Goodbye Winnie the Pooch

     Yesterday was perhaps the hardest day I have ever experienced.  My family lost our first "child", Winnie the Pooch.  Whether you feel animals are family members or not is up to you.  As for me, the loss is heartbreaking.
     One thing my wife and I did shortly after Winnie died is to look at her scrapbook.  My wife is very diligent with the organization of our life in photos, for which I am thankful.  I don't believe there's any way to remember the past 15 1/2 years of one's life quite like seeing photos of your family with a beloved pet, starting from the day you bring her home, to the time they meet your first human child, to the trusting look on their faces as they age, knowing you will take care of them even when they no longer have that puppy like spunk.
     As a photographer I feel the need to urge readers to look at their own photography habits and the way they store and organize their photos.  I am a big fan of all things photographic and camera related.  I am fully digital and recently started playing around with the camera on our tablet.  I love sharing photos on Facebook and looking at our family photo albums.  I don't necessarily recommend forcing your own personal family albums on those who may seem interested and throw in the occasional "Oh, isn't that nice?".
     However, with digital it's very easy to take a photo, have it sent directly to the folder on the device that you currently are shooting with or uploaded to a social networking site and relying on your memory and the life span of an electronic gadget to preserve the history of your life.
     My point is that I am a firm believer in the hard copy preservation of your memories.  Not only for your benefit, but also for those in future generations who may have an interest in their family's history.  Please, either get a system down that makes it easy for you to print your photos at home, or use a good local lab like www.capecodphotoandart.com or www.orleanscamera.com .  Or if those labs aren't close, try www.mpix.com .  Whatever you do, don't trust the wonders of digital photography to a cloud of unorganized memories that may be lost forever when you upgrade your computer.
     I will forever cherish the print of the pixels below as well as the memories they evoke!

In loving memory of Winnie the Pooch.

August 9th, 1997 ~ December 26th, 2012.

CHA Magazine

CHA Magazine did an article in their current issue about My Generation Energy (http://www.mygenerationenergy.com/). It showcases Cape Cod's "Unbelievably Professional" solar guru Luke Hinkle and lets you inside the lives of some of his extremely satisfied solar clients.

Grab a copy of CHA next time you're out and get the full scoop.

Cool photos too. Some guy named ZelinskY . Never heard of him...

Something Old, Something New

Steven Wright said "When I think of the past, it brings up so many memories."

Think about that one for a second.

From time to time I like to look through older photos I have taken. I'm always learning new techniques, whether it's in camera or in Photoshop. Sometimes a new technique strikes a chord with an old photo and new art is born. Several years ago my neighbor wanted to take his new camera on a Cape Cod safari. This was the location we started at. When we got there I was a little uninspired by the light and lack of color. Cape Cod can be a bit dreary in the winter. But we made a few compositions anyway. I have an underlying motto when I go somewhere with my camera: "Don't come back without SOMETHING!" In other words, there's always something of interest almost anywhere you go. Sometimes you just have to look for it, whether you just change your perspective, get a little or a LOT closer to something in the scene, or use a different lens to frame something interesting, there's usually something artistic to be found. So almost 5 years to the day I combined an interesting composition with a newer photographic treatment to create "Crackled Pier". Enjoy!

When I Grow Up...

Announcing a new line of children's portraits from Mark Zelinski Photography. "When I Grow Up..." This line celebrates the love and admiration children have for their parents, many times going unspoken, but there still. Parents, bring your children into the studio and have them photographed in your uniform, your everyday clothing, performing a favorite hobby of yours, or whatever you think says, "When I grow up, I want to be just like Mom or Dad".

I Love Working With Pros!

One of the perks of photographing weddings is that you get to eat at some of Cape Cod's greatest restuarants and resorts. But it's kinda hit or miss. Sometimes you get what the wedding guests eat and other times you get a sandwich from the kitchen. I'm not complaining, I appreciate being fed on the job. Which brings me to the subject of this post.

Cape Cod Chef on Call.

I met the owners Judy and Kevin early on in November. Judy was planning a wedding at Hedgebound Estates in Truro for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. She recommended me to the bride and groom and I ended up photographing this intimate occasion. It was on a private estate with just over 20 family members. I'll post some of the wedding photos later. For now, back to Chef on Call. Prior to the wedding Judy asked me to photograph Chef's Kevin and Michael preparing and serving a small private dinner party. She wanted professional images for promotional pieces. The chefs put out the Carrot Ginger soup and I photographed it and proceeded to move it aside. Chef Michael said "Well, eat it." And so it went for the rest of the night. An extrordinarily tasty salad, stuffed pork tenderloin, etc. The wedding fare was 5 star as well. It amazes me how this crew can produce this kind of food on location. I highly recommend them for anything from a personal chef service for 2 or a large function of up to 200. I wasn't disappointed and you won't be either. Thanks Judy and Kevin!

