Holyoke

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The week of March 30 I had an exhibition opening. It was a goal to launch my site on the same day as the exhibition. I was very successful in doing so by the extreme help of Jim Chevalier Jim knew I was struggling with code and getting the site live. He stepped up and produced a site for me over the course of less than 50 emails and helped me usher out my portfolio. The site is live, living and is every changing in terms of the work I am featuring. There is a link to a projects page, on that page is a link to my Holyoke Gallery Enjoy!

JeffreyB Photography.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:45:00 +0000

Take a step, take a walk, take a stroll, explore what you do not know or recognize. See how the view changes once you are in the space. What is foreign to you at first, will become familiar the more you explore it.

It has been a while....

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:02:00 +0000

That is so very true, it has been quite some time sine I have written anything for this blog. It is not that I have forgotten, been to busy, or decided not to, its just so very complicated to get blogger to function well with my MAC's. In fact, it is incredibly hard to manage a photo blog using a mac. I have used software to help write posts, but it kept failing. Each piece of software I would try, inevitably would just fail me. The other issue being that I am using blogger and not wordpress. Everyone knows that wordpress comes with ease when you sign up, but I had chose to work with blogger when I began this blog back in 2009. I was using a pc platform with windows live edit, I believe. That made posting images simple and easy. No confusion. No Fuss. Just images and posts.

Moving forward.. We are halfway through January and Holyoke is going through some major changes. For the first time in years, I mean a long time, Holyo

ke is being discussed, very frequent thanks to Alex Morse, the City Council, and the citizens that have a vested interest in creating a New Holyoke. Holyoke being a former Post Industrial City is moving forward seeing better and brighter days. As a beacon of light emanates from the Holyoke, every other city in Western Ma should be envious of the strides that Holyoke is taking. A city with much more possibilities for growth, reward, and prosperity, Holyoke outshines every other city at the moment. That is not to say that Holyoke is better than any where else, it is a statement that places value in what Holyoke has to offer. Unlike other cities, Holyoke is a diverse community with active citizens that are dedicated themselves to creating positive change and boost the city to a higher plateau. Holyoke is coming from grey-er days. Days of violence, arson, high unemployment rates, high teen pregnancy, and abandoned buildings. I have met many more optimistic people than pessimistic people, but there is still a school of thought that is lead to such beliefs, Are we going to see a better Holyoke. Well, if you can't see that the answer is yes, I would strongly recommend a second look. Perhaps a closer glance at how Holyoke is really is a diverse community comprised of people creating and generating a change. It has been happening for years now. One of the greatest things that I have heard in a while came in conversation today, "People are no longer afraid to come down here. They are no longer afraid of the down town section." And it is true. More and more people seek to view the beauty that is Holyoke. And there is a lot of beauty. Not just because I see it once and a while or because there is a few features that are pretty, but because there is so much beauty in the city, that you can see it at just about any time of the day. But of course, you have to make an effort to see it, understand it, and most importantly, appreciate it.

As a Professional Photographer I am concerned with how images represent and speak about their subject matter and content. Each composition has a story, a visual narrative that can speak and create an understanding with its viewer. I have been in the process of organizing my images as I am setting to launch a website in the next two weeks. It has been a long time coming, but the site is almost already. There of coures will be a Holyoke section listed under Social Documentary. However, I am providing a link here, Holyoke On Flickr, that has a small collection of my images. I implore you to investigate, read, study, and visualize the city in which we love so much. The city that we are a part of. The city we call home. Photography is a vehicle for communicating, sharing what we see, and creating a visual dialog. For me it is pretty simple, I am visually representing the city that I see. The city that I hope we can all see. The city we are all a part of.

Photos Copyright Jeffrey Byrnes

jeffreybphotography.com

Thank you.

Holyoke Canal Walk "Fair"

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:14:00 +0000

To be fair (no pun intended) is to say that the turn out on the Canal Walk Fair, was, well just that, "fair." You can say it very simply as, poor advertising and marketing of the event. It was great day for such an event. It was sunny, it was beautiful, it was slight unseasonably warm, yet a great day to have been able to make it out. Last year our studio was located right there on the Canal Walk and we knew about this even well in advance. Our studio is a block away now and news never made it down there. I found out late on Friday that the event was taking place. I had not seen a word of it advertised on the web. Facebook of course failed to notify me of such event. But, I must say, it was a good turn out in terms of vendors. I expect the Holyoke Sun will have a nice article about it. I snapped a few photos while I navigated around and spoke with familiar faces.

