Category Archives: About Me

Feb 24
How I Protect Your Memories

Last night and this morning, I’ve been talking to some folks who had some unfortunate things happen to images of them and their family that a vendor had promised them.  


Just to be clear, these were not clients of mine, but it made me think about how I should let y’all know how I handle the memories I capture for you and your family.  


As soon as I get home from our photo shoot, and sometimes in the hotel room, if I am photographing your wedding weekend, I pull all my memory cards (which are all numbered to be sure I have all of them), and go about plugging them into my computer and dumping them to the hard drive.  When this is done (sometimes it takes several hours), I run my SyncToy program and backup all of those images to a separate RAID system of external hard drives (specifically a 16 TB Drobo device).  After that is done, I copy those files to another external hard drive and am currently looking into waterproof and fireproof safes to put that drive in to.  


So, before I start editing your images, they exist on my memory cards (until I need to erase them–not long), on my computer, on my Drobo (plugged in to a separate outlet in case of a surge), and on an external hard drive kept safe and not plugged in.  


I have never lost an image, but I rest easy knowing that if something does happen to my computer or my Drobo or my other external drive, your images are safe somewhere.  If all three of these things fail, then I think we’re all in danger because it means the Zombie Apocalypse has finally happened (I actually have plans set in case of this eventuality, not for your images, but for survival, so in the words of the Terminator, “Come with me if you want to live.”).


Kidding aside, know that I take my job and my responsibility to preserve your images VERY seriously.  Also, though I shudder to think about this, if something bad did happen, I explicitly state in my contract when your images are due, exactly what I promise, and what compensation you would get if the worse would happen.  Setting aside legal considerations, I strive to be the best businessman I can, and taking care of you and preserving your memories is the best way I know how to stay in business and keep growing as a person and as a businessman.


So, that’s what I have to say about that.  Who ever you hire to work with to preserve your memories, I urge you to read all of the contracts before you sign them, and ask your vendors what would happen if things went wrong, or how they protect your photos.  


If you have any questions for me or with anyone you trust with your memories, please do not hesitate to ask.  Contact me here if you’d like any more information on my backup plan. 

Jan 31
My Job is to be Your Storyteller

Recently, I went to a photography seminar in Mystic, CT that gave me not only the push I needed to be a better photographer and better business owner, but provided me with the direction I needed by having some AMAZING photographers show off the gorgeous images they create, and how they made them.  But, one of the phrases that stuck with me was said by Tony Corbell, which was “Find your voice, but use good grammar.”  


I have found myself at the beginning of a new chapter in my photographic and business life, and I am invigorated by the potential that lies before me.  


This is not to say that I am unhappy with the previous chapters.  As in most books, there have to be those beginning chapters that lay the foundation of what is to come.  They have to establish the tone of the author, and they have to be interesting to keep the reader interested.  Each image that you have seen of mine is a different word to me, showing off my skill, my awareness of how to photograph in different (sometimes difficult) situations, and collectively, it shows off my vocabulary.  


Mr. Corbell’s words have stayed with me and spurred me on.  My goal whenever I photograph you is to tell your story.  You have seen that I have the vocabulary to do it, but, to become a better author, I need to work on stringing  those words/photos together to create a story that reflects who you are as a family, as a couple.  I am the narrator of your story, and I need to use good grammar.  


I took these photos just last week of my sister-in-law who has been gracious enough to let me hone my skills and try new things with her on several occasions.  I have tried to lay these out in a way that it tells a story, each photo acting as a sentence or even a paragraph.  I am curious to see what story you infer from them.  So, look at the images, make up your own story, then compare it with the one I hoped to create, which I posted after the images. 

 Click on any image to see a larger version of all of them.

This was a fictional story of how this girl met you.  Normally, I would have the story be played out in front of the camera, and the viewer (you) would be an observer.  But, her husband was not able to join us.  I feel like he was definitely there, though, as I kept asking her to think about when they first met, what she noticed about him, and so on.  Anyway, I came up with a story of how you noticed this person in Davis Square (my neighborhood) and were taken with her beauty.  You found it necessary to sit down for a moment because you were so taken with her.  Then, you see that she notices you.  This leads to an invitation to join her on the bench and you start chatting.  Then, she has to go, but invites you to join her to walk her to her destination.  Yep, it’s a short story, but I am happy with it for now.  


