The Huntington Cinema Arts Centre, and really the entire film community, recently lost a great asset : co-founder Vic Skolnick. Vic was one of the gentlest souls I've ever met, and in all honesty I've never seen him without a smile on his face...and usually a warm, welcoming smile at that. He introduced March of the Penguins to me, and the rest of the theatre audience, years ago when I'd just moved back from Chicago. I remember that even then I was impressed by his presence, his enthusiasm; something most of us would need to muster to introduce a film about penguins, but I'm sure flowed right from Vic as second nature - talking about and rousing respect for filmmaking, which was his life and passion.

He had a bit of a habit of ducking portraits, I'd heard, but every time I've had him on set he'd always be great, as illustrated with this photograph. I was saddened to hear the news of his quiet passing in Centerport last month, which was accompanied by a request for a nice photograph of him for the obituary and dedication. You can spend an entire career making photographs that you hope bring smiles, memories, and meet functional requirements...but it's rare that you find you've made one of such somber purpose that it's ended up being, in its way, important. I chose this one because it was the face that always met me in the Cinema, and radiated the qualities I'll always remember him by. We'll miss you, Vic.

Here's a photograph of a lovely and remarkably happy couple, on the occaision of their engagement. With their obvious collaboration, Kate and I used careful lighting to accent a perfectly enchanting evening on Lloyd Neck, where a century's-old setting offered us so many photogenic opportunities that I had a lot of trouble choosing which image to use for this blog entry. The leading lines of the steps and the European buildings made the entire area a thrill to shoot in, and at the time of this writing the couple is still a bit baffled as to what images even their favorites are. Now that's a good shoot! Their wedding is coming up in short order, and I'm genuinely thrilled to be a part of that day, too. So, more to come! Congrats you two!

You can't invent the smiles and jubilation at a Commencement ceremony, which was the case I found at the New York Institute of Technology's event in this year. The weather was warm, but not too warm - the sky was just a little overcast, for amazing, soft light on the students. It was a long morning - I started at 6:30am to attend their staff orientation on the day's menu, then it was off to the grounds to cover the tents; the students, their families, and specifically their interactions were all fair game for the lenses that day. When I finally returned home I couldn't feel my feet, and my knees were making funny popping noises - but wow did we make some great images. Events are often like that, if you let yourself feel the vibe and keep the camera to your face, ready to depress the shutter. It just happens, the crowd becomes an active part of the creative process without their even knowing it.

Such was the case at Belmont Raceway, when I covered a "thank you" day as catered by the founder of Firstborn Multimedia. Work hard, play hard - when these guys are rewarded for their efforts and dedication, it's yet another event for me to enjoy as the sideline spectator. I always feel like I'm a part of the fun, there to record the jovial moments dutifully as they unfold. As the group isn't quite the size of a graduating class of college students, they always do me the huge favor of forgetting I'm there very quickly, and even pull me in on the laughs more than a few times throughout the event. This time, dressed appropriately for a day at the races, the heat didn't daunt the mood a single bit as they bet not just for money, but for prizes offered by their boss Michael Ferdman, who sure seems to know how to keep morale high in his company.

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