If beauty is as seen through the eye of the beholder, then Jennifer Bullock sees beauty focused from behind the lens of a Canon 50D. As she puts it, she was tired of paying for the “fast food” type of services she was getting when it came to having portraits done of her kids. So what did she do? She immersed herself in photography learning  as much as possible in order to better capture and document the lives of her family and friends. It didn't take long for photography to become  a serious hobby for Jennifer. And as it would turn out, she got much more than she bargained for. Not only had she found a way to tap into her own uniqueness and creativity, but she also found great satisfaction in interacting with and pleasing  her subjects through her art. “I love seeing and capturing different stages and moments in peoples' lives simply through my viewfinder. I honestly believe I can see things differently from behind my camera that others cannot ordinarily see”, she says. In 2008, Jennifer Bullock started Jennifer Bullock Photography. Working mainly on location in Western Massachusetts, Jennifer is primarily a wedding and portrait photographer. She attributes the growth of her business to good old fashioned word of mouth along with some additional help from social networking forums such as Facebook. Jennifer generally works within 25 minutes of her home, but is willing to travel literally anywhere, keeping her fingers crossed in anticipation for her first "destination wedding" ! I was able to catch up with Jennifer to discuss her work and some of the more technical aspects of what it's like to be a professional photographer. Here's how it went...

The barn is filled with the sounds of tools at work, grinding and hammering. On the walls hang posters; one is a copy of the famous World War II poster, “We Can Do It.” Rosie the Riveter, her bicep bulging with hard muscle, watches as her twenty-first century descendants experience a day in a woodworker’s trade. Other items adorn the walls: photos of previous classes, along with samples of handiwork, including tables, cabinets, and bird houses. Overall, it is pretty clean for a workshop, but amidst the noise and sawdust, there is much focus and concentration.

Welcome to the woodshop of Girls at Work, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization located in New Hampshire that empowers girls and women by teaching the art of woodworking, and founded by Elaine Hamel. There are 10 girls from the Exeter Teen Outlook Center in today’s class, some wearing jeans, other in capris; all are focused on today’s project: building shelves. In fully equipped workstations, each girl is carefully taking measurements-twice-before cutting. While keeping a watchful eye on everyone, Elaine still gives her full attention to each girl.

I caught up with Monte Belmonte during Monte's Campout for Cancer Connection at the old, historic courthouse in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. Lucky for him, it was an unusually warm, beautiful, and sunny St Patrick's Day. He sat on the courthouse steps looking Daughtry with his faded blue jeans, dark sunglasses, and shiny head. I spent some time getting to know Monte as we talked  about his career in radio and involvement with Cancer Connection in Florence, Massachusetts.  

Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Christopher Belmote, better known as  Monte Belmonte, is the morning radio host and Program Director for WRSI 93.9, The River in Northampton, Massachusetts, and a good one at that. He has a dry and often sappy sense of humor that can't help but make one smile. In addition to great song selection, Monte never fails to offer up intriguing interviews about local residences and businesses. Monte considers himself to be a true New Englander! He loves the Boston Red Soxs. He loves the New England Patriots and he loves the changing seasons and artiness that living in New England brings.