BOY IN STRAW HAT - Rovinj, Croatia (July 10, 2017) This photograph won 2nd place at a regional art show in August 2025 (the 13th Danvers Art Association show at the Peabody Institute Library). It captures a moment on a tour boat in Croatia with a big extended Polish family on a hot summer's day in 2017. The picture is of a angelic boy flanked on each side by his enormous father and uncle. The juror in the DAA art show said that it just made him smile. Half of the passengers on the boat had to be taken back to shore due to seasickness and losing their lunches, but the rest of us then had a party centered around these two giant brothers drinking beer and dancing to music. The young boy was particularly entranced by my 14-year-old daughter. "It is love" said his amused father.

SMALL - LOOKING AT TALL - Waterbury, Vermont (August 10, 2024) 1st place award for photography - Danvers Art Association Peabody Institute Library regional art show #15 - Juror feedback: "This fantastic photograph offers us a candid and spontaneous feel of the moment. It isa delightful snapshot of everyday life, capturing a connection between street performers and their young audience; a snapshot frozen in time. The photo captures a moment of engagement and curiosity, showing the simple joy and wonder that music can inspire, even in young children. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for spontaneous moments of connection. The photo is taken from a slightly higher angle, allowing viewers to see both the musicians and the child in one frame. The angle helps emphasize the child's small stature compared to the adults, highlighting the innocence and curiosity of youth. The child serves as a natural focal point to their placement in the center and their engagement with the musicians. This creates a narrative, drawing the viewer's attention to the interaction and emotional connection. The image is reminiscent of Garry Winogrand who was a prominent black-and-white street scene photographer known for his candid portrayals of American life. -- Abby Battis, 5/10/25

SCIENCE BABY -- West Newbury, MA (December 28, 2025) -- This is a young Highland Cattle calf named Kevin who lives down the road from me. Friendly and gentle, he is quietly looking down through his long lashes, and the December sun is shining beautifully on his lustrous hair. He comes across as polite, modest, low-key, unpretentious. He is also munching on a discarded Christmas tree. (Kevin is also basically a "test tube baby" -- he was born from an unrelated dairy cow mother in whom his embryo had been implanted.)

OAK CREEK CANYON CONTRAILS -- Slide Rock State Park, Arizona (January 12, 2026) -- This was the embodiment of a fleeting moment: the ephemeral contrails from three passing planes created a brief geometric grid that fit exactly around the undulating landscape of the ancient red rock in Oak Creek Canyon.

A SEAWEED HAIR DAY - Scarborough, ME (August 17, 2025) - A grandfather and grandson share a seaweed moment on a beautiful summer's day at the beach. The grandfather has been bald and proud for many decades, and his wife did not recognize him for several moments when he emerged from the waves with his seaweed hair. She then laughed until her stomach hurt.

MOMENT OF CONNECTION - Newburyport, Massachusetts (July 28, 2025) - A young man tenderly embraces a huge Great Dane named Malarkey, who he is meeting for the first time. His eyes are closed as he savors the moment of connection. A woman beams at them in the background. Malarkey is a striking gentle giant at 188 pounds.

PREPARING FOR PRIDE PARADE - Newburyport, MA (5/31/2025) - A young woman wearing a unicorn helmet and a striped rainbow outfit ties the laces of her roller skates before the start of the annual 2025 Pride Day celebration parade in Newburyport, MA.

HER STORY - Guimaraes, Portugal (June 26, 2025)

PANDEMIC HALO - Provincetown, Massachusetts (September 26, 2020) - During the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, a masked woman and a muscular dog are haloed by the setting sun on the Provincetown Causeway. The woman's wiry corona of hair evokes the rays of the sun. It looks like a beautiful evening...but there is also something unsettling about the black mask covering half her face, the heavy clouds overhead and the alert dog held on leash. Are they welcoming the viewer, or wary? Should we keep our distance?