The 99th Fisherman's Feast in the North End

08.16.09 - Boston, Mass. - Native Italians celebrated the 99th Annual Fisherman's Feast in Boston's North End on Sunday night. The four day festival honors the Madonna del Soccorso who protects the fisherman of the North End and their relatives back in Sciacca, Sicily. On Sunday the fisherman carry the two thousand pound statue around the North End accepting donations from people and local businesses. As the statue returns to the Fisherman's Club, it is blessed by three girls, representing angels, who are on balconies.

A good time was had by all.

-Will

Jake Dufresne, 7 of Stoughton, and Joshua Catallo, 6 of Medford, play paper, rock and scissors at the feet of the statue of the Madonna del Soccorso outside the Fisherman's Club in the North End, the hosts of the Fisherman's Festival.
Angel Diana Marino Karamourtopoulos, 10 of Metheun, laughs as the confetti reigns down from the rooftops after the ceremony was complete.
Angel Vitoria D'Amico blesses the statue. She is suspended over the crowd from the third floor balcony by a rope and pulley system.
Angel Diana Marino Karamourtopoulos, 10 of Metheun, her mother before heading out to the balcony wear she will give her speech.

A crowd gathers to watch the statue go by on Hanover St.
Confetti hangs from the electric wires after the ceremony is over.

Catering

08.12.09 - Dorchester, Mass. - The Big Sisters of Greater Boston took a day trip to MAX Ultimate Foods in Dorchester to learn how to cater. The staff taught them how to make pizzas and decorate cupcakes. I took pictures and proceeded to get very hungry.

-Will

Chef Liz Garvey (right) shows Mindy Cruz (pink), 10 of Boston, how to spread pizza sauce on dough.
Mindy Cruz (left), 10 of Boston, laughs with her Big Sister, Jessica Crotty while they make pizzas.

From left: Executive Pastry Chef Tania Peterson helps Deja Redrick, 12 of Dorchester, spread frosting on her cupcake.

From left: Executive Pastry Chef Tania Peterson (far right) shows the girls how to spread frosting on their cupcakes.

Water Fountain Summer Days

08.16.09 - Boston, Mass. - I love this image, but I think the end of August means the end of the fascination with water fountain photos. Suffice to say, it didn't make the paper (but perhaps the portfolio?).

I went to the Rose Kennedy Greenway on my last Herald shift in search of a "hot" photo. I usually drive by the crowd of screaming children, possibly looking for a bigger challenge (I don't know why I hate myself either), and ignore it, but being the last day, I couldn't resist and came up with this gem.

I actually just missed (Will missing a photo? Impossible!) a great photo of a guy getting soaked in the fountain on accident.

C'est la vie.

Will

Ifeoma Linda Onyenwe, 7 of Lowell, plays in the Rose Kennedy Greenway fountain along Surface Rd. in downtown Boston on a day where temperatures hung in the low 90s.

Grandma defends Grandson

08.10.09 - Quincy, Mass. - I have been called the scum of the Earth several times in my life, at least in so many words, but I would say that Ms. Florence Seyfert takes the record for the oldest person to echo those sentiments. I suppose it's fair.

Her grandson, Eric Lum, was arraigned on charges of vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated at the Quincy District Court on Monday afternoon (my last Monday Herald Shift).

Needless to say, Ms. Seyfert thought her grandson was a good person, despite his bad decisions and I, along with the TV reporters, were there to record it.

Good photos.

Will

Leading the charge.

The Cape

08.10.09 - Provincetown, Mass. - Went to the Cape with mis amigos over the weekend and we stayed with Alex's parents in Eastham. We made the obligatory trip into Provincetown where I met Buddy at the Old Colony Tap, the man who lives in a floating house in Provincetown Harbor. One day, I will do a photo story on Buddy, but for now, you'll have to settle for this photo.

Cheers,

Will

Aforementioned Buddy.
I saw this from a distance and sprinted towards it. I think everyone else thought I was crazy. I think it was worth it though.
Damon and Sarah try to decide on dinner.
Eunice.

The dock at night.

Landmark School

08.05.09 - Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. - I did a shot for WETA, Washington, D.C.'s PBS, who is doing a feature on different methods of teaching in America. They needed the photos to go with their documentary and I spent the morning in a classroom of students who are behind in their reading levels. Ms. Valentine was working with the kids on spelling and phonics.

The kids were great and after lunch we got to go kayaking (well, they did, not me).

Haha,

Will

Ms. Valentine

Chef Matthew O'Neil of Blue Ox in Lynn

08.05.09 - Lynn, Mass. - I shot chef Matthew O'Neil of The Blue Ox restaurant in Lynn on Wednesday evening. He was hosting a fundraiser for a mayorial candidate, so we didn't get to shoot inside. Outside was a good spot and the rain had stopped, making for an easy shot along Oxford St.

-Will

Chef Matthew O'Neil

Patriot's Cheerleaders

08.05.09 - Boston, Mass. - I shot two nearly identical jobs in two different weeks at Faneuil Hall in downtown of different Patriot's cheerleader debuts. One was for the swimsuit calendar (lovely) and another was the Patriot's scratch and win game.

-Will

Barry Sinex of Duluth, Minn. talks with Alyssa Tosoro (left) and Britni Baron (right) while they sign their pictures for his calendar.

New England Patriots cheerleader Jen Grossi poses for a photograph with Jack Houlihan (white) and Mark Fitzgibbon (red) of Galway, Ireland as she hands out out the new Patriots Massachusetts Lottery scratchers that will give fans a chance to win season tickets for life or a $1 million.

Car Chase and Shooting in Malden

08.03.09 - Malden, Mass. - A man stole a car and was tracked down by police and shot when he tried to escape along Salem St. He died two days later.

Spot news.

Will

Police had the car fairly pinned in.

Sea Grille Restaurant at Boston Harbor Hotel

08.03.09 - Boston, Mass. - Chef Daniel Bruce puts out the food at the Sea Grille Restaurant at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

-Will

Daniel Seddiqui scouts for the Rox

08.03.09 - Brockton, Mass. - I shot Daniel Seddiqui (green shirt), who is learning how to be a baseball scout for the Brockton Rox as part of his 50 jobs in 50 states in 50 weeks. Seddiqui has held down employment over the past year, traveling between states doing work that reflects their histories. For example, he was a coal miner in West Virginia and a peanut farmer in Georgia.

-Will

The Golden Boy returns

07.31.09 - Foxboro, Mass. - Went to the second day of Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady spoke to the press for the first time about his knee, love interests and season's hopes.

Red Sox v. Oakland A's

07.27.09 - Boston, Mass. - I shot my first (and only) Red Sox game for the Boston Herald and they made quick work of the hapless Oakland A's. Interestingly, I think that's about the 12th Oakland game I've seen in my lifetime, which has to be a record for someone who has never lived or visited Oakland. The Sox won 8-3, but it was never that close after a first inning home run from Dustin Pedroia.

-Will

Above-mentioned homer.
Josh Beckett pitches.
Jacoby Ellsbury fields a ball off the Green Monster.
The A's Mark Ellis lost the handle on two, not one, bats during the game. The first went into the crowd (no injuries); the second into his dugout.