Last May I was amped up to photograph the first day of the Connecticut Spring Boat Show in Essex, CT. I arrived early and I was thrilled to find a parking space on the street close to the entrance of the show. I couldn’t wait to see the exquisite yachts that can cost as much as a large mansion. Everyone attending the show had to take a short ferry ride to the docks. I got nervous when I found out that the docks are constantly moving up and down on the water; since I need to take the 360-degree images for a virtual tour from a stationary tripod. I checked in with the show owner, and we walked through the areas of the show where he wanted the Google virtual tour to go. I took a bunch of still shots around the show which had multiple walkways and boat slips. It was one of those perfect spring days.

I had only taken the two cameras and the tripod, since I didn't want to lug my big camera bag around. I set up my tripod to start taking the virtual tour images,  I turned my camera on and …. nothing. I have been a professional photographer for over fifty years; and I was furious at myself for making the classic rookie mistake.

I always fully charge my batteries after each assignment before I place my camera back in my camera bag. Apparently, this battery was at the end of it's useful life and did not hold a charge, and I failed to check my camera before leaving my car. I had made the classic rookie mistake! How embarrassing. Being a photographer can keep you humble because there are so many things that can go wrong. I had to tell the show owner that I had made a rookie mistake and that I would be back. 

Fortunately, I keep many charged batteries in the trunk of my car. I had to take the short ferry ride back to land and then take a walk to my car. By this time the crowds were starting to arrive making the virtual tour photography a bit more difficult. You will see many blurred people walking around me in the virtual tour images.  At least the weather and the yachts were beautiful. I keep my fingers crossed that the moving dock would not be a problem with the panorama photos. The next day I stitched up the panoramas on my computer and they looked great. What a relief! Then I ordered more camera batteries. You can’t ever have too many batteries in your camera bag, and you need to bring extra batteries with you! The Google tour is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bTHREpZ4TvqgngBq6

With the cold and snow we have experienced on the east coast this winter, I thought it would be pleasant to take a late summer virtual visit to the Catskills. I photographed this tour in September of 2024. Spring will be with us soon since players report this week to many major league spring training camps. I can't wait for baseball to start again!   The Foxfire Mountain House https://www.foxfiremountainhouse.com/ in Mount Tremper, NY is a restored inn on ten private acres in the Catskills. The inn offers guestrooms, cottages and a cabin with a pond on their grounds. The inn hosts weddings as well as offering fine dinning and a bar. 

Enjoy a relaxing Google virtual tour through the inn and around the grounds and the lily pod here:

 

I always enjoy photographing unusual businesses. That was the case when I was assigned to produce a Google virtual tour and still photos for American Flat Bread in Sommerville, Massachusetts https://americanflatbread.com/locations/somerville-ma/ . The pizza there is handmade and baked in a stone fireplace with glowing embers.

What makes the location unique is the pizza restaurant also has lanes for candlestick bowling.

You will find candlestick bowling only in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and the Maritime Providences of Canada.  The ball used in candlestick bowling is only 4.5 inches in diameter and weighs two pounds seven ounces. Unlike ten pin bowling, no one has ever scored a perfect game of 300. The highest score recorded was 245 in 2014.

The bowling costs $39 / hour per lane and shoe rental is $4.

You can take the Google tour here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/a9wh5JezQwZtwm3p9

According to the manager Melissa Merrill, the bowling alley is the last of 19 originally opened in 1939 by the famous Sacco’s Bowling family who allowed American Flatbread to take over the building and the bowling. “So now it’s not condos, it’s candlepins. It’s not a parking lot, it’s pepperoni.”

This was one of many unique businesses that I had the privledge to photograph this year, So far, 2025 has been an amazing year for me!

Timothy Becker

Creative Images Photography

901 Main St.

Manchester, CY 06040

tim@2cimages.com

 

Victoria Gardens

 

From time to time, I have a photo assignment that is so colorful; there are beautiful photos to be taken everywhere I point my camera. Last year I produced a Google virtual tour and still photos for Victoria Gardens in Rosendale New York https://www.victoriagardens.biz/  Victoria Gardens has a nursery, garden center, and gift shop. According to their website Victoria Gardens has a landscaping division that “has been designing, installing, and maintaining gardens in Ulster county for over 30 years." This was another fun photo assignment.

The gift shop offers house plants, jewelry, garden ornaments, wind chimes, pottery, and cards.

The garden center has a wide variety of plants, soils, seeds, arbors, trellises, outdoor rugs and garden tools.

Seeing these flowers, I am so glad that Spring has arrived. You can take the Google tour here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EAWaQRDzweTXCvYB9

Timothy Becker

Creative Images Photography

901 Main St.

Manchester, CT 06040

tim@2cimages.com

Last December I was assigned to photograph three adjacent businesses owned by the same owner, Alan Brinto, in Westerly, Rhode Island: Grey Sail Brewery/ https://greysailbrewing.com/ , South Country Distillers https: //southcountydistillers.com/, and Grey Sail Taproom. https://greysailbrewing.com/  

The Christmas decorations were up to celebrate the season.

Spirits, Cold beer, and  Grey Sail swag is available for purchase in the showroom.

I visited on a Monday when all three businesses were closed. I made still images and produced a Google virtual tour for each one. According to their website the brewery building built in 1920 was once a macaroni factory, a US Post Office, and an auto parts store, before being renovated in 2011 into a brewery.

South Country Distillers started in 2018 offers a variety of spirits: A 80 proof Agave, 80 proof Rums, 60 proof Limoncello, 80 proof Vodka, 86 proof gin, and 40 proof Expresso Martini.

    According to their website a 300 gallon hybrid copper still allows the distillery "to create any spirit we can dream up".

Food is available at the Taproom with indoor and outdoor seating Memorial Day through Columbus Day and indoor seating with events and occasional live music throughout the rest of the year..

The Brewery tour is here: Grey Sail Brewing

The Distillery tour is here:: South County Virtual Tour

The Tap Room tour ids here: Grey Sail Tap Room

There is also an on-line store for beer, spirits, apparel, and Grey Sail swag: https://grey-sail-brewing-company-llc.square.site/

Grey Sail Tap Room is ta great place to relax all year long, The summer months must be amazingly busy. Westerly, Rhode Island is minutes away from the beautiful Rhode Island beaches.

 

Tim Becker

Creative Images Photography

901 Main St.

Manchester, CT 06040

860-528-7818

tim@2cimages.com