Snapshots by Susan

05/31/2026

Springtime youth sports are in high gear and I had the opportunity to photograph both of my grandchildren playing baseball and softball, respectively. Kids' sports are a good way to practice your fast shutter speed sports photography because the action is usually a bit slower than high school, college and professional sports. A high shutter speed is helpful to freeze the action and a slow shutter speed can be used in more creative images or to show motion.

In this image, I was photographing one of the "in between moments" of my granddaughter's softball game. These are fun to compose and can help you tell a story when combined with a number of other images. I was not allowed on the field and I was politely asked not to stand next to the dugout so my options were limited. Luckily I was using my Leica V-Lux 5, which has a zoom of 400 mm so I could still reach the action.

Composing a shot of players in the outfield can be pretty boring so I decided to get close to a bright red tube that was covering the top of the fence that surrounded the field. I focused on the player in the foreground, throwing the red tube out of focus and hopefully adding some interest to the composition. It helps that the players' uniforms are also red.

Three of anything in an image is a magic number and I think it works in this case. I like the person in the foreground who appears to have her attention drawn to her teammates and the then the other two are engaging in conversation. I this case, there's no need for a fast shutter speed since the subjects are more or less standing still. (My shutter speed was high because I never changed it while taking action shots)

Leica V-Lux 5, hand held no flash
ISO 200
f/4.5
ss 1/1000th of a second

05/30/2026

From my book signing for my new release, Boston Veterans Appreciation, at the Hingham Historical Society, hosted by executive director Deirdre Anderson and Co-hosted by Jack Doherty, CEO of College Hype. We’re off to the races with the first 1,500 copies sold!

05/28/2026

It was before sunrise on Mother's Day that I met my fellow camera club members in Boston's Public Garden to spend some time taking photographs and enjoying some peacefulness. The wide variety of colorful tulips were at peak bloom, offering endless opportunities for different compositions.

In this case, I wanted to photograph the swan boats on the lagoon. I used a shallow depth of field (f/4.0) to throw the foreground out of focus. I framed the subject of my image (the swan boats) between the flowers and the trees in the background. The viewer's eye will go to the brightest part of the image so I kept this in mind when editing, increasing the brightness on the swans.

I like this image but I think it could be improved by moving to the other side of the lagoon so that I was facing the swans.

Leica V luxe 5 hand held no flash
ISO 1600
f/4
ss 1/125th of a second

05/24/2026

05/21/2026

The Hingham Historical Society's latest event celebrating America's 250th anniversary, Red, White and Bubbly, was festive and fun! The event was held in the historic Old Derby Academy building, now the hoe of the society's heritage museum and visitor's center.

I really enjoy photographing events like this. It gives me a chance to be creative and tell the story of the evening. After the sit down dinner, the Hingham Singers popped in as a surprise guest. They entertained the group with lively historic songs. I chose this low angle to make the singers look more dramatic. I included the "Founded 1764" lettering to give the image context and I noticed someone wearing the red, white and blue, flag scarf so I included that in the image as a pop of color and to add to the patriotic feel.

To check out additional events that will be sponsored by the society, go to www.hinghamhistorical.org

Canon R5 24-70mm lens hand held with flash
ISO 8000
f/7.1
ss 1/60th of a second

05/17/2026

I have been taking photos at the DOVE, Inc.spring fundraiser for over a decade. Dove's mission is to end domestic and partner violence, and they can use all the support they can get.

The event includes a dinner, silent and live auction and speeches made by some of the Dove staff but the most stirring part of the evening for me is a speech made by a survivor of domestic violence. It's hard to imagine someone staying with an abuser over a period of time but fear and shame play a big part in the decision to stay. Dove provides the support that can ultimately lead to a way out of an abusive relationship and a happy and productive life away from the abuser.

After the speeches, it's time to dance! I love to try to capture the fun and joy in this part of the evening. The low light and fast movement make it challenging but increasing my ISO and getting close to the action leads to success. I like this image, showing the dancers sharp in the foreground and fading into the background with all of the hands up. Can you guess the song that was playing? I'll give you a hint: it's fun to stay there :)

Congratulations to everyone at DOVE, Inc. and please check out the link below to make a donation and/or get involved with this very worthy cause.

Canon R5 24-70mm lens hand held with flash
ISO 3200
f/3.5
ss 1/60th of a second

www.dovema.org

05/14/2026

If you live in Hingham, you should have received the May edition of Greet Hingham, featuring the O'Shea family. I haven't had a tip lately about photographing young children, especially if you are meeting for the first time at the time of the shoot.

It's always better if you know the children and have a personal relationship but often times this is not the case. If you have time to meet with the family at least once but maybe a few times before the shoot, it's helpful. Establishing a rapport, especially with young children, can help them to feel more at ease on the day of the shoot.

In this case, I arrived and one young child had just woken up from a nap and dad was holding down the fort until mom came back from a quick errand. One look at me, bursting in with all my gear, sent him bursting into tears. It was a rough start.

But I didn't panic, I backed off a little and quietly set up my gear. I spoke softly and asked big brother if he wanted to show me any of his toys. Eventually, I fell back on my go-to problem-solver, dum dums. That's right, the tiny lollipops. Turns out all kids love them.

Once mom came back and we got into the shoot, everything was fine! This group is so photogenic, I really just had to pose them and provide a relaxed space. I hope you enjoy seeing the rest of the images and reading about their home design journey.

Canon R5 with flash hand held, 24-70mm lens
ISO 3200
f/9
ss 1/160th of a second

05/10/2026

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever

Happy Mother's Day!

05/07/2026

Today's tip is a quick reminder that photography should be FUN!! As a pro, sometimes I get bogged down in the details of my business, editing galleries for clients and keeping my calendar straight and that's why it's especially important for me to remind myself why I'm doing this. I love photography!

The smart phone is the camera you always have with you and this can be useful for bringing the fun back into photography. This was just a fun moment that I wanted to capture when my son Jake was finishing up his PhD in history at Indiana University. Here he struck a professorial pose, next to a statue of Ernie Pyle, an American war correspondent, best known for his stories about soldiers during World War II

Looking back on this, it seems to be a pivotal moment, because just six years later, Jake would be publishing his own book about the war in Afghanistan. "America's Favorite Warlord: The Life and Death of General Raziq of Kandahar" explores his relationship with the U.S. military and his role in Afghan governance.

So go ahead, storage space is cheap, and if you have your phone with you and something strikes your fancy, take the shot! You never know what images may turn out to be important to you in the future.

Jakes book is available at Pen & Sword Books and is coming to Amazon June 30 but you can pre order now.

Cell phone photo from 2020

05/03/2026

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing The Art of Inclusion at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, hosted by South Shore Support Services, Inc. This gala evening is a celebration of talent, heart and inclusion. After all these years of photographing these individuals who receive services, we have built up a trust that allows me to photograph them and hopefully show the pride that they feel, having their art work displayed and sold!

Making images like these is not about camera gear or settings. It's about forming a relationship with your subject and that just takes time and a desire to do so. I can totally relate to these artists; to the pride they feel having their work displayed and to the joy of selling that work, knowing that it will be enjoyed by many others once it's displayed by the owner.

Many congratulations to all of the artists, the event organizers, the sponsors and everyone who showed up in a big way to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of these talented artists.

Canon R5 with 24-70mm lens hand held with flash
ISO 1600
f/7.1
ss 1/60th of a second