http://www.capecodchefoncall.com/

The Cape Cup Art Show

Just got back from hanging up some new work at the Cape Cup in Orleans. Check it out. And while you're there why not hang out for a while for a bite to eat. They have a great breakfast and lunch menu. Great coffee, tea, and if I'm not mistaken beer and wine too! And another perk is that they have a gluten free case with tasty muffins, chocolate chip cookies, biscotti and brownies.
Once again I would like to thank Bill and Elise for making their walls available to local artists and staying open evenings every third Wednesday of the month for "Feed Your Love" open mic night.

www.capecup.com

www.feedyourloveopenmic.com

Two more of Ryan

Blogger wouldn't let me upload all the photos I wanted so here are two more from Ryan's performance last night. And just for the record there were a BUNCH more people out of the left side of the frame.

Open Mic Night

Last night was the first Wednesday night I've had free in a long time, so I met my buddy Ryan at Cape Cup for "Feed Your Love Open Mic Night" put on by my friend Don Boivin. When I showed up, Ryan had several guitars around him, with one particularly close by. I asked him if he was playing, and he gave me a wrinkled grin. So I waited... through about ten other performers. Ryan's turn finally came up, and he pulled it off! He's got a lot more guts than I have. Even if I wasn't rusty I still don't know if I would have gotten up in front of a crowd of strangers and attempted what he did.

Nice job Ryan! Here are a couple of pics of him playing "Rain King" by Counting Crows and "Baby Bird" by Jakob Dylan.

I also want to thank Don Boivin (http://www.donboivin.com/) and Bert Jackson (http://www.bertland.com/) for organizing this event every 3rd Wed of the month as well as Bill from Cape Cup(http://www.capecup.com/) for not only hosting this event at his coffee shop and being a great supporter of art of all kinds, but also for providing great food on a regular basis to those in the Orleans area. Hope to do this again some time.

Also shown here are Penn Dixon Colbert who kicked things off. Jennifer Stratton performing her original "Outta Luck" and her adoring fan and devoted husband Don Boivin.

Save the Date!

Hopefully by now anyone who reads this blog has gotten an invitation to our "Artist Reception" this Saturday at the Brewster Ladies' Library. My prints as well as about 20 of my wife's oil on canvas portraits have been on display for just under two weeks. But I will also be unveiling the FULL Line of recent impressionistic scenic photographs. The last post showed ten of them, but there are many more, and you will get the first glimpse of them at the reception.
Hope to see you there:
Saturday, October 16th, 7-9pm
Brewster Ladies' Library
1822 Main St.
Brewster, MA 02631

Something New in Fine Art

I'm proud to announce a new Fine Art Series I've been working on.

Above are 10 new limited edition pieces I am offering Entitled "Frantic Forest". What I love about this technique is that it really pushes my creativity. I'm forced to create a vision of the finished image before I press the shutter. Composition is extremely important or else you just get a blob of colors, which in some cases isn't a bad thing, but actually creating an appealing composition requires thinking a little outside the box. I hope to have some to exhibit at my Artist Reception at the Brewster Ladies' Library on Oct. 16th. For now here's a sneak peek. Enjoy!

MAZ

What happened here?

Last post showed off some of Madeleine Bickert's wonderful interior decorating. Now this???!!! I worked almost non-stop today in the studio preparing for my art show at the Brewster Ladies' Library. I will be setting up tomorrow morning (hopefully before they open) and showing my work for the month of October. Good thing I didn't have any clients scheduled. Anyway, come check out the show, sign the guestbook, purchase a print, let me know what you think. All images at the show will be first editions. Number 1/100! Gotta say, I love my lab. Colors are punchy. Just the way I like them. Sizes range from 5x7 all the way up to 24x36 with four 12x36 panos mixed in. And several gallery wraps. I'm really excited but now I need to sleep. Hope to see you tomorrow.

MAZ

Edit: No 24x36" at the show. Brought too many and they just didn't look right.

Give it up once again for.....

Madeleine Bickert of DecorRx

http://www.decorrx.com/

Since I created her business portrait last year Madeleine has had me photograph several of her interior design projects. One complete tear out and redesign, one Real Estate staging project and one straighforward interior decorating project.

I really can't say enough about her talent and attention to detail.

Aside from her decorating projects and writing for home magazines she will again be appearing at Snow's Home and Garden in Orleans for their "Designer on Duty" series. She will provide free 15-minute design consultations and answer decor questions for interested customers who drop by the store. http://www.snowshomeandgarden.com/

Saturday, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 & 30th. All from 10 a.m to Noon. Get there early, or better yet camp out on the sidewalk. You don't want to miss these freebies.

