Marion and Greg were married on a brilliant summer day at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. The strong light made for a high contrast picture of Marion and her bridesmaids walking outside the church, which is why it’s one of my Archival Quality favorites.
In 1993, author Ernest Hebert and I collaborated on a portrait for a Valley News story about Hebert’s book Mad Boys. The book opens with one of the characters emerging from a swamp as part of a Huck Finn tale set in the present, where they travel by highway and virtual reality. Using a friend’s shallow pond, we recreated the moment as Hebert sat in a shallow pond then leaned back to get the effect. I was happy with the result!
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Rebecca and John’s 2005 wedding in Boston was memorable for me because of the traditions they brought to their wedding day. After their ceremony at First and Second Church, a Korean wedding ritual was held at the nearby Cyclorama. At its end, John carried Rebecca on his back around the dance floor in traditional attire. Later in the evening, John did break-dancing with friends. What energy!
Breaking news coverage is all about timing — a few years ago, I was returning home from delivering wedding photos and saw black smoke while driving on Interstate 89. When I came upon the Randolph exit, I followed the smoke to an unoccupied building fully engulfed in flames. I had my camera with me because I had worked on a book project earlier in the day. What timing!
Archival Quality is a series looking at Geoff Hansen’s favorite photos from over 30 years as a photographer.
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Found photographs are my favorite — I grabbed this while roaming a flea market in Trenton, Mo. I especially like the arrows on the wall, pointing up and down. I was in town for the Missouri Photo Workshop, still one of my favorite learning experiences.
A few years ago, I photographed Ann Marie and Erik’s wedding at The Toad Hill Farm in Franconia, N.H. The view of the White Mountains is incredible, which is one of the reasons I like this picture of two of their guests. I definitely felt fortunate to be there!
It was a nerve-wracking experience — covering a band with a lot of buzz for my college newspaper. In 1988, Perry Farrell and Jane’s Addiction performed in a show at Minneapolis’ Seventh Street Entry, the small club connected to First Avenue. I shot the show, then had permission to do the lead singer’s portrait afterwards. I took only a few photos before Farrell cut me off and left. Fortunately, it turned out! The portrait is still one of my favorites.
At Laurie and Jason’s 2002 country wedding in Braintree, Vt., their friends and families were a lot of fun to photograph during their celebration. This is one of my favorites, because it touches on what I love about wedding photography — finding moments with feeling.
A brief snow flurry blowing through Strafford, Vt., in October 2003 caught my eye, espcially when contrasted against the iconic Strafford Town House. The Town House is a photogenic building in the area where Town Meetings have been held for centuries — it’s also a popular place to get married. And it is one of my Archival Quality favorites.
After Andrea and Paul were married in Woodstock, Vt., they invited me to ride with them in a carriage around the town green before their reception at the Woodstock Inn on a chilly December afternoon. The love and happiness between them was apparent in this photograph, which is why it is one of my Archival Quality favorites.
