HotHaus Collective

05/04/2024

A perfect place for a small biz to call home! Our studio/office in Framingham is on the market. Completely renovated interior, an easy walk from the commuter train station, quiet side street off 135… my family has run successful businesses from this site for 40 years.

Now that our business model has pivoted, it’s time for someone else to grow their dream here!

Photo studio, professionals office (legal/finance/real estate/therapy), yoga, beauty spa, pet groomer… so many possibilities for this space!

For Sale - 9 Saucier St, Framingham, MA - $325,000. View details, map and photos of this commercial property with 0 bedrooms and 0 total baths. MLS # 73201198.

01/22/2022

My last day of the HotHaus takeover features the WORLD PREMIER of the third and final chapter of the mini , “Harvest.”

It was a labor of love to push this project across the finish line, much was learned throughout the process, friends were made, doubts silenced and doors opened.

Thank you to the entire Lam Family for letting us shoot this doc and letting us into their lives. I am very grateful for the opportunity to tell such a great story.
Concepts
gm

01/20/2022

.gm back again with a collaborative project between .concepts .zaslow and

Francine brought us the idea to complete a short video with John Carofoli, a published cookbook author & food stylist from the Cape.

We filmed John making “Brazadella” a delightful bread/cake concoction that he learned from a friend and mentor on the Cape, Mufalda “Muffy” Maioline.

Special thanks to

Enjoy!

01/20/2022

Day 3 of the .gm hothaus takeover and we will be diving back in with part 2 of the mini doc titled, “Growth.”

With growth comes growing pains and most of the time the way through is straight ahead, with a little help from family.

Also feel free to skip forward to about the 17 second mark!

Enjoy!

01/19/2022

Day 3 of the .gm hothaus takeover we will be revisiting part 2 of the mini doc titled, Growth.
When there is growth it can coincide with growing pains and sometimes the best way forward is through!

Enjoy!

01/19/2022

Day 3 of the .gm takeover and we are revisiting part 2 of the short doc. In this chapter we explore how growth can sometimes lead to growing pains and sometimes the only way forward is through!

Enjoy!

01/18/2022

Day two of the .gm takeover and we are switching gears to…the holidays!

This was a collaborative project for between .zaslow .concepts and fellow hothaus member

Model: from
Styling:

Enjoy!

01/18/2022

.gm again, here are couple stills from the Five Fork Farms project, check out part one of our short doc on our profile page.

01/17/2022

.gm here taking over the HotHaus instagram for the week. We are going to start the week with a passion project. The idea was simple, create a nice little video for the flower farm down the street, a portfolio builder to launch back into the video world.

Little did I know at the time, a story would unfold before me of a family rallying together around a dream. A dream set by the youngest member of the family to open a sustainable farm in Western Massachusetts. This is part 1 of a 3 part series on the Grace Lam, her family and their collective creation,

Special thanks to the Lam Family for putting up with my constant visits! And to for all of the help with the edit/story/sound/design a little bit of everything!

01/17/2022

.gm here taking over the HotHaus instagram for the week. We are going to start the week with a passion project. The idea was simple, create a nice little video for the flower farm down the street, a portfolio builder to launch back into the video world.

Little did I know at the time, a story would unfold before me of a family rallying together around a dream. A dream set by the youngest member of the family to open a sustainable farm in Western Massachusetts. This is part 1 of a 3 part series on the Grace Lam, her family and their collective creation,

Special thanks to the Lam Family for putting up with my constant visits! And to for helping with the shooting/edits/sound…the whole project.

