Jennifer Smith-Mayo Photography

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January 25, 2012 by JSM

2011: A Look Back at an Extraordinary Travel Year

JSM on location with LPI in a cassava field in Bahia, Brazil, South America. Photo by Eddie Siebert/LPI

Last weekend, while I was searching through my Lightroom catalog of photos and videos, I suddenly stopped and thought holy guacamole, Wow!, what an extraordinary photo/video/travel year for me! So I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my Top 10 Favorite Photo Moments from last year. I’ll do the “Letterman-thing” and begin with Number 10 and work my way to Number 1 over the next week or so. I’ll post an outtake photo or two, a link to the finished project (a few are coming soon in 2012!), and a few words about what made that particular place—or shooting moment—so memorable. Stay tuned, Number 10 coming right up!

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January 26, 2012 by JSM

The Countdown Begins … Number 10

Let the countdown begin! Over the next week or so I’ll work my way down a list of my Top 10 Favorite Photo Moments from last year. I’ll post an outtake photo or two, a link to the finished project (a few are coming soon in 2012!), and a few words about what made that particular place—or shooting moment—so memorable. Stay tuned for Number 9, coming soon!

Number 10: UVM Morgan Horse Farm, Weybridge, Vermont

I spent a hot June day photographing Morgan horses—from wee lads and lasses and their mamas to adolescents in serious training. Two memorable moments: The first occurred while I was photographing in the middle of the nursery paddock. The UVM staff ushered the foals and the mares out of the barn and into their paddock. It was a lovely sunny day and it wasn’t long before the babies plopped down and snoozed at their mamas’ feet (this is always disconcerting to me, they look so … still). I quietly made some photographs and happened to slowly turn around to stand up and—hello!—there appeared one very curious filly looking down at me! As I stood up she didn’t shy away, but followed me around, sniffing me, snorting into my camera … nudging me in the back when I wasn’t making photos of her! It was a grand time and she put bad thoughts into my head about considering raising horses (my poor husband!).

The second memorable moment happened later that day. In the afternoons, the UVM staff often will lead a Morgan mother with her foal following along to the farm’s front paddock. It’s a great place for visitors to get a closer view of the horses. This day was no exception. The mare, UVM Freedom, walked quietly on her lead to the paddock. Her foal, a beautiful Chestnut filly named UVM Trinity had a different idea. Once she was out of the barn, she shot forward, ran a couple of circles around her mom, bucked about a bit, then gathered speed and struck off across the wide expanse of freshly mowed lawn. She galloped around and had a grand old time, whinnying to her mom, flying by under the stately Justin Morgan statue, and happily evaded capture by the staff until she got a bit … well … reprimanded. Her mom called to her and eventually Trinity found her mom and coasted into the paddock. What a great moment!

By the way, UVM Trinity, is the Morgan Horse Farm 2011 Raffle Filly. Her sire is UVM Tennyson. Click here for info about the 2012 Raffle.

Project: Vermont Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Green Mountain State, Globe Pequot Press, July 2012.

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August 25, 2011 by JSM

Rave Review!

The newest issue of Down East: The Magazine of Maine contains a review of Maine Icons, and we’re pleased to report they love it. Reviewer Julia Spencer-Fleming doles out ample words of praise, in part:

“Part travel guide, part food journal, part history: Like many Mainers, Maine Icons wears more than one hat. It’s the kind of book to keep in the summer camp for day-trip ideas, or to have on the lunch counter, where the old salts can argue whether Moody’s Diner really does have the best pies. It will be a welcome gift to the couple making their very first visit to the Pine Tree State, and, perhaps most importantly, the perfect bedside read for all those not lucky enough to live here year round.”

For the rest, click here. And the print version of the magazine offers a variety of color photos from the book. And while you’re at it, might as well buy the book, too!

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July 6, 2011 by JSM

Maine Icons: Summer Signing Dates

As part of our MAINE ICONS-apaloozablowouttourfest, we’ll be attending several upcoming events. Be sure to stop by, snap up a copy or six of MAINE ICONS, and we’ll be more than happy to sign them!

July 9:
Books in Boothbay: Maine’s Summer Book Fair
12:30 to 3:30

The old 1844 Boothbay Town Hall
The Boothbay Railway Village
586 Wiscasset Road/Route 27
Boothbay, Maine

Dozens of Maine authors will be there!

July 30:
Belfast Bound: Belfast’s Book Festival
July 29-31
We’ll be signing at Bella Books & Antiques on Saturday, July 30, from 2 to 4 p.m.

August 23:
Belfast Free Library
6:30 p.m.

We’ll talk about how we put the book together, and have a Q & A session, too.

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June 27, 2011 by JSM

The Boston Globe Digs Our Action!

Maine Icons was reviewed/covered in Sunday’s Boston Globe Books section. Here’s what they had to say:

Maine By The Numbers
By Jan Gardner
Globe Correspondent June 26, 2011

Did you know that Maine’s moose population is second only to Alaska’s? Or that Chester Greenwood, at 15, invented the earmuff? This is the kind of education you’ll get from “Maine Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Pine Tree State’’ (Globe Pequot) by Jennifer Smith-Mayo and Matthew P. Mayo. It paints a picture of Maine by the numbers: 65 lighthouses, 4,613 islands, 80 million pounds of lobsters pulled from the state’s waters every year. And it is a love letter to what makes Maine Maine, from black flies and Stephen King to whoopie pies and the Big Chicken Barn, a favorite destination for book lovers.

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