Saturday, April 21, 2012

Greenland Police Chief Michael Maloney

This will be a different kind of blog post for me, but I was compelled to share my experiences over this past week.  For the past 6 or 7 years, I have primarily photographed weddings, but my love of photography started with something entirely different. I wanted to take pictures that made a difference, that made people think.  Early on, I was always touched by the photos of people like Lewis Hines and Jacob Riis.  Their photos didn't give you that 'warm and fuzzy' feeling, but they made you stop in your tracks and question our world.  They made you want to DO something to bring about change.  They made it impossible to just sit still and ignore the injustices happening around us.  Their photos were heartbreaking, but they were real, and they were necessary.  (stepping off of my soap box now)  That is where my love of photography began, and what led me to become a photojournalist.  This past week, I was humbled and honored to be asked by the NH Association of Chiefs of Police to photograph the services for Greenland Police Chief Michael Maloney.  In my time as a photojournalist, I actually had several interactions with Chief Maloney as he was Chief of one of the towns I covered and was often at town events.  I can't say that I knew him well, but enough to remember his constant presence in his town.  His passing also hit very close to home for me because my father-in-law, a man I have the utmost respect for, is a long time Police Chief, and I have a number of people near and dear to my heart who are also members of various law enforcement agencies.  My husband, Mike, is also a full time firefighter, so any duty related deaths always give me reason to pause.   The goal of having a photographer present at the services was to show the impact Chief Maloney had on the people around him and to illustrate the support and love shown by the community and his fellow officers.  I was beyond honored to do this and what I saw over those two days will stay with me forever.  Here are some of the images that I captured.  Hopefully by looking at them you will be able to see what a great man he was, how many lives he touched,  and how much he was loved and respected.



















20 comments:

  1. Pictures capture a moment in time that passes to quickly. These pictures say it all, the strength of a Chief,the lives that he touched and a community coming together. Thank you.

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  2. A ever-grateful Greenland citizenApril 21, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    What a BEAUTIFUL tribute to an incredible soul...he will be missed by so many.

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  3. Beautiful images. Such a sad time for our area and so glad you were able to document it for us. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Rebecca, that was beautiful...what a tribute to a great law enforcement officer....thank you.

    Sandra Cusson
    The Villages, Fl

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  5. Great job, beautiful pictures.

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  6. Absolutely wonderful pictures. Thank you for enabling us all to share this moving experience.

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  7. Job well done. A nice tribute Mike. Definately sharing with my friends and family.
    Thanks

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  8. Words can't describe the way our community bonded together to honor this hero.

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  9. I would like to take this time as a fellow photographer to Thank You for posting these wonderful photo's of Chief Maloney's final rollcall and ride. He is certainly a Hero and will be sadly missed by many. God Bless him, his family, his fellow brothers and sisters in all units, and the community.
    I always said I became a Photographer many years ago, because I wanted to perserve memories for families to enjoy for generations to come, to leave stories for them. You have certainly captured this for all to remember such a brave man. Thank you again for doing this for us all to remember.
    Sincerely, Jennie Patterson, Waterville, Maine

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  10. Thank you for portraying so eloquently what all our officers are willing to do for us on a moments notice. Please remember to thank an officer today for keeping is safe on a daily basis.
    Mom of a Newmarket Police Officer and very proud of it!

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  11. Thankyou so much for putting this together. This shows the true humanity. Very well done! R.I.P Cheif Maloney Godbless

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  12. No words...just, Thank you

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  13. These are simply amazing. The video slide show at the end really brought back a lot of emotions from Thursday. Thank you so much for taking the time to put all of these and the slide show together. Truly amazing.

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  14. beautiful pictures of a somber day.

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  15. Respect. Thank you.

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  16. Absolutely beautiful work, Michael. This is truly a fitting tribute to the memory of Chief Maloney. You can't help but feel the emotions captured not just from the people, but from the community at this loss. Thank you for your willingness to share this work.

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  17. Thank you on behalf of Greenland Women's Club. Very touching and helping process this unfortunate tragedy. RIP Mike, you will be missed.

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  18. You are a wonderful photojournalist and did capture some great moments of a grateful group of people honoring Chief Maloney. Thanks you so very much!!!

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  19. Amazing...Thank you for sharing! God Bless all of the men & women in uniform who protect us everyday.

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