Designer Amanda Erickson

Newton, MA 051212 Lasell College fashion graduate Amanda Erickson with models wearing her designs on May 12, 2012 at the School of Fashion at the college campus in Newton. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff)/ G BEHIND THE SCENES: When I spoke with the designer the previous night she kinda neglected to mention there would be these many models involved in the photo shoot. Usually I say the more the merrier but in this case the problem was that I planned accordingly and only brought a one-head light kit. This is a setup which normally works great for portraits of one to two people max. Never did I have to try to light these many subjects with only one light before. So my challenge here: How do I maximize the only source of light I can control? I decided to go with bare bulb on the head with a small silver reflector on the light. I then bounced it on the ceiling, knowing that because it was a white and low ceiling the light would spread pretty evenly among the subjects. Also the "look" of this collection was kind of punk, industrial with Gothish palettes so the stark black and white worked best in my opinion. TECH DETAILS: One Travel Lite kit, this is the Calumet brand. One lens: 24- 70mm 2.8, one camera: D3s, ISO 100, Speed: 1/250th of a second, WB: Flash.

Cape Verde

Cape Verde April 17-24, 2012 These are just some images from my first visit to Cape Verde off the coast off Africa. This is an island nation made up of 10 islands. I visited the capital city of Praia and the island of Sao Vicente while on an education assignment for the Boston Globe. The first image is in Cidade Velhia which used to be the main port where slaves brought from Africa were traded. The second image is of a 20-year old man who had not been able to finish his last year of high school because his family didn't have the $37 for the whole year's tuition. The other two images are children being children which I encountered at a couple of different beaches. (Essdras M Suarez)BEHIND THE SCENES: I never stop making an image because it might not make the paper, or because it might not have to do with the story I was sent to cover. I'm a true believer that when I see something worth photographing I just photograph it. TECH STUFF: Two cameras: D3 and D3s. Two lenses 24-70mm 2.8 and 70-200mm 2.8 sometimes with a 1.4 TC on it. ISO anywhere between 100 to 3,200. If you want to see more images go to http://www.photoshelter.com/search/search?I_IS_RELEASED=&I_DSC=essdras+cape+verde&I_DSC_AND=t&_CB_I_PR=t&_CB_I_PU=t&_CB_I_RF=t&_CB_I_RM=t&I_ORIENTATION=&I_SDATE%5BMM%5D=&I_SDATE%5BDD%5D=DD&I_SDATE%5BYYYY%5D=YYYY&I_EDATE%5BMM%5D=&I_EDATE%5BDD%5D=DD&I_EDATE%5BYYYY%5D=YYYY&I_CITY=&I_STATE=&I_COUNTRY_ISO=CPV&I_SORT=RANK&V_ID=&G_ID=&_ACT=search :

Boston Ballet' Fancy Free Rehearsal

Boston, MA 050112 Boston Ballet's troupe members rehearse for the company's production of "Fancy Free" on May 01, 2012. (Essdras M Suarez/ Boston Globe Staff)/ G BEHIND THE SCENES: One of my favorite subjects to photograph has always been dancers. To me they seem like sports cars, which even at a stand still are sleek-looking and ready to exploit with movement. It helps too that these dancers are real pros and it's very easy for them to ignore the constant clicking of my camera's shutter. That and the fact that I have been photographing their rehearsals now for about 10 years and they know me well. TECH STUFF: Easy enough, most of it shot with the 70-200mm 2.8 and the 24-70mm. A Nikon D3 and a D3s. ISO 1600. Speeds 1/160th- 1/250th of a second depending of close they got to the windows. WB Auto (mixed light from the windows and fluorescent overheads present.) EXTRA NOTE: Funny enough after having photographed these guys for these many years, this was the first time I noticed the reflection on the side of the piano.

Description for the BU Fall 2012 Photo Course: Experiencing Cuba

JO 502 A1 Experiencing Cuba
Taught by Essdras M. Suarez, Pulitzer Prize winning staff photojournalist with The Boston Globe

Enrollment is limited to twelve students.