Alex Morse came out in support. He was quickly engaged into a conversation about his ideas and views.

Alex was handing out buttons that say: "I Love Holyoke" I first saw this button on his shirt when Alex was at the Crush Block Party. I was pretty happy when he handed me one.

Among the vendors were a number of artists. Each artist had their works available for purchase. One portrait artist was also set up to draw a rendition of you for a fair price. Everywhere you turned there was a little bit of creativity being marketed and sold. One such vendor, Elton Braithwaite was sculpting and carving into wood. Standing in the sun, Elton carved away with his tools as people stopped and admired his skill and craft as he turned, tapped, hammered, and brushed away the wood chips leaving behind an image imbedded into the wood.

Pausing for a moment, Elton looks at his piece with admiration.

I get all the frames for my studio and our clients done from a local framer in town. Debbie, the owner of The Muse Custom Framing and Gallery was a vendor for the Canal Fair. If you are not familiar with The Muse, I urge you to take a visit. She does more than just frame your works, photos, art, she has an entire line of custom matts, gifts, and Holyoke memorabilia. She is located at 220 S Water St, just under the 391 Underpass, off of Main St.

I firmly believe that something beautiful can be amplified by where you place it. This car stuck out and was the subject of a few quick conversations. I took liberty in making my way over and making a few portraits of this fine automobile. Including one little panorama.

All in all, it was great day in Holyoke. To end a beautiful day, I joined friends for a little football and food.

Holyoke Townie Stickers

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:28:00 +0000

Have you ever seen those clever little stickers that say Townie Holyoke, MA, and thought, "I want one of those?" Well you can get one by clicking this image on the right hand side of the site.

Wednesday Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:01:00 +0000

Wednesday evening after finishing up our last senior portrait session in the studio I left with my business partner to go run an errand. The setting sun perfectly and poeticaly lit the evening up. The moving dust and dirt from the construction on the high performance computer center created a beautiful display as it passed through the light. It caught my attention as we were passing. The haze from the heat on Wednesday left us with an incredible sunset, one of few we have left as summer is folding up.

Here are a few photos.

Holyoke Dam: Night After Irene

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:00 +0000

I made some photos just after the rain let up on Sunday. I also made a few the following evening at the Robert E. Barrett Fishway in Holyoke. I produce a video, which you can also see on Lenshare, from both sides of the dam. To view both the photos and the videos, visit: http://www.lenshare.com/2011/08/hurricane-irene_31.html

Here are a few I made on Monday night. The cloud you see just above the river was forming due to the temperature and the moisture. It was rather interesting to watch the cloud form and move higher up.

Road Work

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Whether your passing through quickly, have a destination down the street, or you need to make your way through the city for some other form of business, Holyoke has its share of constriction and repairs being made. Most of the road work is not very troublesome, but necessary. At the corner of Race and Dwight, ( the intersection where my business resides ) was being worked on yesterday. The section of Dwight to Main was closed due to the construction. The repair was mandatory and very much needed, as when it rains, the streets and drains back up. In the winter this creates lots of ice. When it rains, this create puddles of marginal size, making parking a wet journey. Here is a quick image made as a response to the construction as I was passing through Holyoke yesterday, going from one shoot to another.

Nice Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:09:00 +0000

It is a beautiful, warm, summer day. Get up. Go for a walk. Take a gender at the beauty of the summer before it is gone.

That Dam Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:09:00 +0000

After a great shoot in the studio, my business partner and I headed out to check on a location for a wedding this coming weekend. Hungry and already on Northampton St, (rt 5) for the non-townies, we decided sandwiches from The Dam Cafe was in order. I have made numerous references to the Dam through this site, have put up a few photos here or there, some every where. But, lunch was great! I have a few more photos to include from today. Nothing special, just a few shots in passing really.

Stepping out side of the city for a little while on business, I know, I know, "why leave Holyoke?" Well, some times we have to, we took a drive to Montgomery to view a location we have never had a wedding at yet. A quaint little church nestled half way between 01040 and the Birkshires, it will be alive Saturday afternoon with the soft spoken buzz of new love, "I DO!'s, and tears of love and joy. We look forward to every wedding, but when we get to meet the couple for the first time, (out of state residents who booked with us), it will be a truly special day to capture their love and their moments.

