Category Archives: Personal Work

Beginning The American Worker Project.

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Well at long last after hunkering down over the holidays we are able to post the first of many shoots to come for my new ongoing project called “The American Worker Project”. As we are traveling around the country we are getting the opportunity to meet and shoot all sorts of new people and things.     The American Worker Project is a way to visually feature and document (both on video and stills) some of the wonderful people we are meeting along our journey.   So far we have had the great pleasure to shoot in a lumber yard in Maine,  lobster fishermen on a lobster boat,    a man who hand makes wooden boats and also carves wooden boat models,  an old friend and metal roof man,  the owner of the oldest surf shop in New England,   Amish dairy farmers,  a train engineer and much more.   Here are a few images of the first of many to come.   Stay tuned….

UPDATE:   Added more shots from new shoots,  see below…

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Update from the Road

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Update from the Barrett camp…

Well we’ve been at it about almost 2 months and it seems like a blur.   I have been non stop shooting one project after another.  We’ve been so busy I have not had time to update this blog but will be adding new stuff soon. If you’ve been following along on Facebook or Instagram you have no doubt seen my steady stream of teaser iPhone photos.     This upcoming week I am actually trying to schedule some down time to work on processing, finishing work and color grading on a backlog of finished shots and will be posting them to my blog and as well to the various social media channels soon.     We also have a ton of video that hopefully will make it to the editor in the coming month to expand my reel.

Just a quick recap of where we’ve been and what I’ve been shooting.    We started our journey by heading to Maine to shoot in the remaining nice fall weather.  Immediate plans have had me shooting everything from flyfishing with fishing guide Mike Guarino of Maine Wilderness Tours in the Kennebec River  for Maine Tourism type stuff,   Shooting on a freezing 28 degree day on a lobster boat, the “F/V Pud Lee”  with Captain Patrick and his sister Sharlene Grant,  a couple of hard working  Lobster Fishermen.    I also spent several days shooting a reportage documentary style people shoot in the saw mill at Hammond Lumber in Belgrade Maine,  shooting both stills and video.    This project also marks the start of a series that I am working on called  “The American Worker Project”  where we will be shooting real people in real jobs all over the country.      Very Heart of America kind of stuff.   It’s a great opportunity to get out an meet new people and shoot some killer new stuff for the books.    It also doesn’t hurt that this type of work is in very high demand right now and is great for getting all sorts of clients.

After leaving Maine,  we headed south to Boston to take a few days showing the portfolios to some ad agency clients.    I also had the opportunity to shoot Sid Abbruzzi who is the owner of WaterBoys in Newport Rhode Island which is the oldest surf shop in New England.   Sid is also about to be inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame and is a really great guy with a million stories to tell about the interesting life he has lead.    I also shot some neat stuff of some guys working in a motorcycle shop for the American Worker Project.    While I was busy shooting.   The rest of the family got to explore Boston and learn about the history of our country touring the Freedom trail and other cool stuff.

From there we found ourselves in New York City for 5 days.    I had a quick editorial job to shoot and spent the rest of the time doing personal work,  street shooting and hitting a few of the iconic NY spots with the family.

This last week as you’ve seen has been spent in Lancaster County in MidWestern Pennsylvania  shooting Amish Country and some really cool old steam trains.   Which brings me to the present… Suffice to say, it feels like a whirlwind so far.    What an awesome trip for all of us.

Tomorrow we head towards Philly and I shift into post production mode for a few days as I literally have tens of thousands of images to be edited.    Thursday is a much needed down day as we stuff ourselves on Turkey day visiting Deirdre’s side of the family in Southern New Jersey.

Speaking of stuffed….   Our calendar for the next 30 days does not have a free day on it.    What we have scheduled for the next month makes what we have done so far look like a stroll in the park.    Many miles ahead of us as we zigzag through the the entire Southeastern seaboard.    Some of the travel is part of the various RV road trip photo projects  and,  oh yeah,  I actually have a couple pretty decent ad jobs that I am scheduled to to fly out for as well.    All this before a much needed Christmas break down in Naples FL.

But that is a story for another night….

Please stay tuned for more installments… Thanks for all the “Likes” and great comments,   keep them coming and please feel free to share with your friends.   If you have not done so already,   Please follow me on Instagram @PeteBarrettPhoto as I am steadily growing my following there as well.

Until next time….

Road Trip Anyone?

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All sorts of new and exciting things happening in the Barrett Camp these days!     We have been busier than ever with a new extended ongoing travel project.    Some of you may already be following us on our adventure, via Facebook and Instagram (follow me on Instagram @petebarrettphoto) but for the rest of you that don’t yet know,  here’s what we’re up to…

Hit the roadIt’s no secret that I love to travel and I am fortunate that I have a great career that very often finds me traveling to shoot photos for great clients all across the country as well as elsewhere in the world.    My wife also shares that passion for travel and several years ago she planted the seed for an idea of getting an RV and traveling all over the country with the family.    Something everyone would love to do at one point in their lives but for someone with a busy career and a family,  it seemed like a “pie in the sky” idea to me at first.    I have to credit her with being persistent and the more I considered it the more it started sounding not only do-able but also an amazing opportunity to shoot a TON of new work all over the country which also goes a long way toward giving me new and exciting things to promote for new upcoming assignment work.

