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May Look Up:  Getting back to Ohio.

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May Look Up:  70 floors of Faith, the former City of Faith, ORU. Tulsa OK. Taken from the Jenks Riverwalk.

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May Look Up:  Cloud Eyes…freaky.

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May Look Up: Over The Silver Rainbow…St. Louis Arch.

Here is another image from my casting call shoot.  Ginger.  Isn’t that a great name?  Being that I usually have not met my clients prior to our appointment, I’m always nervous about what to expect.  But when we arrived at Ginger’s house she promptly greeted us at the door with a lovely smile.  Since this was just for a headshot, location was not a big concern so we did it right there on her porch.  Being in her 80′s, she needed a little help out the door as she didn’t want to haul the walker out.  I began to imagine this white haired woman as a young girl, running and jumping and climbing.  I tried to imagine her as a young teenager, flirting with boys and happily going about the daily task of all that is being a teen in the 1930′s.  As we talked, she shared with me a bit of family information about how she didn’t get to be near her grandchildren, I could tell that she felt disappointed with that.  I felt the regret for her…I wanted to ask about the situation, but didn’t want to pry.  She had done some traveling in her life.  And because she knew this was for a commercial spot, she mentioned how when she was young her favorite movie star was Katherine Hepburn.  She smiled as she conveyed this bit of information.

Here is Ginger.  One more thing, she shared that she was a red-head.  A red-head with the name, Ginger.  This made me smile.

The other day I got to photograph some individuals for a casting call for a national commercial spot.  The call was for seniors, the over 65 kind.  I had the great great great pleasure of meeting these lovely people, Charlie and Marion.

One of my favorite things in life is to listen to stories from the older generation.  I love the personal story and how choices have played out for that person.  Wisdom is so powerful.  I wonder how many people take the time to just listen to the generations before them.  These people I photographed are at the end of their lives and have so much to say, to share, to cast into the youth of today.  I sat for a couple of hours and listened with wonder and diligent attention.

Charlie and Marion are both in their 80′s.  Charlie has been a farmer his whole life.  We talked of how farming had changed over the years as it has become more industrialized and corporate.  They have three children and several grandchildren.  Marion has been Charlies partner on the farm, staying at home and raising their children.   Charlie loves old stories too.  He shared with me the first time he ever hit a baseball.  At 15, he had been asked to drive his high school baseball team to their next game location, his father agreed to let him have the car, but when they got to the game, they were one man short so the coach told Charlie to get in the game.  Timid and inexperienced Charlie jumped up to bat.  The first ball to come across, he cracked with his bat into the outfield.  Charlie, with exuberance, relayed how he could still feel the feeling he felt as he watched the ball soar across the field.  A memory that was 70 years old.  We are so human, and our memories hold so much.  I told him that he should write his story, a special memory like that deserves to be told.

Moving on to taking pictures…

After shooting several frames, I asked if I could have a kissy kiss picture of the two.  Charlie leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek.  I then asked if I could have them kiss on the lips, which is what I meant in the first place, they both laughed and we all joked about how this was supposed to be family friendly…but then he gently reached out to his wife’s face and kissed her just the way I wanted him to.    I asked Marion when  the last time they had their portraits made, including a kiss photo, and she honestly couldn’t remember.  Years.  A decade or two or three?  I was shocked.  But then I look at my own life and realize I’m not really in front of the camera much, let alone with my spouse.  I need to change that.  And I will.

I’m very glad I could give them something special, not only for them, but their children, grandchildren and future children to come.  Here’s to 58 years of marriage:

Here is image 79:365.  My littlest with her na na.

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And neighbor kid from yesterday morning.  I’m pretty sure he couldn’t see me shooting from my dining room, but by the expression on his face, perhaps he could.  See the SNOW still lying about?  Gonna be in the 50′s this week.  MELT SNOW MELT!!!

At some point I will return to my portrait work, hopefully with a renewed interest and a renewed perspective.  Ultimately though, my style will come from the thing I love and that is shooting the human condition without constraint or definition.  Without the feeling that I’ve got to get the trite posing that has become so common in even “lifestyle” portraiture.  I don’t know how this will happen for me.  But I’m evolving.  With portraiture there is still so much control that must be exuded because a photographer is shooting for the client…ultimately.  Even when they’re shooting from their own creativity.

I guess just like in my real every day to day life, I want people to think.  If I can continue to shoot images that make people think or feel or remember or wonder, like they do for me, then I’ve done what I’ve set out to accomplish.  I think at heart, I missed a calling to be a photo-journalist.  Maybe that’s arrogant.  I’m sure it is.  I’m just trying to shoot what speaks to me.

This image is my favorite from my trip to Los Angeles.  I think it resembles closely what I want to convey.  I look at it and I see a famous pop culture entity and the people on the street moving, going, and completely without knowledge that I had captured them doing so.  It screams big city to me.  When I look at this image, I see how common the pop culture is and how no one seems to be interested in its presence.  I wonder where the people are going, thinking, and what is going on in each individual’s lives. I try to guess which ones are tourists and which ones are local.  It’s the ebb and flow of awareness or lack thereof.

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The rest of the story….

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Sunset, Los Angeles, California

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_14409984?source=rss

This image was taken on 3rd street, Santa Monica, California.

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