Tuesday Showers...

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:55:00 +0000

I first noticed the sky change from a that familiar blue we know and love to see on a summer day, to the threatening grey, dark with contrast and rich with electricity, while sitting in the Dam Cafe. Moments before the light rain drops turned to a flash flooding down pour of rain and hail, I made my way back to the car with a friend. The rain beat down so hard it was almost impossible to drive. Combined with these treacherous driving conditions, the streets quickly filled up with rivers and pools of water and ice. Within minutes the rain was washing away the beauty of the summer day and bringing with it a wake of destruction that left homes destroyed, cars inoperable and stuck in flooded out intersections, trees on roofs, and a building that looks like a massive ball bounced its way through, tearing the roof and walls apart. It is a day similar to June 1st, but will less damage. The fears of that day were re-instilled in many as they came out into their communities to witness and take a close look at what had happened. Holyoke, like Chicopee had a real sense of communal bonding as the members of each neighborhood came out to assist one another. "We as a community are helping each other," one man said to to me as I was passing by. "You should get a picture of that," he continued to say. I nodded my head and expressed that I had done so already while he was busy directing cars away from the flooded out underpass. In Chicopee, near my parents house, it was a similar story. Random people passing by, or out with intentions of helping and assisting those afflicted with damage, stopped with their equipment, chain saws and rakes and took liberty in helping people they did not know. If it is one positive thing that we can take from June 1st, it is the re-newed sense of neighbor and community. People unselfishly came to the assistance of people they did not know, asking for nothing more than a chance to help. Occasionally a news crew would pass, take notice of the damage and in their unbiased and less sympathetic view, narrated the story of what happened. More adventurous individuals toted their camera to grab the picture of the fallen tree. Not with intentions of telling the reality of the situation, but more so as a record of what happened. Some people, with no inhibitions, carefully exposed the vulnerability of the home owner by making a photograph of the front of their homes. Walking through my parents neighborhood, groups of people passed by with their cameras, pacing themselves stopping to view which house was worse, and occasionally wandering into backyards to see some of the more private damages that occurred. The power of the camera to record these moments is handed off as the image is uploaded to the computer from the card, shared with friends, family, and even neighbors. It was a sad sight to see the landscape having changed so quickly. It will take some time to rebuild, but brighter days will shine, as less trees are in place to block the sun.

Wednesday Evening Walk Through

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:19:00 +0000

Wednesday night was beautiful out. After doing a little bit of work in the studio, I took a stroll with my business partner through downtown capturing the setting light. We happened upon the site of the former Mastex building. During some of the demolition a portion of the building came down onto the sidewalk that was on the same side of the street as the building. As the heat broke, so did a section of the building, causing an issue that needed to be cleaned up. In a conversation with a police officer, he gave us a quick synopsis of what happened. The unit was stationed outside of the site to ensure no one would enter the site. As I stood next to the bright, almost glowing caution tape, I could hear the uneasy sounds of the building. It was a sad moan. The remaining fragments of the building stood sad, creaking, and moaning in discontent from having partially collapsed onto the sidewalk. The aroma of mill and post industrial manufacturing filled the immediate area. For me, that stench is familiar, as an explorer of a city rebuilding itself after its economical and industrial fallout, I have stood in many buildings that have similar sights, sounds, and displeasing smells. In a very short time, the landscape will, again, be permanently altered, as the new construction will soon rise in its place.

The cool air that filled the city created some wonderful colors that helped illuminate the soft clouds. The light passing through the clouds was as much a subject matter as the elements of the city that were half lit by the setting sun. With the sun coming to a quick setting, our time seeing the city through the lens was also coming to an end. Dinner plans were in the works and we had standing reservations to get to. It was another beautiful evening in the city that turned to a great night.

