This Issue June 2018 | Sure Shots

I picked up my first real camera in college in the mid-1990s. It was a Pentax K1000. It shot film, of course, and it was rock solid. Just metal and glass. I could have pounded nails with it. I shot the heck out of that thing, and when I used it up, I moved on to a new Canon SLR.

Despite the convenience my smartphone provides (yes, that is now my camera of choice), I miss the days of dealing with that bulkier equipment. Of sending out film and feeling the nervousness that came with opening an envelope of prints or box of slides for the first time. Please tell me I got the exposure right.

I was reminded a bit of that old mystery and magic as we looked through our favorite Instagram photos that have come to us via #MyNewEngland. Every click became a chance to see someone’s interpretation of New England. Its wide-open landscapes. Its coastlines. Its downtown centers. Its jagged peaks.

In this issue, we showcase some of our favorites. It’s a collection of some truly magnificent work. Narrowing the down the list wasn’t easy, but — in contrast to those early film days — even the outtakes have life. They’re out for the world to see on our Instagram page and not tucked away in a box in a closet, waiting to be looked at once again. Which reminds me…  —Ian Aldrich   

Ian Aldrich

Ian Aldrich is the executive editor at Yankee, where he has worked for more for two decades. As the magazine’s staff feature writer, he writes stories that delve deep into issues facing communities throughout New England. In 2019 he received gold in the reporting category at the annual City-Regional Magazine conference for his story on New England’s opioid crisis. Ian’s work has been recognized by both the Best American Sports and Best American Travel Writing anthologies. He lives with his family in Dublin, New Hampshire.

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