CUTLINE TOP: Sharon Greenlaw, pointing, of Hudson, directs her daughter Tammy, 8, where to stack Thanksgiving dinners Friday, Nov. 26 at the Hudson Fish and Game Club. According to Dave Irving, Hudson Fish and Game Club president, over 1,100 meals will served or distributed to homeless, senior citizens and less fortunate individuals Thanksgiving Day. This year marks the 20th year from its inception since Gilbert and Karen Knox both of Hudson created the food drive. Gilbert passed in 1994 but Karen has continued the service.

CUTLINE BOTTOM: Samantha Mata, 11, of Hudson Girl Scout Troop 271 stacks boxed Thanksgiving meals Wednesday, Nov. 26 at the Hudson Fish and Game Club. According to Dave Irving, Hudson Fish and Game Club president, over 1,100 meals will served or distributed to homeless, senior citizens and less fortunate individuals Thanksgiving Day. This year marks the 20th year from its inception since Gilbert and Karen Knox both of Hudson created the food drive. Gilbert passed in 1994 but Karen has continued the service.

TECH SPECS: f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 800, 24mm

THOUGHTS: I’ll admit, from time to time we photojournalists run into a conundrum of which photo is the best in our edit. We like to think we know our, “money shot,” but sometimes it’s hard to distinguish which one we want to publish on page one. For the print edition I went with the bottom photo. But my heart liked the top frame a little bit more a day after. The bottom photo I liked how the color was isolated to her face in a sea of white. However, the communication between mother and child in the top frame sang a little more to my heart and eyes. What do you think?

In the making of this photo, I wanted to get a higher vantage point. I knew in my mind what an overhead shot of this would look like so I had to eliminate any distracting elements from the background. I grabbed a chair, stood on it and waited for people to walk around me. I fired off about 20 frames and liked the resulting two images. I knew I needed a larger depth of field beyond my favorite f/1.4 so I went with 2.8 and cranked up the ISO not to have any blur. The resulting image that ran in print, bottom photo, was used because not only for color isolation and its high-key nature but because it showed more boxes of dinners. The second spoke more action/reaction, communication and a little bit nicer moment but I think they both kinda stand on their own.

Happy Holidays!

CUTLINE: Nashua North fans get fired up before the Titans match-up against the Pinkerton Astros Wednesday, Nov. 5 at Pinkerton Academy. The Astros blanked the Titans 3-0 in during the semifinal round of the Division I NHIAA tournament.

TECH SPECS: f/1.4, 1/200, ISO 400, 24mm

THOUGHTS: It’s funny how you have an afterthought about a shot that occured weeks ago. I thought this frame really spelled out the spirit of battle in competition. I saw this gaggle of fans wait for another volleyball team to finish when they started their chanting. I had shot the football players earlier this day and they recognized me. It was nice they knew me so they felt comfortable with me shooting them up close. Too bad the girls lost

CUTLINE: Maria Rosario, center, of New Bedford, Mass. becomes emotional during Barack Obama’s presidential acceptance speech watching via television Wednesday, Nov. 4 in Manchester. Obama ousted Republican rival John McCain to become the 44th president of the United States. “It’s a historic moment,” Rosario said. “It’s the epitome of what humanity is all about. I’m honored to be in this moment.”

TECH SPECS: f/1.4, 1/50, ISO 800, 24mm

THOUGHTS: I was watching the scene waiting for some emotion from the crowd. After a few yells and screams from other onlookers, I saw this woman. I’ll admit another photograher was on her first but he was flashing her face not taking advantage of ambient light, possibly because of the fact he did not want to use a higher ISO. Alas, I moved in and focused on trying not to include too much clutter behind her head while trying to include as many faces as possible. The end result I had several to choose from but this one stood out due to its framing and emotion. I think it’s a simple frame with a subtle moment on how most of America is feeling about a new president. Partisan rhetoric aside, you cannot deny change is coming. I hope it’s in the right direction and that the Obama hype is what it is cracked up to be.

CUTLINE: Nashua firefighters walk to the backyard of the remains of the mobile home at 42 Fotene Wednesday, Nov. 13 in Nashua. A fire broke out before 10:00 p.m. at Pitarys Homes Inc., a mobile home park near West Hollis Street. The fire department did not comment on any information about the home owner.

TECH SPECS: f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 1000, 50mm

THOUGHTS: Before leaving work last night writer Joe Cote and I heard over the scanner of a fire that broke out in West Nashua. Arriving on scene, we both saw the remaining blaze that had consumed a mobile home. Each one is a little more heart-wrenching than the next. Seeing the scene from the backyard and the wall of smoke backligting the scene I plopped down behind the taped off fire line and was hoping to come up with something emotional and pleasing. In the end I think this frame said a lot about the night. The moodiness, the rubble, the smoke the light, I think it all works for me.

V-J Day, 1945

  “I saw a sailor running along the street grabbing any and every girl in sight.” he explained. “Whether she was a grandmother, stout, thin, old, didn’t make any difference. I was running ahead of him with my Leica looking back over my shoulder…Then suddenly, in a flash, I saw something white being grabbed. I turned around and clicked the moment the sailor kissed the nurse.” Eisenstaedt was very gratified and pleased with this enduring image. “People tell me that when I am in heaven they will remember this picture.”  - Eisenstaedt.   Article from Peter Fetterman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

I’ve been shooting elections since the mid-80’s. Some of those were is tiny old country schoolhouses in rural Minnesota, surrounded by open fields. I don’t remember long lines of voters, just pickups and tractors lined up along gravel roads.

Inside the polls, things aren’t much different now for photographers, than they were 20 years ago. Voting booths are more colorful these days, ballots are rarely counted by hand, and restrictions are tighter for photographers. But, the subjects we look for are still the same.

Josh Kiesow peers out from under a voting booth while his father, Damon, casts his ballot at St. James United Methodist Church of Merrimack, N.H., in the general election November 4, 2008.

Little kids get my attention at the polls every year. It’s fun to watch them wonder underneath the voting booths, and peeking out of the curtains. Yes, we’ve all seen those pictures before, but something draws our attention to those curious little ones.

One of the better photos I shot yesterday, was in Merrimack (above). One of our Telegraph editors came through to vote with his son. I held my camera on the floor and watched to see what he would do while dad was voting. I think he had Power Rangers in his hands.

-Bob Hammerstrom