Holyoke City Hall Tower

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:13:00 +0000

It was very late in the afternoon on a warm Monday when I headed over to city hall. I parked my car next to the parking garage and threw some change in the meter. I slid the side door open to my van to access my camera and my equipment. I turned and made my way to the door crossing the street and the parking deck. After a conversation, an elevator ride and a few flights of stairs, I stood at the base of the tower. The wooden stairs, worn with foot steps, stood as a testament to the highest man-made point in the city. The worn wooden stairs are not a heavily trafficked path, but rather a path made by foot steps of people that came before us. History has climbed the stairs one creak, board, and step at a time. Names and dates carved into the wooden railings, beams, and occasionally a step marked the sign of who has been there and when. Inscribed in the wood not as a form of antique graffiti, but as a means to show for one having been there, almost like a clue or a trace back to their existence. I began documenting what I was able to witness in the area where the bell lays. One of the fascinating and exciting finds was the discovery that the bell was made just for Holyoke City Hall. Stamped with the date 1876, I stood facing a piece of monumental history. The shutter echoed around the room as I fired away. Shooting downward views from the mesh covered openings. Periodically I would make a snapshot with my cell phone, as a means to upload quickly or send to someone to verify where I was at the time. Less than a handful of people knew I was exploring the upper most portion of the city. Only during the time I was up there did one image get sent out to someone.

Taking the time to walk up every step and admire the beauty and craftsmanship of this monument was breathtaking. The amount of time, effort, and work needed to produce this building was both impressive and inspiring. I said aloud to the friend that escorted me in, "Imaging standing on the outside of this and being the one building it?" It was a scary thought to contemplate, but nevertheless, a thought that some people didn't even consider when standing on the outside of this massive building. Not to be compared to other buildings in terms of height, but still a tall structure nevertheless. It can be seen from a far and admired for its grand appearance in the way it peaks above the rest of the city. I spent nearly an hour and a half exploring the spaces I was maneuvering through. By the end the heat had soaked my shirt with sweat and I had filled an entire memory card up. I stood in such fascinating locations as directly behind the clock faces. I was watching time, from where I was standing go in the opposite direction. One of the clock faces is not working. Disconnected for a reason unknown to me. I made a photograph of time frozen. Pressing the shutter and freezing the stopped clock face through my lens was a metaphor that left me with a more surreal feeling than the first few steps I took up the tower. It wasnt long before I stood at the upper most, very highest peak of the building. I was able to look out over almost the entire city. I saw views that took my breath away. I stood for a moment. Just stood there to reflect on where I was and the steps I just climbed. It was a secluded spot that yield such breath taking views. It was a great place to stand and think for a few minutes. Everyone always has someone on their mind, that one person they would like to share something like that with. I made that my final thought while grabbing my camera to make some images of where I stood. In the course of an hour and a half, I had made it to the top of the City Hall Tower with my camera. I left behind my foot prints and took back with me sights that not many people get to see. Below is the link in which you can view the gallery of images from my time in the tower.

Holyoke City Hall Tower Photos

In passing...

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 06:39:00 +0000

In recent weeks I have been extremely busy working and shooting weddings, setting up for senior portraits that we are currently booking for, visit http://WWW.true-resolution.com for more details, and working to capture little league baseball and softball. Some days I do not have time to produce some images and run joyfully back to the studio to edit them. Instead, I use my Droid to capture images while on the run. My phone is an extension of my business, as a tool used it producing quick images, social networking as well as business networking, emailing, and being able to edit and manipulate photos that I capture when my pro gear is tucked away or just not conducive to the moment of being on the fly. It also works great when I am trecking around some trials, taking a break while running, or in passing while on the trail with my bike. Or like this evening when I was on my way out of the city, fo head out to Boston to work on a project.

Here is a small sample of images I've produce while in between working and production.

Photos Available at The Dam Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:02:00 +0000

I currently have several photos hanging at The Dam Cafe. I am offering 10% off plus 60% of the sale of each print will go to benefit the victims and those affected by the tornadoes last week.

If you have any questions, please contact me at jeffreybphotography@gmail.com

Gallery of images from Springfield and other areas: Western Mass Tornado Aftermath

Ashley Reservoir

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:58:00 +0000

It was a nice night for a run around Ashley.

Farmers Market at Open Square

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Open Square will be hosting a Farmers Market every Saturday from 9-1 pm. You can view more information by visiting, http://opensquare.com/current-events.php?evpid=23

HH Richardson Train Station

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:47:00 +0000

What currently sits as an urban gallery displaying a large sampling of Krylon colors, spray-painted pieces of art, the HH Richardson Train Station is awaiting its next phase of life. The train station is going to be part of a larger project involving bringing an active line to Western Ma, naming Holyoke as a stop. This is great new for the city, especially the immediate area. The new station, plus the second phase of the Canal Walk within walking distance, will surely generate some traffic to the beautiful down town area.

