Jim Prendergast of Mill Pond Music Studios

I recently remembered this little 2013 excursion, when friend and musician Joe Deleault invited me to join him in the studio for a record he was producing. He, musician Andrew Sterling (who's in the final photo), and I trekked to Mill Pond Music Studio in Portsmouth, NH, to spend the day with owner Jim Prendergast. Prior to establishing this recording studio, Jim was a full-time session guitarist (and more) in Nashville. He still travels there regularly, when not in the studio (as a musician, producer, or engineer) or performing with bands locally.

Natural, indirect light illuminates his studio, thanks to large windows along one wall (extending through multiple rooms)—a photographer's dream. I exposed three or four rolls of film, allowing myself to enjoy observing Jim's process of music-making, not the least of which involves an analog tape deck for audio capture. Brilliant.

And yes, it was just as relaxing and comfortable being there as it looks in the photos.

David Clayton, artist

I met David many years ago. We were introduced at a reception--and then again a few weeks later. Our social, academic, and artistic circles overlapped, and we became friends. He's a trained iconographer, and his most famous venture is a series (and blog and book) called The Way of Beauty.

These photographs were made in his (now former) studio and the chapel at Thomas More College, where he was artist-in-residence, in 2012.  We spent a good portion of an afternoon discussing his work, students, philosophy, and more. He's always working on multiple fronts as an artist (visually & musically), author, and educator, so conversations with him are always varied and engaging.

He now has a new project and lives on the other side of the continent, from where he taunts us New Englanders with photos of tremendous views while hiking (among other things).