Last 4^th of July, Erin Heffernan stood in front of house at Sand Hills armed with her camera and an artist’s eye. She focused on the American flag that swayed in the wind over a flower box--- colors bursting against a white deck, and a backdrop of water sparkling from a summer sunset.

Why did she have to have that shot? “Because it tells a Scituate story,” she says.

Similarly, while shooting a senior portrait at a dock on the North River, Erin’s attention was drawn to a motor boat coming in after a day on the Spit. The water, so flat, formed a wake behind the skiff that looked like blown glass. The colors—only two—included bright orange and black. “I was lucky to be there and to turn to see it,” Erin remembers. “It is iconic of a Scituate summer.”

Erin’s love of Scituate and its many angles--- “from a buoy to the Scituate Light House, from marsh grass to the summer sky melting into pink and purple as the sun dips behind the ocean”, is reflected in her photography series: “Scituate through my Viewfinder”.

This week, she will showcase 13 pieces, including five large (24”x30”) displays and countless smaller photos. In addition, her entire portfolio will be available to review from an on-site laptop.

Erin, who has been shooting family portraits for 12 years, is best known for her ability to capture the essence of a child. “Children typically give you a fake smile,” she says. “I will never press the shutter button if I see a fake smile.” Instead, she’ll get down to their level, joke with them, have the parents engage, and then, at the exact right moment, she clicks.

“What makes me happy is when I’m doing a family portrait and the parents look at the picture and say, ‘that’s him, that’s his look’,” she says.

While she loves to work with people, Erin’s passion is her landscape photography. It is about finding the right lighting and the right angle. “It is also having your eyes wide open and noticing what is worth a picture,” she says.

And, her pictures are worth a look:

Erin’s work will be displayed and available for purchase on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 12 Sea Gull Lane in Scituate. It is a great opportunity to socialize, have a glass of wine, get the perfect (affordable) holiday gift for that special Scituate someone, and to enjoy the view through Erin’s eyes!

Erin Heffernan is an independent photographer and a staff writer for South Shore Woman. Contact Erin at: erinheffernan@verizon.net or visit her website: www.erinheffernanphotography.com

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil