages of actually getting up there- he hasn’t quite figured it out yet. Good thing we have an ER doc in the neighborhood, just in case.

It’s her portrait-let her cry if she wants to | Baby Portrait Photography

Tobia — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:06:09 +0000

Why don’t I mind if a baby cries during a portrait? Why would I keep my camera to my eye and keep snapping while parents comfort?
Perhaps because there is something so endearing about a being who can go from absolute Happy to, well, absolute NOT Happy and back again in a matter of seconds.
Or because a photo of a crying child makes me want to pick them up and hug them and make it better.
Or because there is something so purely raw about a baby’s emotion. Something most of us learn to a mask as we get older. It is an innocence I want to document in my own children (and sometimes do)

And it really never takes long to find the range of Happy in a 9 month old.

And the Joy.

And the Love.

I love my job.

Why I won’t be quitting my day/night job.

Tobia — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:50:07 +0000

When I was young and daydreamed about becoming a photographer I used to imagine going on safaris for national geographic and capturing rolling landscapes for self help posters. Okay, the poster part isn’t entirely true. But I did find an allure to landscape photography, getting to go out and capture the area I was in and make it look like a postcard.
But now I know better. Landscape photography is NOT for me. See below example:

The top image was taken at 5pm of the skyline from a window at the MIT faculty club during a recent wedding.
The bottom one was taken at around 8pm. See the difference the light will make on the image?
Now, if I were a landscape photographer, I would have to spend my time waiting around for hours, previously scouting out my best vantage point in hopes of getting the weather and quality of light to sync up with my vision. No interacting with the subject, learning about what makes it tick from afar. I cant very well ask the Hancock building to turn towards the light for me. Luckily I make my living doing a craft that is much better suited to my style. I get to talk to my subject and let them be a part of the image I am creating. I get to see people having fun, on the best days of their lives, the first days of their lives, the days that they will now get to tangibly remember forever because I helped document it. How cool is that?
Not that I don’t admire landscape and nature photographers. There is something incredible about the hunt and execution of a great shot. And when it is done well, the loveliness of the world around us through another eyes can take your breath away. But for now, I will stick with people. I think finding the thing that makes someone who they are themselves and then preserving it for future generations is pretty darn awesome.

Thinking of Opa and Dziadziu| Grandparent portraits

Tobia — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:07:03 +0000

We are in the process of moving. Moving means there are a lot of things to be done and boxes to be packed. Where does this leave me?
Looking through old photos of course. And by old photos, I mean the kind that are printed on paper and sit in boxes and albums from generations ago. I came across a couple of me when I was younger taken by my American-Polish Grandfather (Dziadziu) who was quite the talent behind the camera. I will have to post them at some point. But better to wait until a time when my poor husband wont have a heart attack when he finds me scanning photos instead of, well, packing.
Any how. So I was strolling down that lane of memories while sorting through some present work (the kind that lives on my computers) and came across these photos.

Wouldn’t everyone want a photo like this with their grandparent? I know I don’t have one of me with mine. I have to remember to get my camera out the next time I see my parents with the kids and when we travel to visit my parents in law in the end of the summer. Anyhow, thought I would share.

Squeeze a wedding into your summer vacation | Cambridge Wedding Photography

Tobia — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:02:35 +0000

I had such a great time at this wedding. K & J wear their fondness for life and each other in a way that makes my job easy. Everyone else at the party seemed to shop the same designer. See here for yourself…
The event itself was lovely (even with the heat)

St. Paul’s Parish in Cambridge.

This is my shot titled “Hey there, wanna go to this dance with me tonight? All the cool kids are gonna be there…” It pays homage to the fact that this wedding was made possible by the fact that the couple met while teaching. No, they didn’t have their reception in a school gym, but the very lovely MIT faculty Club with the awesome view of Boston. I had just happened upon this row of lockers on the way downstairs to scout out some shots outside.

You can stage a good shot- but happiness is unmistakable and unmissable if you are ready to catch it when it runs past.

paaking in Haavad | Cambridge Engagemnt Session

Tobia — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:54:34 +0000

I got to go around Harvard Square little bit ago to make some photographs with this great couple.

They were pretty great.
I grew up just outside of The Square but it was great to see it through the eyes of a student at the Graduate School of Design.

The (now closed down) Crate and Barrel store in the former Design Research Building. I had actually never noticed it before as a building. Designed in 1969 by the former Harvard Graduate School of Design chairman of architecture, Benjamin C. Thompson.

Here is the Larson Building
I actually went to preschool here. Thats right. I went to preschool at Harvard.
I was discharged once I started pronouncing my ‘Rs’.

They are sycamore trees. Drove me crazy – I had to look up what kind of trees lined Memorial Drive. I love that row.

The divinity building for a couple of divine photos. (yes, I can hear you groaning)

Such a great afternoon. Looking forward to the wedding guys! It is coming up soon!

They brought-the-fun Booth | Boston Wedding Photobooth

Tobia — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:59:31 +0000

This was an AWESOME wedding. How can you tell, you might wonder?
You start with an incredible couple. Then check:
IF the engagement session started like this…(click here to see more)

IF the DJ tells you at the end of the night that he wishes he could have 2 more hours with the group… (Rock on Mr. Ed!)
IF the speeches are able to make the photographer cry…
and
IF the photos from the Photo Booth we had set up come out looking like this…

officially the cutest mother and daughters shot.

This sister of the bride and her husband were awful excited to gain a brother.

Bunny ears shall never go out of style and neither will happy couples.

This couple was too cute… And I think their own wedding may be coming up soon? Congrats!

People were being hung upside down. Thankfully there were no chandeliers within reach!

um…

aww…

These ladies brought their own sweetness to the party. Something to do with chocolate… Now I am distracted.

Dear K&J, Even when the world turns you upside down- may you find happiness.

If the bride’s parents look this happy, you know good things are to follow for a couple.

Sadly this couple didn’t leave a forwarding address.

Sometimes a girl just needs to be dipped and a guy just needs to be held.

da guys.

K and her married-for-62-years-grandparents. A couple who can cut a rug and leave the young in the dust.

Seriously. How wonderful is this family?

All the “new” parents together celebrating the arrival of their newly acquired, bouncing son and daughter in law.

I can’t wait to get through the actual wedding photos. I will be posting some sneak peeks soon!
Congrats again Kyle and Jeff! (And please don’t be proof reading my post- it is really late at night and the dog ate my spellchecker)