01/14/2022

To sign off on my takeover, I figured I’d leave you with some more ! Polaroids are truly magic, and I feel they capture the magic I’m always trying to create better than anything! Here are some recent favorites😃💓

01/14/2022

Hey y’all! Can’t believe how fast this week went! Anyway, wanted to share a small batch of images shot on location because I love location shooting so much! It is so exciting going to a location and scouting around to find the shot, and is it such a thrill to find beautiful light. Magic happens when everything aligns in a location: color, light and time of day, wardrobe, and the whole teams effort coming together to make the shot. Whether it’s something you found or something you added to build the shot it is always amazing when you nail it and the vision comes to life! Here are some that I loved making 💕

01/12/2022

Happy Wednesday y’all! 🌈❤️‍🔥✨ here again for another post! I wanted to share these images because this was an assignment that lit my soul on fire to make❤️‍🔥. It was my first full editorial spread in print too, shot a few year back! I was given the concept- rainbow, and I was obviously thrilled ✨! It is always fun to start with a blank white c*c wall and end up with this result that is full of life and color. Creating a whole vibe and set with just lighting and some crystals to create flare in front of the lens and add some dimension. I remember back in photo school when I tried gels for the first time I was instantly hooked, and knew I wanted to keep perfecting my craft with them because I knew it would be a tool I would love to use. This was my moment! Which shot is your favorite?!

01/10/2022

Day 2 of Instagram takeover! Today is the birthday of my solo show/project “365 Days of Polaroid” where I took a Polaroid every day of 2019 and showed it in its completion on January 10, 2020 right before the world shut down 2 years ago today! This was one of my first significant personal projects that I started just for fun with no plan for the outcome or any expectations for it. I simply aimed to take a Polaroid a day, what ever the day presented or inspired. I ended up with all kinds of stuff: beautiful shoot-day shots, behind the scenes, adventures with friends, self portraits, and glimpses into my every day life- the highs, the lows, and everything in between. I am so glad I got to do this, and share it in the form of an exhibition. It was magical in every way, and Polaroid is such a magical medium to tell the story of your life with. If you want to check out the full project and shots of the showing, everything is up on my website under “Polaroids”! Here are a few from the project! If you have questions on the project, drop them below 😄✨💓

01/09/2022

Morning everyone! here taking over the HotHaus Instagram this week! Just wanted to pop in and say hello, more coming!! 💓🦋 I will be sharing some work and some of my process, comment below on what you’d like to see more of! This photo is how I’m walking into 2022✨✨ Unseen photo from a set!

01/08/2022

will be taking over the feed tomorrow. Go checkout all her awesome work. I’m going to leave you with some quiet moments, enjoy

01/07/2022

I had a post planned for today, then snow.
&w

01/05/2022

Usually as a photographer you get to work with a small to medium team of creative people to make some awesome images. Since 2011 I’ve had the privilege of being a small part of a giant team of creative people that make a night of TV and theatre magic. Thousands of people work hundreds of thousands of hours to make ever year and I get to put my little stamp on it each year. If you haven’t watched before, tsk tsk, it is hands down the best awards show and I highly recommend the dress rehearsal if you can get tickets.

These are some of the theatres I’ve shot in over the years and a few of my favorites sets.

01/04/2022

Sometimes a small moment happens on a shoot that sets in motion a whole bunch of minds working. We kept trying to give this dress more movement while on a flat surface. Flash forward almost a year pizza and beer being consumed when I say to Melissa and Devin wouldn’t it be cool do some shots with clothing that looks like its animated or flyinig. I start showing her a pinterest board I’ve put together and she stops me mid sentence so that she can show me her pinterest board with the indentical reference images.

We get test shoot together and 18 months after the first spark of an idea we are shooting flying clothes! A huge thank you to Jenny Wilson for pulling off the test shoot and slitting styling duties with for the final shoot.

01/03/2022

Hi I’m and I’ll be driving the Hothaus Instagram this week. First off a big thank you to Melissa for making this all happen. Thank you for setting the bar so high. You are putting a lot of pressure on , .gm, and myself to close it out.

I’m going to start with a few of my favorite shots then move into something more thematic.