For those who are un-aware of or are not familiar with who HH Richardson was or his vast impact on Architecture, you can get a better sense by reading this:

HH Richardson Wiki

Below are a few of my photos from the trip in. There was a lot of people who attended the trip in. I couldn't make a nice image of the full exterior at the time because of the vast amount of people.

Looking out the window.

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:34:00 +0000

On Friday our studio doors opened up to be a part of the opening for Paperworks at 80 Race Street, hosted by paper city studios. In working with the theme of works on paper, we hung large photographs made from the windows of our space. They will be up for a few more days, you can view them from Main street, just before the turn onto Dwight St.

Holyoke in April

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 06:47:00 +0000

As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," this weekend was a prime example of the consistent shift in the weather. Holyoke may not be directly in the middle of New England, but she does see dramatic shifts in the weather like every other city. Today, while I was strolling the beach in South Boston, there was sun and 70 degree temperatures. On the phone with our studio intern, who was enjoying a day in Holyoke, she reported the light drizzle that was falling. Not a surprise, not something to second guess, or even really think about. With a quick wit and an expression of how I much rather prefer the conditions I was in the conversation shifted back to the original intention for the call, but that is neither here nor there. Over the course of the weekend, Holyoke got its fair share of dramatic weather conditions, each providing a different dynamic in terms of images and conveyed beauty. Below you can get a grasp of just how diverse each day was in terms of the weather and the New Englandness that blew over Holyoke. Hopefully we will not have a rainy summer. I have not confirmed with my grand mother yet, as that old bird can tell you the weather better than, cough, cough, Laughis, err, I mean Lapis.

Meet Will Ferral, the feral cat. Don't you just want to invite him in?

This next photograph is partially iconic as it has a representative quality that goes back to an urban legend.

The "legend" states that during a repair to the dam, a second diver made the attempt to repair the hole. Successfully he did so, never to be recovered from the waters. The diver went down with no safety rope, like the first diver. The first diver's body was recovered via rope. The legend states the hole is closed because of the body of the second diver, (name alludes me and google at the moment), as he was never recovered and because the hole was fixed after he went down. What you believe, is of course, all up to you.

Saturday night there was quite a bit of fog. It rolled in and took stock over the city, leaving a tranquility about the city that other wise wouldn't have existed.

Before Saturday night.

Copy Right Jeffrey Byrnes Holyokeinphotos.com RightclickisacrimeNOTACOMPLIMENT

Holyoke: Blanketed in Fog

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:10:00 +0000

Getting back into the city on the later side, I was greeted with a blanket of fog passing by on the streets. It was on the warmer side, not to chilly, the perfect night to capture the fog. With the silence in some sections of the city, it had an other worldly quality about it. The fog added a mysterious peace and beauty to an otherwise seemingly ordinary Saturday night. I stopped at the studio and grabbed my camera and made my way out to a few specific locations I had seen on the way in to grab my camera.

Copy Right Jeffrey Byrnes Holyokeinphotos.com Rightclickisacrime!

Vote Vega: Move Holyoke Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:06:00 +0000

This campaign season City Councilor Aaron Vega has a well produced clip that can be seen here. Take a look, and see how passionate he is in moving the city forward.

Vega For Holyoke

Holyoke Fire Department Quickly Extinguish Blaze

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:32:00 +0000

I reached for the magazine sitting far back on the shelf of the magazine rack in Barns and Nobel as my phone chimed in. A burst of three text messages interrupted my train of thought as I went to turn the pages. It must have been important if I received three in a row, I thought to myself. I checked. "Fire on Laurel ST", is what I read. "Oh crap!" I uttered aloud. My business parter turned questioning what the exclamation was pertaining to. "Theres a fire, lets go." Moments later we were on our way to the scene. A second text came through. "It must be major, they called for additional equipment." My heart sunk. As we made our way closer to the scene, we couldnt see any smoke. Puzzled, we found an officer blocking a section of the road next to South ST. Parking, in the dry cleaner's parking lot, we headed down the road. A group of fire fighters were taking a small break from fighting the blaze just on the corner before the building. Still seeing no smoke, we assumed something much worse was taking place. At that point we still had no idea what had occurred. We saw not flames, but instead a scene of high emotions. The fire department had successfully contained the blaze and suppressed the flames. We do not know the severity of the damage to the building at this time. The individuals and fire fighter that were taken to the hospital are in our thoughts and prayers. A special thank you goes out to the Holyoke Fire Department and anyone who responded to todays scene.

