Barrington photographer rubs shoulders with generous celebrities

Last May, Barrington photographer Susan McConnell lent her photos of European cities to the fundraising efforts of Wellness Place, a cancer resource center in Inverness.

Earlier this month, she focused her lenses on a different set of subjects: celebrities.

For the seventh year, McConnell volunteered her photography services to Martha Vineyards Community Services, the social service agency on the island that meets the needs of its full time residents.

Called the "Possible Dreams Auction," it took place earlier this month under a tent on the Outerlands on Martha's Vineyard. Nearly 1,000 people stood to watch the celebrity auction, before 300 guests sat down to a gourmet dinner.

"It's considered the plum photography job here on the island, and all I had to do was ask them," says McConnell, who spends her summers there and already volunteered for the agency when she pitched the idea.

"It's just so interesting to see some of these famous people, and how much they

sacrifice to do this," McConnell adds.

The event takes its name from the so-called "impossible dreams" that are auctioned off by the celebrities: lunch with Walter Cronkite; a private concert by singer Carly Simon; a backstage tour of the "60 Minutes" set given by Mike Wallace; or a visit to your child's school by the creator of the "Arthur" series, Marc Brown.

"I've seen Carly Simon play her heart out before a awe-struck crowd," McConnell says. "She encouraged the bidding for a private concert and her homemade peanut butter sandwiches until it reached $80,000 and then she gave it to two parties, bringing in $160,000 for Martha's Vineyard Community Services."

McConnell says Cronkite continues to be a big draw at the event. At nearly 92 years old, guests soak up everything he has to say.

"I've seen him speak passionately to a quiet audience about the state of the world today and how our government needs to change," McConnell says, "before securing an afternoon with him on his sailboat for about $50,000."

This year, there were 30 dreams auctioned in all, and they raised $560,000 for the agency's women's services, counseling and early childhood programs.

Through it all, McConnell was given free access, and she shot away, producing a CD when she finished, which she gave to the agency for their public relations and marketing efforts. In prior years she has seen her photos published in magazines and newspapers across the country.

McConnell describes the auction as the premier event on the island, and she enjoys seeing the private sides of the celebrities.

However, volunteering for the agency, she says allows her to go beyond the rich and famous, and get involved in the fabric of the community.