Blog | Patrick Rogers Photography

Oct 03
Heather and Paul’s Wedding

Heather is one of the most expressive, quirky, and colorful characters I’ve ever met! She has a jewelry shop and I have worked with her to photograph her shop as well as her jewelry and had a blast doing it! So, when she mentioned that she was getting married, I jumped at the chance to photograph it! They had a nice intimate ceremony at the Cambridge City Hall, then a party at Sacco’s Bowl Haven. This was a coming together for all kinds of folks, and it was heart warming to see all the love everyone had for each other! The kids and Heather’s sister worked in the kitchen to decorate a cake (which was delicious!!), cousins and grandparents bowled between bouts of giggles, and you could see on Heather’s face how much this all meant to her and Paul. I feel honored at times like these to be able to witness such a great moment in the lives of such loving folks!

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Aug 29
I Can’t Help Myself

River is a friend of mine from back when we went to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and lived in the same house. He actually met his wife at my going-away party when I moved from Olympia to Chicago (to take a job atThe Art Institute of Chicago), and almost two years ago, they had August, an adventurous little guy who loves being outside and being active! Lucky for me, they moved to Lebanon, ME, just a few hours from us in Somerville, MA

Last weekend, I was hired to photograph a birthday party/family reunion at a lake house in Lyman, ME, so Carrie, Reid, and I took the opportunity to visit with River, Miriam, and August when we were up in their neck of the woods.

I had thought about photographing River and his family while we were visiting, but after a four hour family shoot (tons of fun, but somewhat exhausting), I figured I would keep the camera in the car. But, after watching August having fun running around in the yard as the sun was throwing a golden yellow all over the place, I made a quick dash for the car and pulled out my long lens. I’m so glad I did! The long lens kept me a little further away and let him be himself and play in the trees and in the grass, and captured his playful personality.

When I have the chance to work with outdoorsy kids and families, and when the light is just right, it makes me so happy that I decided to start taking photos nearly 20 years ago now. Capturing that moment that really speaks not only to someone’s character, but that represents the lifestyle I’d like to shoot, there’s just nothing that beats that!!

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Aug 28
How Jungle Jim is like The Simpsons

I’ve known Jungle Jim for a little while now. I’ve photographed him at a little girl’s birthday party, I’ve photographed him for a promotional project he was working on, but it was at this last shoot at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury, MA where he was doing his show for the kids there that it really hit me. Jungle Jim is like The Simpsons. He is just awesome with kids. He gets them involved, gets them giggling, and gets them super excited during his balloon show (where if he’s not teaching the kids how to be a safari explorer or a Jedi knight, he’s trying to climb into an enormous balloon!). That’s great, and seeing the kids so engaged (and ignoring the guy with the big beard and even bigger camera) is just amazing. But, I feel like that’s where good performers stop their show, where the kids are entertained. Jungle Jim, like The Simpsons, keeps both the adults and the kids engaged, keeps them laughing and interested in what is going on, which helps the adults enjoy the show as much as their kids do! And, even though they may be sitting in the back of the room, hearing the adults’ laughter mixed in with the kids’ giggles is priceless.

It’s genius, really. He’s not a kid’s entertainer, he’s a family entertainer. He engages the whole family and provides an exciting and fun shared experience. This is an experience that brings families together and makes them giggle, and that’s what makes him not a good performer, but an excellent performer.

Aug 27
Pool Party–End of an Era

There is a group of kids near Stow, MA who have been going to the same day care for all but 3 months of their lives. To say that they are just friends or playmates is quite the understatement.

One of the kids’ mom’s let me (and I say let me because photographing families and parties always feels more like an honor than a job!!) photograph a pool party she was hosting to serve as a sort of graduation party.

I got to the party about 10 minutes early. I parked the car and started getting out my camera bags. Within moments, Jacob, the 5 year old, came running out to see who I was. He did kind of a drive by greeting, yelling “Hi Patrick!!” then went running back in the house. When I got to the back yard, Jacob was running a circuit from the pool to his mom and dad to the window, all the time talking about who was coming and how he couldn’t wait to see them!

When they got there, the giggles and splashing and water skirmishes between ever shifting factions (with frequent cease fires for a hot dog or cake break) didn’t stop for hours!!

Photographing kids and parents just being themselves is so much fun for me. During these parties, most kids ignore me pretty quickly, and that’s when I get the chance to really capture their personality. That’s gold to me, and to their folks!

Jul 24
Carla and Jason: Waiting To Go Home

Going to and from jobs, school, and a little one in the hospital, Carla and Jason, and sometimes Phoenix, spent a lot of time riding the T. More than that, they spent a lot of time waiting.

Waiting at the station for the train to take them to another train to meet their other half. Their “other half.” I do not use that term lightly. They complete each other in the silliest and most loving way.

I wanted to show their story in my photos. I had a pretty clear idea that I wanted to show him waiting for the train, then her and Phoenix waiting for Jason’s train, then them going somewhere together.

After a short while, I got the sense that they were not just waiting for their other half to arrive; they were waiting to go home.

By home, I don’t mean a house or an apartment or a trailer, or any other physical structure. I mean home, where you feel safe from all the difficulties and troubles of the world, where you feel a sense of all encompassing love like a fuzzy blanket on a cold night, where nothing and no one can bother you. When these three were together, they were home.

This was a place they built together, and each day they improve it. It was a place built to help each other through some difficult times, a place to be themselves, and it is always with them.

Wow, I am getting all misty eyed just thinking about how that love feels, and how obvious it was with them. I’m trying to express that sense of compassion and love, but words are failing me. Take a look at the photos, I need to go get a tissue.