HAMPDEN – Though he’s quite busy being a mechanic, a photographer and a father to his 4-year-old son, one Hampden resident has been touring around town filming videos with his camera, his drone and his creativity.  While filming videos of Hampden started as a hobby, the clips have been touching the lives of both past and present Hampden residents.  Though he’s been creating a name for himself in town, his YouTube channel insists he’s simply “Your Everyday Dad.”

Craig Rivest moved to Hampden three years ago with his family and decided he wanted to build a stronger connection with the community.  He joined the “01036: The Hampden, Massachusetts Occasional” Facebook page, where Hampden residents post vintage town photos, bring up civic issues and discuss town events.  He began to share photos he took around Hampden to the page, which eventually grew into videos.

“Those videos evolved into capturing the community we live in and a way to share the beauty of the place we call home,” Rivest recounted.  

The outpour of support for Rivest’s videos is evident on the 01036 Facebook page. Rivest posted a link to his Vlog, “Drone exploring of Small New England Town Sunrise.” The video featured Rivest venturing into town at 5:40 a.m., jokingly stopping into Dunkin Donuts for a morning pick-me-up and eventually landing on the ideal location to shoot a video of the sunrise at Memorial Park.  Rivest takes viewers through Memorial Park as he prepares for his drones takeoff, and eventually shows spectacular views from 250 feet in the air over Hampden.  When residents watched this video, Rivest was surprised by the reactions he received.

Nancy Crowley O’Connell commented on Rivest’s video, “Greetings from Harveyville, Texas.  I cried when I watched this video.  I’ll admit it.  Everything has been so stressful and ugly here it felt good to soar like an eagle over my little hometown in Massachusetts.  Thanks Craig, I hope you continue to do this while you can, you reach people far and wide.”

In another comment, Laurie McHugh expressed that the video “let her visit home.”

Rivest’s videos appear to be a way for past and present residents to see their hometown at a new angle.

“The support from the community was much greater than I could have ever expected and the relationships I formed from the people I’ve met are truly amazing,” Rivest said. “The community has been very accepting, they have opened their arms, hearts and shared many personal stories with me about town.”

While Rivest said he creates the videos as a way to make memories to cherish with his family, he didn’t foresee the impact he would have on others.

“What I didn’t realize was, that for every new memory I make, someone else has a past memory they’re now re-living,” he said.

While almost anyone can take their iPhone and film a video, Rivest’s videos are not as simple as point-and-shoot.  His videos include added background music, shots from different perspectives and angles, as well as narration.

“My main focus is on capturing the whole experience and telling a story of what leads up the aerial videos with my drone, not just the outcome.  I want the people watching to feel like they are there with me, first hand, and are an important part to the development of the story unfolding,” Rivest explained.

“Usually I’m so excited about the ideas in my head and the creative production that I will spend a few hours after shooting to create the final production.”

Rivest frequently uploads videos to his YouTube Channel called, “Your Everyday Dad” which he describes as “a perspective Vlog of a father, his hobbies and life in general.”  Currently, he’s working on a more personal video that shows his family on a shopping adventure and subsequently creating “safe-slime” for his son.  For Hampden, however, he has several aerial projects in the works including one that will show the change of seasons.

“My Hampden Top Five idea is a premise that I’m currently working on and refining, it will cover five reasons why people love Hampden.  It’s still in the planning stages at the moment though, but has already had a great response from residents when I proposed the idea looking for input,” Rivest shared.

Creating videos of the town has been a way for Rivest to connect with other residents as well as an outlet for his imagination to run wild.

For those who are interested in watching Rivest’s videos, go to www.youtube.com/youreverydaydad.  To view his photographs, go to www.carfotography.com.