Put the I in iPhone

Your new iPhone is cool. Now make it cooler.

Sure, that’s a lovely shot of planet Earth when you switch the device on. But that’s the same image on everyone’s phone. Why not make yours different? Make your iPhone a little more personal with something that says it’s truly yours.

I am running a temporary promotion offering a personalized photo/portrait session geared specifically to create your image for your iPhone. I can come to you (Greater Boston area), or we can shoot at my place. When all is said and done, you’ll have an image that has been sized specifically (and perfectly) to serve as your iPhone’s wallpaper.

All for $100. But this is a very time-limited situation (kind of like the iPhone’s battery life once the bar hits the red zone). You can reach me via email at jeffhaynes@me.com.

On the inside…

A while back, I started a series of images titled “interiors.”

I just posted the latest of these shots on my site’s splash page, jeffclicks.com. I’ve had the concept in my head for many months, but — for whatever the reason — this was the magic week to do it.

The prior two shots in the series can be found in the “story fragments” gallery. There are some common elements among the three photos, so it should be pretty easy to identify the “interiors” shots.

Enjoy.

Physical comedy

I admit it: sometimes I laugh when people trip and fall.

And to be fair, I laugh at myself in these situations, too. Hey, physical comedy is funny. http://www.zug.com/live/81735/Our-Xrays-seem-to-indicate-that-youre-a-wuss.html

If the walls could talk

The stories are endless — the stories told in the art work hanging on the walls, the stories about the artists themselves, and, of course, the amazing stories of the people who pass through Mass General’s Yawkey Center every day.

Tonight’s opening reception of the latest Illuminations show is the latest chapter in that series of stories. And I’m very happy to be a part of it. Tremendous credit goes to organizer Stefanie Ryan and the hospital for such a great project.

Congrats to all the artists, and thank you to everyone who came down to see the show tonight. And thanks in advance to all of those who will be taking the time to take it in over the next few months.

[In the photo: my wife, Erb Photography team Scott & Donna, and me]

Art is therapy

Yeah, the morphine was helping.

One of my photos in "Illuminations."

 

 

But the pain was persistent, as only pain can be. And hospital beds are only so comfortable.

 

I had already been in the emergency treatment room for a while — thinking about the pain, remembering what had got me there, waiting for tests, wondering when I’d be back to “normal” — when I noticed the 20-by-30-inch painting hanging on the wall. It was an impressionist-style view of a narrow, sun-drenched street. An outdoor cafe table and two empty chairs — surrounded by colorful flowers and potted plants — looked particularly inviting. I started thinking about stepping into that setting — and that was exactly the point.

 

Art is therapy.

 

And on June 16, I’ll have the privilege of experiencing this concept from the other side. That’s when a very special show is opening at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Yawkey Center. The program, “Illuminations,” was created to bring in art work for the benefit of patients at the hospital’s cancer center. I am one of 15 artists participating in the group show, and Mass General is inviting friends, family members and fans of the artists to come to the opening. I hope to see you there.

 

When I first read about “Illuminations,” I knew I wanted to participate. And I could not have been happier when I learned that several of my photos were selected for this summer’s show. The idea that my images might be able to provide even a brief distraction for someone going through a tough time is immensely rewarding.

 

We’ve all experienced art’s therapeutic nature to some degree: whether it’s upbeat songs that lift up our moods, movies that provide temporary escapes from life’s stresses, or books that take our brains away on vacation. Two days ago, an impressionist painting had a similar effect on me. I had taken a bad fall off a retaining wall, tumbling 5 feet down onto my driveway. Simply put, it hurt like hell. And the truth is, I’m still pretty sore.

 

I’m not here to say that the artwork hanging in my treatment room magically took all the pain away. But for a moment, it did channel my thoughts onto something else — something peaceful and positive. And what a thrill it is to think that I might be able to do something similar for someone else.

 

For more details on the show and the opening reception, click here.

We were so high

The trail guide labeled the hike as “strenuous.”

View from Acadia's South Bubble

 

 

 

Not that the description was inaccurate, but it certainly wasn’t complete. Other words, such as “perilous” or “potentially fatal,” might have been good to include.

 

Kim (wife) and I were climbing the Beehive trail in Acadia National Park, when we reached a certain point that separates the wannabe hikers from the truly adventurous. The narrow ledge of rock we had been hiking disappeared, temporarily. And in its place was a smooth, slippery (and somewhat downward sloping) rod iron step that could not have been much more than 1 foot in width. The drop-off to the right was sheer. The rock wall to the left was solid, plain and far too smooth to give any meaningful grip to hikers passing over the manmade bridge. Wide gaps between the iron prongs of the step allowed us to look straight down at the nasty fall awaiting the unlucky hikers.

 

What to do?

 

These are the times when you really evaluate your gear. And I’m not talking about your hiking boots or rock climbing harness. Moments like these make me happy for making the right call on which camera to pack. I have a Canon 1D, which I love. But it’s not the sort of thing I want strapped around my neck when I’m on a trail that requires all available hands, feet and teeth for survival. I really don’t want to worry about my camera swinging wildly into a granite mountain face while I’m trying to save my own ass. Plus, trails like the Beehive have a way of making you want to shed all nonessential weight and/or bulk.

 

For days like this, I’m quite happy to make do with the iPhone’s camera.

 

Of course, not every trail was as demanding as the Beehive. There was the (car) trip to the top of Cadillac Mountain…

 

View from Cadillac Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…the walk through one of the park’s many carriage trails…

 

Carriage trail bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…the amazing Gorham Mountain hike…

 

Part of the Cadillac Cliffs, off the Gorham Mountain trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some serious sunscreen atop Gorham Mountain (with Cadillac Mountain in the back).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…the walk around Jordan Pond…

 

Jordan Pond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and the short but quickly ascending trail up South Bubble.

 

Another trail, another victory!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From South Bubble

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And luckily we conquered the Beehive, too, for views like this:

 

Looking down on Sand Beach from the Beehive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seen from narrow ledges like this:

 

And this was an easy section of the trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see larger versions of these and other Acadia shots, head over here, and look for the “shooting from the hip and iPhone” gallery.

The Beehive, viewed from a safer vantage point