Local photographer uses talents to give back

In March 2011, Pete Sutton wrote the following about his chosen profession in a blog post entitled “Why I Take Pictures.”

“Photographs are time capsules, portals to the past,” wrote the Canton father of four and owner of Pete Sutton Fine Art. “They document brief moments, but can speak volumes.

Pete Sutton with his dad in a 2011 photo

“Want to know what is important to me? Look at my photography. It is a view from my window. It is a lasting document of what interests me, what catches my eye, what I love and cherish.”

Sutton’s commentary, which still rings true two years later, was paired with images of his father, himself, and his eldest son, Christopher. Sharing a view from his window, Sutton wrote about watching his son grow up before his very eyes and about visiting his dad and hoping that he could live up to the example he had set.

It therefore seems rather fitting that Sutton, a man who prioritizes family and fine art photography, in that order, would stumble upon an organization like HeartsApart.org — a nonprofit group whose sole mission is to keep families connected through photographs while loved ones serve overseas in the military.

Founded in 2010 in North Carolina, Hearts Apart provides soon-to-be deployed servicemen and women with pictures of their spouses and children at no cost to the families. The photographs, according to HeartsApart.org, are “printed on waterproof and durable bi-folded cards, which fit securely in their uniform pocket.”

Originally a local project, Hearts Apart currently boasts a network of over 140 photographers in 39 states and is always looking to add more volunteers. Sutton, who has done a few shoots already and had another one lined up for Wednesday at Pequitside Farm, is currently the only Boston-based photographer listed at HeartsApart.org.

“It sounded like a great opportunity for me to give back, and in my eyes it’s just an awesome program,” noted Sutton, who first became involved in the project a few months ago.

And while he does not come from a military background or have any direct experience with sending someone off to war, Sutton has enjoyed getting to know each of the families and takes a certain measure of pride in lending his unique skills to the cause.

“I’ve gotten some beautiful thank-you letters,” he said. “It’s easy enough for me, and all it costs me is a couple of hours of my time — and it’s always an enjoyable and very warm experience overall.”

He also happens to love taking photographs and jumps at any chance he can get to practice his craft — which has also recently become his livelihood after a 20-year career in video production.

Sutton took this photo of a soldier and his baby just prior to his deployment.

Although he continues to operate as a freelance cameraman, Sutton now dedicates most of his time and energy to his photography business, which has grown considerably over the past four years.

“Photography gives me a lot more control over what I’m doing, and video production is a much more involved process,” he said. “Owning my own company and taking pictures, I have total control.”

In starting Pete Sutton Fine Art, Sutton’s goal was to take his experience with studio lighting and apply it to still photography to bring something different to the medium — something a little more elegant to it, as he described it.

“A lot of people do natural light photography,” he said, “but I bring a studio approach to photography. I have a unique and different look than your typical photographer. I think my look stands out.”

Sutton said the response to his photographs has been very positive thus far, although he is never satisfied and is constantly thinking of ways to expand the business and attract more clients.

He is also very excited about a new partnership he has forged with the Canton High School Athletic Booster Club to create and sell posters for each of the CHS sports teams. Having previously taken photos of the CHS football team for head coach Dave Bohane, Sutton figured that other teams might be interested, and so he made a pitch to CHS Athletic Director Danny Erickson, who connected him with some of the school’s other coaches.

So far, Sutton has produced team posters for the CHS boys’ basketball and girls’ hockey teams, and he’s about to release a poster for the wrestling team. He already has some of the spring teams lined up and is in talks with some of the others.

Each poster sells for $20 and the proceeds benefit the booster club. Sutton said the posters are currently available through the coaches only, although he would like to make them available for purchase online in the future.

“The kids put a lot of hard work into their sports and have a lot of team spirit,” said Sutton, “and so I thought I could take what the colleges do in promoting their sports through posters and do the same thing for the high school kids.”

“I think it is also a great opportunity to showcase our student-athletes and their hard work, help foster pride in our local teams, as well as raise some money to help the teams out,” he added.

Ultimately, Sutton would like to see the posters become a popular tradition for all Canton sports teams — just as he hopes that photographs in general will remain treasured keepsakes for generations to come.

“One of the reasons I’m a photographer is I have a great belief in the history that photography gives you,” he said. “I think there’s something very timeless about photography, which is another reason why I love what I do.”

For more information about Pete Sutton Fine Art and to view samples of Sutton’s work, go to www.petesuttonfineart.com.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Feb 7 2013. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.