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Flashes of Hope

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logo-1I was recently asked to shoot for a really good cause for a program called “Flashes of Hope”     This is a program where photographers donate their time and services to photograph young cancer pediatric patients and their families to help in the fight against childhood cancer.     It is a fantastic program that raises money for cancer research for kids and also gives the kids and their parents a nice experience of being a star for a day and the parents receive a lasting memory of their child to cherish.    Special thanks go to my assistant Abdiel Thorne and my make up artist Candace Wessinger who also generously donated their time for such a worthy cause.

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Go Go Speed Racer!

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Here is a new personal work project I’ve been working on shooting drag racers.

Like most guys,  I have always liked going to the races.   The only thing better than going to the races as a spectator is getting credentials to shoot them.   I have had the good fortune to shoot many races over the years.    From Formula One,  to assignments from Dodge to shoot the Nascar races at Homestead Motor Speedway & Daytona, to projects for Bloomberg Markets shooting events where the a private luxury car club rents an airstrip for the day to race a multitude of ultra high end supercars at speeds of well over 200 mph.

Of all that I have shot,  nothing trumps the thrill of drag racing.   The sound of the engines roaring as the cars speed down the track.    The smell and sight of the smoke of the burning rubber as they do their burn outs.   It is thrilling.     These guys are fearless.     From the souped up street cars rocking 800 horsepower knocking out 10 second 1/4 miles,  to the top fueled dragsters with up to almost 8,000 horsepower that go from 0 to over 300 mph in less than 4 seconds.   Many equate it to the forces you’d feel taking off in the space shuttle as it puts 5 to 6 times the G forces on you as you rocket down the race track.   They are the fastest accelerating land vehicles on the planet.

I love getting out and shooting all this.     As you kneel down next to them when they do their burnouts you can feel the sound waves pounding you like someone beating you repeatedly really fast with large heavy pillows.   It shakes the ground under you and were it not for the ear muffs, would permanently damage your hearing.  It’s unnerving and super exciting all at the same time.    These are just a few images from part one of an at least 3 part series of shoots.   We have both still and video shoots planned at the Top Fuel NHRA races in Charlotte Motor Speedway in March and the IHRA Nitro drag series in April here in West Palm.

To see more of my work go to the Speed Racer section on my site @       http://www.petebarrett.com/Personal-Work/Speed-Racer/1 or follow me on Instagram   @PeteBarrettPhoto   and stay tuned for more exciting stuff in the coming months!

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Summer again….

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Well it’s nearing the end of summer again and once again we found ourselves in Maine.    The place where we go every year for a few months to get away from the heat of Florida…  It’s an amazing place where time seems to stand still and memories last a lifetime.   Last year was the first year that my son Jordan first started to “get it” and really start to be able to appreciate all the wonderful things about my home town of Belgrade Lakes.    This year was even better than last.    Countless hours spent on the lakes, hiking on mountain trails,  boating, swimming, camping, fishing and catching everything from crabs to frogs to mud puppies.    Here are just a few photos of Jordan doing the things that all little boys love to do in Maine on their summer breaks.

 

 

 

 

Dear Santa and Small Miracles….

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As the year winds down I find it nice to be able to slow down think about other things.   Not things about work,  but the more important things like family and the holidays.    The simple things that make me grin.    Like helping my 5 year old son Jordan write his letter to Santa and seeing my little (soon to be born) son on the ultrasound the other day.

It’s these simple things that remind me of how lucky I am and to appreciate every minute of it.      I hope that you all can do the same.     Merry Christmas!

 

Belgrade Reads – Pro Bono Project

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One of the projects we kept busy with while in Maine this summer was to work on a Pro Bono community service project for the Belgrade Public Library.    This was part of an ongoing campaign call “Belgrade Reads”  where we shoot various people from town reading in varied environments.   Posters are created with the images and placed around town to raise awareness and get people to use the library.     Response has been strong,  library use is way up and they are plans are in the works to build a new larger library.

Here are 3 of the images shot this summer.

 

Fine Art- Summer in Maine

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Just returned from an amazing trip to Maine for the summer.   In addition to spending much needed downtime bonding with the family,  I spent a great deal of time shooting for the books and shooting personal work for fine art projects.   Here is one of the first shots from a series of fine art prints.    I will post more as I finish them.

Cape Town, South Africa

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We recently had the opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa for two weeks of shooting and exploration.   Shot tons of new stuff for the portfolios, visited a few ad agencies to show the work, did a quick assignment and lots of exploring.   What a great trip!   If you have never been to South Africa, I highly recommend it.   It is an amazing place.   South Africa is a place that is area that is unique unto itself… far off from the areas where you venture off on safaris.    The people are great and the landscapes are amazing.

I think I’ve mentioned in the past that travel always stirs my creativity.   Nothing like going to far off places and exploring and shooting things that are different from your day to day life or surroundings.   Driving on the opposite side of the road with a stick shift on the wrong side of the car is always an adventure.   Wandering around and finding penguins on Boulders Beach,   Baboons wandering the streets by Misty Cliffs and South of the lighthouse in Kommetije.   Watching the surfers paddle longboards in overhead swell at Surfer’s Corner in Muizenberg on the Indian Ocean.   Finding 19th on Main in Kalk Bay and all you can eat curry… yum!   Climbing Table Mountain and watching as the weather goes from amazing sunset to socked in white out in a matter of minutes leaving you in a place that feels more like Iceland than South Africa.   A short drive outside of downtown Cape Town and you are in Stellenbosh, heart of SA’s wine country.    Just an amazing place full of diversity and many cultural influences.

Much of what we shot on this trip were wide landscape shots along with elements to add in objects and people later primarily for stock and the portfolio.

Here are a few teaser images of these places.   We will be adding in additional structural elements later to give a place to ground talent within the shots.