This is Betty Ann Balboni, my neighbor, my friend, and an incredible woman. I have known Betty for close to 30 years, and today she honored me by joining me in my studio for the launching of a new project. For those who may not realize, I was raised in Medway, Massachusetts, a town in which I still live and am raising my family. I am proud of this town, proud to be part of this community. I do what I can to share this pride through my photos. In 1999 I had this thought, what if I took pictures of the people that lived here? I was going to get a van (I know how creepy that might sound now) and load it with printing equipment. I had just sold my One-hour Film Lab; I thought I could take the show on the road. Go to houses, take photos, run out to the van and make prints… I would call it Tim Rice Photo. I would put one of these photos from each family in a book, and they would eventually put it in the Medway Public Library next to Francis Donovan’s book about Medway that fascinated me as a kid.
Well, here I am just shy of 20 years later, there is no van, but there is a Tim Rice Photo. I do go to people’s houses, or they come to my Medway Studio. I do have enough photos of the town to fill a book, not of the people. During the 300th parade in 2013 I was allowed to sit on the VFW float and take photos, I took pictures of the people lined up and down Main and Holliston St. all watching the parade. I called the set: We Are Medway. I have continued the process by joining the Santa Parade each year in November and doing the same. I love it, and I hear from so many people who can’t wait to try to find themselves in the set of photos, but that original idea still lingered. So here we are, July 1, 2018 – I am introducing The We Are Medway Project.
In an attempt to describe it today I called it a living yearbook of a town. I want to take Medway’s photo, one person at a time. Medway Residents, people who work here, have businesses here, officials, teachers, past and present. It sounds huge, and it might be, it might not be… it is a work in progress, with only a few guidelines. The photo is black and white, and the picture is taken at my studio with the background that accompanies Betty Ann above, I am not charging to take the photo, I also am not paying. This is a volunteer initiative. I am inviting you to be part of the project. I have a webpage and more planned, maybe even one day a book if demand is enough. Last, included with your photo is a brief bio, name, age, occupation and how you ARE Medway. Betty Ann’s is below:
- Name: Betty Ann Balboni
- Age: 89
- Medway Resident for 45 years
- Medway Business Owner: Medway Auction Gallery, Auctioneer, Retired
- Medway Fact: Betty Ann took over her father’s auction house, Lou’s Country Auction/Medway Auction Gallery located on Village St. (Now Galante’s Restaurant) after her father passed in 1971 – Betty Ann was one of very few, if not the only, female auctioneers in the state at the time.
So this is my new project, I am looking for volunteers, I am also looking for nominations. I have a list of people who I would love to be part of this project, being resident of the town for over 40 years myself, I know of so many special people who it just makes perfect sense should be part of this project, but I am also looking for the people I do not know. Please be patient as this starts up, I am unsure what to expect, and I still do have those weddings, events, senior photos, family portraits and more to book – cheap plug. As requests come in, I will start to make a list and prioritize it as I can.
Thank you to Betty Ann for being the first, I asked her less than 24 hours ago if she would do this, without hesitation, she was ready to help out. Her session consisted of 6 shots maybe 5 minutes of camera time. I want these to be simple, and real. These are to represent who we are… We Are Medway (corny I know, but it felt right). Contact me if you want more info, to volunteer, or even if you just know someone I should get in front of the camera. Thank you for reading.
Follow the project here: http://timricephoto.zenfolio.com/wearemedway
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Tim Rice introduces “The We Are Medway Project,” a heartwarming initiative to capture the unique stories and faces of Medway’s residents, creating a living yearbook of the town. Through simple black and white portraits taken at his studio