The International Boston Seafood Show starts this Sunday, March 15, 2009. The first time I was privileged to act as official show photographer was in 2007, when the event moved from the Hyne Centre to the Boston Cenvention and Exhibiton Centre.

I spent three days traversing the convention centre in Henri Cartier-Bresson style, waiting for the "decisive moment". Ok, I’d be the first to admit I’m no Cartier-Bresson, nor would I ever compare his immense visionary skill-set to how I perceive my work. There are, however, surprising parallels between his photographic capturing of the usual and the unusual and mine at such an event as the International Boston Seafood Show.

Secretary of Commerce, Carlos M. Gutierrez

Sure, you’d expect to see seafood, and lots of it, that goes without saying. But what I wasn’t expecting was much, much more than just seafood.

I witnessed an industry passionate about the topic of sustainability and conferences packed out for any and all topics that addressed the issue.

The 2007 show brought the attendance of the then Secretary of Commerce, Carlos M. Gutierrez. He walked the show floor conducting interviews with exhibitors and listened to the business concerns of industry representatives.

Edgar & Sig Hanson sign autographs on the show floor.

Captain Sig Hanson and his younger brother Edgar, whose lives as fishermen in the dangerous waters off the Alaskan coast were chronicled in Discovery Channel’s "The Deadliest Catch", were on hand to deliver a sensational keynote address as well as sign autographs on the show floor. Stories about their everyday existance on board the fishing vessel Northewestern as well as filming for The Deadliest Catch, was shared with a keen audience.

Cooking demonstrations

From chefs demos, to oyster shucking, I was educated, enlightened, thought-provoked, intrigued and amazed. Throughout it all, I strived to find that decisive moment that might help define the show within a photographic medium. I strived to watch, listen, learn, wait and take that image that would best describe the show in all its many faucets.

This year the show will continue to support and promote industry-sustainability education programs. Ideas will be introduced, exchanged, shared and acted upon. I’m looking forward to seeing what decisive moments I can capture this year.

More images from the International Boston Seafood Show

Oyster schucking competition	William "Chopper" Young, (in blue top), awaits being announced the winner of the oyster shucking competion

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Today was the perfect day! The temperatures in Maine over this weeknd have been in the high 50sF. The sun shone, the snow melted (quite a bit) and life looked like it was finally returning to this part of the world at last - hallelujah! What a perfect day for looking at some art and what better an exhibition than a home-grown, home-spun, and stunningly phenomenal exhibition “Celebrate Student Art”, held at the Saco Musuem.

Now, it has to be said that this is my favourite time of year: not only are signs of life returning to the landscape of Maine, but one of the most spectacular art exhibitions in southern Maine takes place right on my doorstep. It also has to be said that this particular exhibition has been inspiring me for at least the last five years and has become an event that, like the return of spring, I wholeheartedly look forward to.

Imagine, wall-to-wall artwork, all of the highest calibre, executed with the greatest care and precision. Imagine vibrant colours, original themes, ideas and concepts that transcend the every day and open up avenues in the imagination.

This is the work of grades K-8 in the towns of Saco and Dayton, and a reflection of the loving and painstaking guidance of art teachers who are more than just passionate and enthusiastic about their work.

Along with original works are featured themes such as the reinterpretation of Georgia O’Keefe’s Sunflowers. To think that second graders are investigating, interpreting and emulating the work of Georgia O’Keefe fills me with a joy above and beyond belief. To actually see these interpretations in a succient and composite display is not only astounding but is truly  breathtaking!

Foreign art traditons are also introduced and brought to life in the work done by fifth graders emulating “Wycinanki” (pronounced Vee-chee-non-kee); the Polish word for ‘paper-cut design’. The richness and uniqueness of this art form is evident in these fifth grader renditions.

If you, like me, are craving some colourful visual stimulation in the form of  a visual feast for the eyes (after the monotone colours of  another winter in  Maine), make your way to the Saco Museum and prepare yourself to be truly amazed!

(And yes, being the mom I am, I have included shots of my children’s work here, but in words of Miss Nelson in the book “Miss Nelson is Missing”; ‘I’ll never tell!’).

One of the first panels that caught my attention	Themes on “If you give a ….”
In the style of Georgia O’Keefe’s ‘Sunflowers’	Wycinanki - Polish paper cuts
Two interpretations on the theme fish:

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Last Friday, I was wholly engrossed in an article I’d seen online about a man, Jamie Livingston, who took a Polaroid every day for eighteen years, before he died. Scanning through his personal Polaroid diary brought back memories of similar diaries I have kept. For years, my Polaroid cameras have been my perfect traveling companions. Their immediacy helps me to look at a landscape, street scene or every day item with a new objectivity that helps me chronicle the everyday, the mundane, with fresh wonderment. I’ve also enjoyed using them when doing portraits of people on the street as it is nice to be able to give something back, instead of always taking.

Image from “Polaroid Diaries 1″ Southwark, London

Over the years I’ve accumulated books and books worth of images, from various Polaroid cameras, but I have to say, my favourites are the Land camera and the SX70. For the sake of this article, I’ve decided to share a few of my Polaroid Land camera diary entries here.

All of my Polaroid diary entries have the location where the image was taken included, somehow, in the footnotes of the page. From using Letraset, to just using a ballpoint pen, the entries usually give away what my first impressions were of the area via the details I’ve included. The diaries range in size, but most are no bigger than 4″ x 5″ so that the diaries can be carried in a backpack, or even a coat pocket, quite comfortably.

Entry from Polaroid Day Book - La Playa, Barcelona, Spain

Again, this is a very, very, very small sample from some of my  Polariod Diaries.  Looking back, I’m so happy that I’ve taken the time throughout the years to chronicle certain places I’ve been, people I’ve seen, oddities and curiosities with my Polaroid cameras. The visual records I’ve been able to create with my Polaroid are records I’ll treasure always. I also hope some day my chilren will find these records, with the details of where the photos were taken, etc, interesting in such a way as to spark their desire to also learn more about the everyday via the use of photographic means.

More examples of Polaroids taken over the years at various locations.

Polaroid Portraits - Barcelona, Spain	Day trip to Monserrat, Spain	Polaroid Portraits - Barcelona, Spain
La Playa, Barcelona, Spain	Day trip to Monserrat, Spain	Opening of Planet Hollywood, Barcelona, Spain

For more Polaroids, visit www.angelacoulombe.com.

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