Also at Snow's, on October 16th from 11 a.m. to Noon she will be giving a one-hour presentation on cost-effective ways to redecorate a home for fall and winter holidays.

http://www.decorrx.com/

Attention Class of 2011!

It's not too late for Senior Portraits.

Call the studio today to reserve a date and time.

Nauset High School Seniors - Did you know that a portion of your senior portrait session with Mark Zelinski Photography goes directly to your Gymnastics Team?

Call now! 508-896-2963 or email mark@mazphotography.com

You're only a senior once! (Hopefully ;-)

Blue Light Special

You know the saying about the cobbler's kids needing new shoes? Same thing goes for photographer's kids. You'd think we would have hundreds of portraits of our kids up in our home, but that's not the case. So I decided that would be my anniversary gift to my wife this year.

These two portraits are from a session in our living room. Camera, window, couch, and kid. What I like about these portraits is that there is not a lot of equipment. That has two benefits. 1) I don't have to lug it around. 2) It puts the kids at ease. "Just look right here. Dont worry about that flash and the big light modifier" All the focus goes right to the eyes.

The reason I called this post "Blue Light Special" is that when you photograph something with just window light or in shade of any sort, the light is predominantly blue. Knowing how to adjust your camera is essential to get the portraits to have that warm, cozy feel. Ironically, my wife loves the aged photo look that we eventually had them printed with, but I'm posting both so you get the idea.

Special? Reserve a "Blue Light Special" in the months of September and October and get these special rates:

$59.95 - Session for one child and one fully retouched 5x7.

$79.95 - Session for one child and one fully retouched 8x10.

$129.95 - Session for one child, one fully retouched 11x14 and 24 wallet prints.

Last one was BBQ. Next few are Catch Up!

Past few months have been extremely busy for me and I've neglected posting. I apologize for that.

Since I posted the images of Cape Cod Sauces I have had chef Stan Langston in the studio for his business portraits. I learned a few things about him during his session.

1) The guy knows about food and ingredients. We talked a little and he explained what little things each ingredient adds to a particular sauce.

2) Stan see the "Shift" towards healthier eating habits. I applaud Stan for introducing his new product "Original Free" made without high fructose corn syrup. I've tried this recipe and the same great flavor is still there, but without the addition of HFCS.

This was interesting to me since I recently watched a couple of food documentaries. One was "King Corn", which showed me how invasive corn has become in the modern diet and also how nasty HFCS is. The other doc was "Food Inc". If you haven't watched this one, check it out, but be prepared for a shock. You will never view the grocery store the same way again.

So once again, hats of to Chef Stan for looking out for not only our tastebuds, but also our health!

Enjoy the photos. And if you can get hold of some, enjoy Cape Cod Sauces!

Mmmmmmmmmmm! BBQ!

Not a single vowel in the title of this post. :-) It's getting to be outdoor cookin' weather so I thought this post would be appropriate. (Also because I haven't posted since early Feb. Ooops!)

Last night I started a series of photographs for local chef Stan Langston. He's created my new favorite BBQ sauces. And I'm not just saying that to help a friend out. Recently he brought a few jars to my business group and let us all sample them.

There's BBQ sauce... Then there's Cape Cod Sauces!

The original is a mighty fine BBQ sauce in it's own right. But then he's taken it a bit further. Before I tasted the Pineapple Cranberry I was apprehensive, but let me tell you, this is incredible. A completely different twist on a traditional grilling staple. Just a hint of Hawaiian luau with the Cape Cod Cranberries to keep it local authentic. Can't wait to actually marinade some chicken in it and "throw it on the barbie".

Next came the Cape Cod Fire with fresh habanero peppers. Ouch! If you like hot and then some try this sauce out. Make sure you've got the fire extinguisher handy!

I'll be following up with some actual food shots when we get a chance to cook some stuff up, as well as a nice portrait of the chef with his goodies. Check back when you smell the grill firing up.

In the Presence of Celebrity!

Last summer I had the privilege of photographing Madeleine Bickert of Decor Rx. ( http://www.decorrx.com/ ) So why am I just now posting her portraits? I get together with Madeleine and about 20 other professionals every week to discuss our businesses on Cape Cod. I'm constantly amazed to hear about her accolades, writing for various Cape Cod home remodeling and decorating magazines and papers, her top caliber clientelle, and the prestigious real estate agents who she helps make their listings more appealing. When she talks about her business each week she is poised, confident and interesting, and it shows in her work.

Want to see her in action? Mark your calendars!

"Staging Savvy - How to Wow Home Buyers and Vacation Renters"

Led by designer Madeleine Bickert

Snow's Home & Garden

Saturday, February 20th

11 a.m - Noon

Free Admission

If you need decorating direction, Madeleine is the one!