Oct 31
Holiday Photography & Card Offer

With the holidays come mailboxes full of cards from family and friends sending out smiles and warm wishes from their family to ours. I’ve always been a little jealous of how organized they must have been to have gotten these done and sent out before the new year!
This year, I would like to help you be that organized, with-it friend or relative! I want to provide you with great, relaxed photos of your family, and a choice of five designs for holiday cards that you won’t find anywhere else! Check out the details here: www.iamwhatisee.com/holiday and Happy Holidays!!

Aug 19
The Coolest Engagement Shoot EVER!!

I met Ryan and Kerry in Hardwick, MA so they could take me to their favorite place to spend a weekend afternoon. The Quabbin Reservoir is most certainly that! It’s quiet, the trails are wide (so you can hold hands with your sweetheart!), and I came to find out that there is a bald eagle family there!
The shoot started out with a short hike to the beach, where Ryan and Kerry passed the time skipping rocks (they were a great couple to photograph, and so relaxed! Actual photos of them will follow soon) Then, we headed to another place they like to relax. It is up a short steep hill and it overlooks the reservoir, a perfect view!

It seems we were not the only ones to appreciate the view there. We were walking up single file with Kerry in front, then she stopped. I looked up just in time to see a juvenile bald eagle (best guess is it’s under a year old), then I brought my camera up. It was set to manual focus and manual exposure, so I was not ready to shoot this beautiful bird. What you see below are the best shots I got, and obviously, they aren’t so good…

Anyway, we were all in awe, and commenced to check out this space. There was a pile of sticks and assorted bones all around, and when we looked up, we saw the nest. Their favorite tree to lean against and watch the day go by was the same tree where the nest was! An adult bald eagle flew by to check us out then started making all kinds of noise, hoping to scare us off. We stayed put, and it perched in a tree off in the distance to wait for us to leave.

I have seen bears, rattlesnakes, moose, and all kinds of assorted wildlife, but this one takes the cake!! It is such a large creature, and just a gorgeous bird!

Okay, so there are actually no engagement photos in this “engagement photo” post, but… well, there were bald eagles!! 🙂 Photos from their engagement session will be posted soon.












Aug 11
A Play Date With Your Photographer

I want you to expect more from a photo session with me, because that is what you’ll get. Sure, I come to your house to take photos of your family, but it’s more than that. I am all about capturing the wonderful times you share with your family.





The summer before junior high, my mom begged me and my older brothers Chris and Greg to go to Olan Mills Portrait Studio and get a photo of the three of us. It was a hassle. Mom got upset because we couldn’t coordinate our schedules, and we really didn’t want to get all dressed up to do this. Well, finally Greg took Chris and I there, and we got our picture taken. One photo. Despite my mom and dad having all kinds of family photos on display in their house, this one is nowhere to be found. The problem is, that this photo isn’t us.

It’s not genuine. We were dressed up, though Greg preferred his jean jacket and Adidas, and I would have been much more comfortable in my Airwalks and skater clothes. Mom wanted a picture of us. She got it, but she didn’t get any memories of it. She wasn’t even there. I remember it, but only because it was so out of character for us.







This is not the type of experience I want people to have. I want you to just be together, while I witness the giggles and love that y’all share. Several times during our sessions, I have heard clients remark “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to spend an afternoon together!” That is one of the greatest compliments I can get (at least I take it as a compliment). I want this to be a positive memory for you, and I want the photos to remind you of that day, and those times you shared.

I’m stepping into your life rather than you stepping into my studio where you have to be on stage performing for the camera. Please, lounge on the sofa with your morning cup of coffee while I photograph your newborn exploring the world, or let’s stroll down to the park and play, above all, be yourself.





I’ve met many kids wary of the big guy with the beard, but after a few minutes with me, they see that I am fun to play with (I am just a big kid, after all, just ask my wife!). I’ve often heard from clients how good I am with their children (this is another of my favorite compliments to get). For me, it’s all about engaging them on their level, both figuratively and physically. Get them interested, get them relaxed, then they mostly ignore me, which provides for much more genuine moments between them and their family.

All I ask is that you have something planned you like to do. Do you want to organize a treasure hunt, go for a walk or take a ride to the playground or the pool? Think about what’s most fun and relaxing for your family, the every-day moments you want to look back on and remember for years to come. Just be yourself, act natural, and I’ll do the rest!

I had my wife come along on a couple recent shoots to show how I work. It’s me in action (along with the photos I took)! 🙂


All Photos ©2013 Patrick Rogers Photography