IN FOCUS
"I love that I can be a small part of the faces featured here, apart of their journey through this life. It's about being apart of something so much bigger than ourselves and each person's willingness to take part in this, it's truly humbling and wonderful. I only hope that the work we have all created together is something that they are proud of. As proud as I am." - Andre Steven Rutgersen
Coreyanne Armstrong - Portland, Connecticut 2025
I'd go anywhere to photograph her. She's masterminded her piping career better than some bands I've met. She's continued to up the ante and seems she'll never come down off the cloud she exist on.
She's whip smart, witty, ambitious and very strategic. She's always known how to harness her abilities as a top notch piper and as a woman never letting anyone weaponize her feminine attributes against her.
Coreyanne Armstrong & Husband Bob Hunter Portland, Connecticut 2025
Not just a husband and wife, they are each others protector as well as each others biggest fan. The love of each others lives. At first glance they knew they were meant to journey together come what may. I would travel anywhere to photograph her. Meeting him it was an instant feeling of knowing I would make my way to him as well.
Traveling to their home, it was something out of a fairytale. Watching them together you can't help but know that they live in a world all their very own.
“To spend a life of endless bliss, just find who you love through true love’s kiss.” – Enchanted
Bob Hunter - Portland Connecticut 2025
John Henderson Long Island, NY 2019 - This image featured in the "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" - *Excerpt from and featured in the portrait photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023 Blurb Books "Wounded and real as the rest of us. He doesn't come across as a man that wears his heart on his sleeve, here though you can see his gentle melancholy."*
This Image featured in the photography book "Faces, Outtakes & A Few More Observations" 2021 - There was no hesitation from him when asked to take this pose. His masculinity not preventing his vulnerability from showing.
Timothy Craig New York, NY - This Image featured in the photography book "Faces, Outtakes & A Few More Observations" 2021
Long island NY, 2023 - Evan and Meaghan, together at last! These Images featured In the photography book "Just A Few Adventures In Cameraland" 2024
I absolutely loved working with these two separately and knew that I wanted to work with them together. They came to the session and delivered. Cracking jokes, poking fun at one another as if there were brother and sister.
I of course stepped in and began cracking my own silly jokes making them both laugh. For me that was the best moment between all three of us.
"Youth In Revolt" - What I love about this is they could be two young people on the run in a high octane Independent movie.
"Reservation For Two" - An impromptu lunch to break the ice which as it turned out needed no breaking at all.
They both trusted me and it was a dream of mine to photograph them together. Both agreed when asked and the chemistry, seen here clearly. was something that the camera loved and devoured. They surpassed my expectations and are as young and exciting in person as they are here.
Brendan Gomez Long Island, NY 2020 - Some of the Images below are featured in the photograhy book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023 -
I liked him and knew he would be absolutely wonderful before the camera. It would be a couple of years later after our first meeting I would ask him to sit for me for the photography book I was working on and to my surprise he agreed. To be able to capture such a face was, and still is quite a coup.
This Image featured in the photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023
By far one of my favorite Images of him from this sitting. When I brought out the top hat he knew what I was going for. With a good laugh he took to it with unwary gusto.
Robert Barreca - Long Island, NY 2025
I'd taken his image many times over the years but nothing like the portrait sessions I've done before. It was only a matter of time before I would pluck up the courage to ask. Of course how I asked though, through a photograph. A few candid photographs of him taken some time ago. There’s so many stories, a lot of years lived looking at my camera lens. All of which deserve to be celebrated.
I really love these more semi-serious Images. Robert is of Italian decent and brings to mind the men of days from past who got things done in a certain way that back then would make most shudder. These days it takes more. Robert though is not that man, as far as I know. To this he would laugh.
What I love is that he doesn’t remind me of anyone else. Not another man alive. He, like everyone in my archive is so uniquely his own person. He’s a bit of a mystery to me which is why I absolutely had to have him before my lens.
"Above all, never let age extinguish the fire of your inner child." - S. Ajna (Writer)
Robert Louis Roberts Jr. Long Island, NY - This Image taken in 2019 featured in the photography book "Faces, Outtakes & A Few More Observations" 2021. Some Images below taken also in 2019, featured below are featured in the photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023
We had two portrait sessions and each one he gave me fantastic Images with all his personality. Not only did he hit the mark of what I was looking for but went past the finish line and then some.
Patti Canon Jannetti Long Island, NY 2021 - Some of these images can be seen in the photography book "BAGPIPES and DRUMS" 2023
A Cannon's Blast! I asked her to play her drum and she said "Are you sure, it's pretty loud?" I said to go for it.
She made what we were doing so easy and pure joy. I handed her the bouquet of flowers and she lit up.
Johansen J. 2025 Long Island, NY - I found his face to be strong and seemingly having layers of one life after another. His face has secrets. I couldn't photograph him any other way.
