Last weekend, I photographed Jen and Kyle’s wedding at Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vt. It was a glorious day to celebrate their union. I was happy to be there to document the day! More photos from the wedding can be seen on my Facebook page.
Author Archives: Geoff Hansen
Perfect Pair
While working on a story about the Windsor County Partners program for the Valley News, I was fortunate to spend time with Danny Dover and Jon Gover. Over the past year, they’ve been getting together at least once a week to do various activities from fishing to skiing, or to just hang out. I enjoyed making several visits to document the relationship they have.
From top: Jon Gover, 11, jokes with Danny Dover while fishing for trout at Texas Falls in Hancock, Vt.; The pair work on building a tepee at Jon’s home; They try on each other’s hats while spending time together in early Spring; A tradition of their get-togethers, Danny and Jon toast each other while having root beer, popcorn and clementines in Jon’s “Man Cave,” a camper damaged by Tropical Storm Irene.
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May not be reprinted without permission
Jessica & Adam
As their ceremony began in 2010, Jessica and Adam’s procession was announced with a family heirloom at the Blueberry Hill Inn in Goshen, Vt. It definitely got everyone’s attention! Personal touches are what’s great about photographing wedding ceremonies.
Keeping Count
Nearly 20 years ago, I attended the Missouri Photo Workshop, a week-long documentary photography class run by the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. Started in 1949, the workshop sends dozens of students and faculty to a different small Missouri town each year to spend a week telling stories. The year I went, we were in Trenton, Mo. The story I found was about David Schafer and Alice Dobbs, a young couple who were running a small farm with sheep, beef cattle, chickens and pigs. This is one of my favorites from the story; Alice got up on a fence post to count sheep in the pasture. It was also featured on the cover of the university’s alumni magazine a few years later, marking the workshop’s 50th anniversary!
Student of Sugaring
Isaac Barker, who is a senior at Thetford Academy in Thetford, Vt., is a serious student of the craft of maple sugaring. Over the winter, he rebuilt an early 1900s evaporator from the orginal arch found in the woods by a neighbor. With nearly 50 taps and buckets on trees near their home, the Barkers boil in their backyard. Isaac’s operation towers over my modest six-tap hobby!
From top: Isaac Barker, 18, of Strafford, Vt., adds wood to the fire box in the evaporator he recently rebuilt. The cast iron front and back — the arch — was found by a neighbor in the woods. It dates back to the early 1900s; Barker pours sap into a reservoir for warming it before it is boiled on the evaporator; Matt Barker, left, talks with his son about whether or not to borrow sap from a neighbor to continue boiling at the end of the day.
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May not be reprinted without permission
An Experience
Yesterday, I hit the road to photograph a media event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. The Exotic Driving Experience had five supercars on hand for reporters to try out on the track’s road course. The company travels to NASCAR tracks across the country to give clients a turn at the wheel (or for rides). Valley News staff writer Jared Pendak got his wish — taking five laps behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Gallardo, a supercar capable of speeds up to 200 mph. I was happy to see and hear a Ferrari F430 on the track at full song!
VALLEY NEWS staff writer Jared Pendak, at top, looks to driving instructor Barry Tarr, of York, Maine, as they prepare to take a Lamborghini Gallardo out on the track as part of the Exotic Driving Experience at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.; A television reporter drives a Lamborghini Superleggera at speeds approaching 100 mph on the race track’s front stretch. Run by Petty Holdings, the three-day event returns to the track in May and July.
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May not be reprinted without permission
Celebrating Marriage
In support of two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court for marriage equality, the Huffington Post today posted a slideshow of over 50 same-sex couples who were wed in ceremonies across the country. Two of them were Anne and Alicia, whose wedding I photographed in Woodstock, Vt., four years ago. I’m still proud to have been part of their celebration! Follow this link to see more of the photos in the Huffington Post.
Farming Revisited
The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine recently hired me to do portraits of Chuck Wooster at Sunrise Farm in White River Junction, Vt. It was great to see him again — Chuck and I collaborated on two books, Living with Sheep and Living with Pigs. He is such a smart guy — in addition to running an organic farm, Chuck is a writer and was recently elected as chair of the Hartford (Vt.) Selectboard. I wish I had half his energy! Below is an outtake — Chuck was checking the health of a two-day-old lamb under the watchful eye of its mother. The magazine article is due to appear in June.
Motherly Love
Suzanne recently asked me to come by her home to do a portrait for the public radio commentaries she does. Her daughter helped out in getting Suzanne to smile — but the best moments were getting both of them together!
Arts Day
This week, I participated in the second annual Arts Day in Strafford, Vt. Nearly 100 students from the five schools in the Orange Windsor Supervisory Union spent the day with ten artists, who showed the kids their specialties. It included painting, drawing, sculpture, print-making, calligraphy and performance art. The nine students in my class did portrait photography of each other, kindergarteners and school officials who were in town for a meeting. It was rewarding to see so many exploring their creativity!