12/31/2021

For my last day of the takeover (on the last day of the year) I thought I might show another of my passion projects. This is one I return to often. Black and white photographs of the Outer Cape, specifically, and mostly There are many wonderful photographers who cover these areas and who’s work can be enjoyed on Insta in books etc. But fewer work with black and white in a place that traditionally is seen in color. I look to the work of among others as examples. I find interest in the textures, the openness and the light and for me, it all works in black and white.

12/29/2021

Day four takeover of To the extent that l am “known” for my work, it’s probably in the world of education. I have had the privilege of traveling across the country photographing people involved in learning in one way or another. To my eye, it’s one of the most rewarding things I get to do. Photograph young people excited and interested in the world of learning and engaging. While the range of what I do on these jobs is huge, I thought a few examples of some of the more introspective moments might be fun to see here.

12/28/2021

Day three of the Tomkatesphotography takeover of the collective feed. One of the things I love most about my work, is the range of places and people that I get to deal with. Today I am showing two areas, healthcare and corporate lifestyle. From the tension of a life and death surgery, to the intense discussions of a corporate boardroom, I love to find tension and drama, but also warmth and compassion. I am grateful to all those who have given me a brief window into their work lives.

12/27/2021

Welcome to day two of the takeover of the feed. Todays photos show my most recent passion project: Working with lenses.
I have been excited to work in this wide format partly due to my love of classic cinema. These lenses were (and still are) used to create the wide Cinemascope look to movies starting back in the 1950's. The lenses squish the image horizontally and then when the movie was projected, a special lens was added to the projector to "de-squish" the image. Today, we can de-squish in photoshop, but just the action of the initial squish and then de-squish in post, gives a special cinematic magic to the pics. You can see the effects most pronounced in the out of focus backgrounds, and when the lens catches flare. The look is unique to these lenses. Many thanks to my talented model from Also thanks to and for the amazing glass.

12/21/2021

“Come in, — come in! and know me better, man!” From Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
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Another day and another ghost joins on insta-takeover week! Tonight we have a jolly fellow, the Spirit of COLLABORATION.
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Ego has no place on set and you’ll never find them listed on any .concepts call sheet. Every job takes a team of true creative pros to pull off from creative director/producers like myself to photographers and techs to styling crew.
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In fact, when HotHaus was created it was done with a commitment to collaboration between creative professionals for the betterment of all. This industry can feel lonely at times and having this unique web of support and mentorship has been invaluable over the last year. So for today’s post I’d like to share some personal creative direction portfolio collaborations between myself and my fellow photographers!
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1&2 shot with as we explored smoke and defying gravity in studio.
3&4 created on location with as an homage to the work of an artist taken from us way to young (in memoriam Michael V Gmitter).
5&6 cooking up drama with on set.
7&8 playtime with as we chased hope on an airfield with our little friends and looked for a way back in time with a McFly-chique twist.

12/20/2021

here, owner of .concpets and founding member of . As promised, we will be taking a Dickens inspired journey for my insta-takeover this week. First up is the SPIRIT OF CREATION.
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Long before the first shot is taken on set, there has to be a vision. A creative direction that sets the stage for what will be captured: the message, the feel, the light, the brand essence. For me, finding the way to the creative starts with one important step… I LISTEN.
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My job here is to interpret my client’s needs into images and that means I have to hear their story in their own words. Why have they built what they have built? Who does it serve? What values are important to them? What underlying message do they want their customers to take away? It matters not the size of the company or the job title of the person relaying these answers to me… they are stakeholders, deeply invested in the outcome of the creative both personally and professionally. My job is to deliver clear concepts and creative direction for crew and client to rally around.
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I present to you , a small, gender-friendly fashion brand with a big vision of a sustainable future. They were invited to participate in a special fashion trade show event and needed a look book filled with visuals to promote their latest creations. The designer had a few mandatory asks: he had a vision of shooting in a concrete-like setting, the models needed to be emblematic of diversity and inclusion, and he wanted to make a bold impression while “selling some shirts” along the way. And with that we began: set building, model selection, mood boards, photo & style team assembled, lighting concepts. And just like that we had created captivating visuals that celebrate the brand.

