GATHER FOOD CENTER

My history with Gather didn't start behind a lens. It started in the warehouse, on the delivery trucks, and eventually in the community kitchen as a chef. I’ve seen this organization from the inside out—knowing the weight of the crates and the heat of the line. As my work as a commercial photographer in Portsmouth began to take center stage, I knew I wanted to keep contributing to their mission the best way I knew how: by documenting their evolution.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of offering pro-bono services to capture their fundraising events and create profiles of the staff and volunteers who keep the engine running. But this project was different. This was a long-term commitment to construction progress photography, documenting the multi-phase transformation of their new community food center.

Capturing architectural documentation for a space like this is personal. I wasn't just looking at blueprints; I was looking at the future of a kitchen where I once stood. I wanted to capture the "lightning in the veins" of the build—the raw framing, the industrial HVAC installs, and the grit of the construction crew—before the finishes turned it into a polished public space.

For a non-profit, this kind of industrial progress imagery is a vital asset for stakeholder transparency and donor engagement. It shows the community the literal "bones" of the investment. For me, it was a way to stay connected to a cause I believe in, ensuring that the story of their growth was told with the same intentionality and grit I bring to any Winter Holben or EAD Woodwork project.