Unique Views

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Often times projects I am working on show me sights and views noone has seen before or have not seen in a very long time.

Slowly but surely it is getting warmer out and the city is transforming from the misery of winter to the beauty of spring and summer, which has me working on some exciting projects.

Holyoke's Social Network and the Citie's Image

noreply@blogger.com (Jeffrey Byrnes) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:59:00 +0000

Yes that is correct. Holyoke in fact does have it's own social network. How many other cities have their own social network that has lead to amazing social changes and social practices? Like I said the day of the St. Patricks Day parade, small towns/cities know how to do it. C.R.U.S.H is an amazing group of people who have come together with one cause, one care, one concern, one common "crush on the city." You may not be from the city, currently living in the city, but that doesn't mean you do not have a crush on Holyoke. Check it, become a member, contribute.

I put a note up on Facebook the other day pertaining to the sever stigma that the city is faced with.

"A few weeks back I had an interaction with a woman who refused to go to Holyoke, causing me to lose a client. It is unfortunate for her, as the service I would have provided is nearly impossible to find else where. Her response to where we are located, "the people with the guns will steal my brand new car." A comment that will not be forgetten anytime soon. I gave a short response and allowed her to make her comments and bid her a good afternoon. Moving forward a few weeks, on Friday after returning from Vermont, I took a few hours to meander around the city, make some photographs, and enjoy one of the first nicestes days of the season. With most of the snow gone, people are outside, walking around, coming out and enjoying the city. While I was walking up Cabot, a man saw my camera and struck a pose jokingly, when I advanced my camera forward to capture it, he again struck the pose. Stopping to talk with him, the people he was with, we engaged in a dialog about what I was doing. Excited he had just been photographed, he politely said have a great afternoon, to which I responded with the same and made my way about the city. I challenge most people when they say Holyoke is rough, Holyoke is tough, Holyoke is scary, Holyoke sucks. Well where is the stigama that most people associate with Holyoke? Not easily found, as I have never been held up for my car. Every city has its issues, sections that are tough, hard, low-economy, but when you know your subject matter, allow yourself to be non-threatening, and can connect with people, they will connect with you. It doesn't matter where in the world you live any more, violence occurs, seen or unseen, documented or undocumented, reported, or not reported, it happens in the public sphere as well as behind closed doors. It is only when people witness first hand do they pass judgement. Go to Holyoke, watch the people, they are not much similar than you or I, excpet their ethnicity, culture, etc.
A few weeks back I had an interaction with a woman who refused to go to Holyoke, causing me to lose a client. It is unfortunate for her, as the service I would have provided is nearly impossible to find else where. Her response to where we are located, "the people with the guns will steal my brand new car." A comment that will not be forgetten anytime soon. I gave a short response and allowed her to make her comments and bid her a good afternoon. Moving forward a few weeks, on Friday after returning from Vermont, I took a few hours to meander around the city, make some photographs, and enjoy one of the first nicestes days of the season. With most of the snow gone, people are outside, walking around, coming out and enjoying the city. While I was walking up Cabot, a man saw my camera and struck a pose jokingly, when I advanced my camera forward to capture it, he again struck the pose. Stopping to talk with him, the people he was with, we engaged in a dialog about what I was doing. Excited he had just been photographed, he politely said have a great afternoon, to which I responded with the same and made my way about the city.

I challenge most people when they say Holyoke is rough, Holyoke is tough, Holyoke is scary, Holyoke sucks. Well where is the stigama that most people associate with Holyoke? Not easily found, as I have never been held up for my car. Every city has its issues, sections that are tough, hard, low-economy, but when you know your subject matter, allow yourself to be non-threatening, and can connect with people, they will connect with you. It doesn't matter where in the world you live any more, violence occurs, seen or unseen, documented or undocumented, reported, or not reported, it happens in the public sphere as well as behind closed doors. It is only when people witness first hand do they pass judgement. Go to Holyoke, watch the people, they are not much similar than you or I, excpet their ethnicity, culture, etc."

It was also said well by our intern the other day, "Holyoke is what you make it." Make it greater than you expected.