The class will travel to Cuba to produce a text-and-photos documentary project. We estimate the cost of the trip to be $3,000. The trip has not yet been scheduled.

Students will learn and practice the rich tradition of street photography, the basis for contemporary photojournalism, locally in Boston and in Cuba, one of the most exotic locations in the western hemisphere. This course is designed to help student journalists overcome hesitancy to approach and photograph subjects while on assignment in a foreign environment. Visual journalists will learn to cope with the challenges of chronicling an evolving environment and culture by photographing people as they go about their daily lives.

Throughout the semester students will discuss and apply techniques used by documentary photographers to capture visually appealing images telling the story of a country and its people and be introduced to the history, traditions, and culture of Cuba. Students can expect to produce images worthy of their portfolio and display on campus and online. In addition, their work will be published in The Boston Globe Sunday Travel section and on boston.com accompanying an article documenting their experiences.

Applicants to the class must have taken at least one prerequisite from this list of courses: JO 250, JO 303, JO 305, JO 304, JO 351.

Gymnastics: Chaos to Balance

Melrose, MA 032912 Girls practice at the Melrose Family YMCA during a gymnastics class. (Essdras M Suarez/ Boston Globe) BEHIND THE SCENES: I had about 20 minutes to get about five images for our North Weekly section. I was truly bummed out because it was about 50 girls of all ages doing somersaults, handstands, beam work and bars all at once. The scene just begged to be shot for a while but 20 minutes is all I had since they needed me back in the city for a man-on the street interview. I chose these two images because they characterized the mayhem in the place. At first glance the scene looked downright chaotic but then a coach would clap their hands and the girls would all fall into place. Pretty amazing. INTERESTING NOTE: Whenever I'm teaching a photography workshop I always try to tell my students to not only make the photos they have in front of them but to take the time to look behind them to see what is going on. I almost walked away after photographing some girls doing back flips but I remembered that maxim and stopped and looked around and this is what I got. TECH STUFF: Pretty dark place but I still did not want to use a flash. ISO 1,600 to 2,000, WB: AWB, speeds: 1/125th to 1/2ooth of a second.

Romney Votes in MA during Rep. Primaries

Belmont, MA 030612 Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney voted alongside his wife Anne Romney at the Beech Street Center in Belmont, MA which Romney lists as his permanent address. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff)/ MET BEHIND THE SCENES: Candidates like Romney move around with an entourage of media, public relations personnel and campaign staffers. A lot of times it is these staffers who make the calls as far as who do they let in to an event or not. Such was the case yesterday. The traveling media was allowed in before he arrived and I was told to wait outside until they made a "decision." Romney walked in and at the last minute I called out to the staffer and asked, "so you are just leaving the Boston Globe out?" He kind of looked at me sideways and said, "Follow me." By the time I got in all the front spots on the small stage where members of the media had been told to stand were already taken. I squeezed in a corner and hoped for the best. I managed to get the shots but the Globe decided to go with an AP photo instead. The photographer who made the photo is part of tight-pool traveling the campaign. Pretty much the same photo only his was taken from five feet to the left of my position... I don't make the calls, I just take them. TECH STUFF: 70-200mm 2.8 and 16-35mm 2.8, WB AWB and Cloudy, ISO 1250-640.

Boston Weather

Boston, MA 030112 Boston residents experience a plethora of weather changes in a matter of 24 hours. From rain, to flurries to a light blanket of snow. (Essdras M Suarez/ Boston Globe) BEHIND THE SCENES: I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't know of any other business other than meteorologists that pays so much attention to weather changes than newspapers and newspaper sites. When the weather is as erratic as it was today I have an editor who simply calls me and says to me, "Essdras! the beast must be fed! Whatdoyougat??" Thus I'm always looking for little details in daily life which I might find visually appealing such as the girl trying to catch snowflakes with her tongue, the lonely walker in a snowscape or the ladies whose eyes kind of match that of the pattern found in her umbrella. TECH STUFF: 70-200mm 2.8, ISO 800. WB cloudy, camera mode Aperture priority to begin with then Manual.