As we move like a freight train into summer I am finally catching up enough to actually look and write on my own blog.
I’ve been in New England Area since the middle of March. The Coastline is simply beautiful in any weather. The timing was just perfect with enough cold and wet weather to experience winter and the timing to a perfect spring. The icing on the cake is sharing it with Shireen who has graciously accepted my craziness for the time being. Hikes, mountain biking and runs through a gorgeous coastal town make the perfect way of being.
I’ve had the pleasure on dinning on lobster more times then I can remember and am enjoying the seafood here at every chance it get. The walk to town is over a 100 year old bridge and the town is just that, a town, with a main street, shops and lots to do and see. A summer mecca for surrounding towns and states.
It’s been absolutely gorgeous and this is the first time I have experienced a real spring in a very long time. And believe me, it goes by fast. Before you know it the leaves are back on the trees and the flowers are everywhere.
Cooped up in a small office I was afforded the opportunity and time to educate myself on photography and even took in a Vegas trade show, made new contacts, invited to write for a Photography SEO blog, Togs4Togs, and began shooting again.
Then I came across Skydive New England, which is run by an old friend Mike Carpenter and his partner Fred Cotreau. It’s amazing skydiving center they have built over the last 10 years and is reminiscent of jumping centers of long ago. Jumping here makes me remember why I started jumping in the first place. It’s more like a big family.
Nestled in the woods about an hour from Boston is a private airstrip surrounded by a couple hundred acres of land. It’s a pretty tight airfield with about a mile runway that goes downhill and even has a dogleg to it. The jumping students that come out of here are very good at accuracy as they have to be with little outs and 100 foot trees in all directions. That goes for the pilots too.
Before I knew it I was offered a summer position as General Manager with 30+ staff and time took off. Fully moving here and setting up took almost two months. Living quarters here are in the middle of the woods amongst the tall trees in one of the coolest, friendliest and happy campgrounds completely filled with Skydivers who love and are proud of what they do.
One has to live here to work here. Over 100 tandems in a day is the norm during the peak season. Every day that goes by the busier we get. I’ve gone from barely having enough equipment to a full editing station, an office and a complete home.
The staff here are amazing. My learned team concepts were readily accepted. It wasn’t hard to see again the timing was right and this is a very seasoned and serious DZ staff. Everyone works hard, takes pride in what they do and when this place is running you might not even know it was busy, except for making ten plus jumps on any given day or pumping out over 100 tandems on any given day.
Management is one of the best I’ve work with over the years, hands down. Committed to not only their business but the staff and the jumping community is truly refreshing. No matter what side one is on when the chips are down everyone is working together. Time is going so fast and we are all working on so many projects it is going to be interesting to see how all this turns out by the end of the season. It’s exciting to say the least.
In this part of the US there is a short summer season for jumping so the jumpers out here are very eager to jump. The drop zone is always busy with work of one kind or another. Projects are always underway. I haven’t seen a DZ that works as hard as this place on their facilities in regards to the operation and business, the staff and the fun jumpers.
There is just tons to do, be involved in and it is never boring. Since accepting the position I have not stopped moving. It was the perfect timing and offer.
I am hoping in the coming months as summer races to an end here I will be able to share this drop zone, lifestyle of skydiving and the pictures that go with it. Stay tuned, I am just getting started. Most of my shooting has been tandems and I have been experimenting with these photos.
Hopefully in the next month I will be garnering new camera equipment and begin actually documenting the people and lifestyle, so stay tuned.
Summer in New England, absolutely beautiful!
Check out the Skydive New England web page. We have two facebook pages The Skydive New England Fan Page and the Skydive New England Learning center where I am uploading tons of pics every week.
Thanks for tuning in!
HP