12/20/2021

Hey all! This is (aka Mel) and it is my turn to takeover the insta feed this week.
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With 25 years experience as a graphic designer, creative director, project manager and producer, I represent a slightly different yet essential artistic viewpoint from my fellow photographers here at HH. It is a role I wouldn’t trade for anything!
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I found my inspiration for this week’s postings in a slightly unusual place… the inflight entertainment on my way home from a job last week. As I sat watching the classic of a classic “Scrooged”, I thought it could be a fun way to fill the feed in the days leading up to the holiday. Dickens’ tale of evaluating one’s past and present actions in order to move towards more fulfilling future (and avoid disaster) seemed the right chord to strike. We won’t be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future this week… but perhaps some spirits of a different kind. Expect the first as the clock strikes 6…
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This video entitled “Winter Zen” (creative directed and produced by me with the excellent camera and editing work of .gm) felt like the right visual to send us off on our adventure!

12/18/2021

The last day of my () takeover is here!

Collaboration is key the progression.

I have to be honest, this is one of my favorite shots I've ever taken. It was completely unexpected and out of my comfort zone. Hats off to for modeling and helping with all aspects of this shot. Harlem is not only a great photographer in his own rights but an exemplar guy all around. When I asked if he was interested in helping with a personal project, he was on his way over without hesitation.

This shoot was supposed to be completely different than what it ended up being. The original plan was shoot a tabletop still life of a chef knife, much like the second shot in this post. The shot was good but it felt like there was more left on the table (pun intended). Harlem and I got to talking and he suggested a hand in the shot. Little did he know, I was capturing a bit more than just his hand. I don't typically shoot a lot of people in my commercial work, so this was totally out of my comfort zone.

Without the collaboration of Harlem on set, this shot never would've happened. Sharing ideas and talking through creative concepts with someone who shares the same passion to create captivating imagery is vital to progressing as an artist.

I hope you all enjoyed my takeover of the page! Keep following along for more fantastic work by some great creatives!

12/16/2021

Over the hump and onto Thursday, here for day 4.

Work with what you have and have fun with it.

I like to set myself challenges of shooting everyday mundane things in the coolest way I can come up with. This time it was a wrench set from the local big box hardware store. Sometimes working with the things around you can end in the best results. In this case, the bed mat for my pickup truck made for a perfect background. By keeping things simple and focusing on pure visual interest, it forces you to come up with other ways of influencing your viewers attention.

This is where the water comes in. Photographing water is by far one of the most fun mediums a gear head, mad scientist like myself can experiment with. Playing with the sync time of the strobe and long exposures, this shot was a blast to create. Every frame was a surprise that excitited and fed me energy to keep trying different new ideas. The shoot started to get really weird when the LED shop lighting got involved. These unexpected, off the cuff decisions and explorations are what made this shoot all come together.

I urge everybody who is interested in photography to give themselves a challenge and try to exceed even your own expectations. Try one thing, then try the complete opposite. Learn the rules of photography, so that you can then break them wisely.

12/15/2021

Takeover day 3 with me, Christian ()!

Take challenges one step at a time.

My good friend has been teaching me how to flyfish, and when he gave me this beautiful reel as a gift at the end of a shoot we worked together, I knew I was going to photograph it. The challenge with this shot was to create a river set that was manageable in a studio setting. I've found that if you break projects down to one small thing at a time, you can achieve really big results.

By thinking about the natural details of a river bed, it was relatively easy to gather stones, sand, dirt, moss and all the other small things one might find alongside a babbling brook. The whole set had to be built in a watertight tray deep enough to mimic the shallow water of a brookside. The final touch was to add a warm, low light like you have on the best of mornings fishing in late fall.

I learned so much about taking a micro slice out of something as large as a stream and creating a realistic looking environment in studio. It's far from perfect, but I look forward to the next time a challenge like this arises.