- holy, holy.

it was a hot saturday afternoon, and i was at a coffeeshop with my journal and an iced soy chai latte... writing about my recent thoughts on my photography business. in comes a couple that looks like they have been on their motorcycles all day, and i immediately hope that he is not a grumbly, hardcore biker looking for some reason to snap, "NO!" at somebody... because i want to approach him for the portrait of the day. turns out, he and his lady friend had just ridden up from Pulaski (i believe,) where they were sharing the gospel with people down there; they ride for christ. evidently, he gives a lot of time to service work for god and humankind, and he, like me, enjoys a cold, sugary, silly-named coffee shop drink. he was gentle as they come... but i still would likely be afraid to cross him.
the beautiful woman with the magenta highlighted hair is also giving praise to god... this time on a sunday. i had just left the studio, and i passed a street that has a tiny church nestled right between some warehouse buildings... and there they were. there were probably six people in the parking lot, and i saw bursts of royal blue, chartreuse, and magenta... sunday's best. it was my intention to get chartreuse, but magenta was the first in line. she wanted me to photograph her nieces, but, i told her that her hair highlights and gold suit were perfect for the portrait, and then she did not at all seem interested in objecting to my request... quite the opposite. she moved, bowed sideways, raised a praise, and beamed with delight. amen.

friday saves the day

(i am still posting from the past... this portrait was done on 6/17)

i was at the in-laws lake house with my two girls and some in-laws, and we were taking an evening stroll on the lakeside road. the sun was going down, and i was beginning to get a bit anxious about finding a portrait. i didn't care much to drive into town to find some unexpecting kentuckian to photograph, and the neighbors are quite sparse on that stretch of road. a dog named friday had joined us on the walk, and i was beginning to think that she may grab the spot as the first non-human portrait of this project; she's plenty good looking... but, i really wasn't ready to concede to that just yet. then, driving up the road came the owners of that dog... the neighbors of my in-laws. they are a very friendly couple, and he exited the car to get the dog in, and stayed to talk for a bit. my cohorts were eager to assist me in my time of need, and so they did their part to usher me into the conversation to deliver my pitch. the neighbor took the bait with an eagerness that really makes this easy. so, i pulled him into the last splash of sunlight that was being filtered through the trees, and he did his thing... sadly, i missed the shot when he did a classic tandem flexing of the left bicep and the right tricep with a slight sideways bend at the waist. he's a great character.

sperm and egg =

seeing an eight day old baby can really put a lot in perspective. it really is unimaginable how a little sperm and an egg can magically produce all those parts... i mean how do you get bones and a brain and such from that stuff???? i could start blogging about god right now, but i'm not here to separate us... so, i'll just say that i was in awe again as i photographed this tiny newborn boy. i am boiling over at times with gratitude that i get to be amongst all of these beautiful people, and i am allowed to document them for generations to behold.

bobbie-bob

this little charm just celebrated her third birthday at her favorite sushi restaurant... she can eat her body's weight worth of tuna. she is one of the millions of miracles that survived a birth that could have killed her, and now she is as fully alive as she could possibly be... she is my girl. lately, i see her as a cartoon character who has a real person's body.

perfect

this is not intended to be the portrait of the day... maybe, just a portrait of a beautiful moment.
i will return to posting people tomorrow; it has been a long week.

proving himself

if you're wondering why such a cute kid like this would make himself so big and threatening....??? well, for starters, his father holds the record for the most points ever scored in a career in college basketball history... yes, more than any other single player (all of the great, big name stars included.) secondly, he has two older sisters and one younger one.

revolutionary

the radiance of a little girl can change the world.

intense and gentle

this man does magic with steel. he is an extremely gentle man who can manhandle a material that does not welcome change at the hands of man. he is an artist with integrity; i think that we need more of these. his laugh is intense and so are his eyes, his wit, and his criticisms. he is a man with many stories to tell, and if you get a chance to listen (and maybe share a pizza,) it is surely worth the time.

a real friend

i could say a lot about this guy, but i will resist; he is one of my best friends. and, i have to say, that i don't usually care to qualify my friends, but with this one, it is impossible. he is dependable where i have found most people to lack. he listens and cares when lots of people don't give the time to listen. he is a human being hellbent on evolution of the spirit. i am grateful for such a person in my life. if i remember correctly, he didn't really like these photos, but i do; i think that they capture the spirit of a beautiful human being.

we do what we have to do

this local tells me that he has been at this same coffee shop every morning for the last four years... and his two sisters may have the same habit. anyway, he was "diagnosed as legally blind in the sixth grade," and, if i understood correctly, the same disease that killed comedian Bernie Mac is what has affected his sight (maybe, his lungs too??) he is an extremely friendly guy that does love to chat if you happen to sit next to him.
(by the way, for those of you keeping up, i did not reach my goal of getting "caught up" to align my posts and portrait dates... i actually redefined my goal. i am not far behind, and it is feeling right and not rushed.)

model citizen

if i do not get a portrait before dinner, the hunt for a subject can become too much like a predator in a desperate situation... but this gentleman made the evening's chase simple. he was with a friend, and they were both extremely willing and excited to participate. i think that his friend was a bit let down that he did not get to participate, but i told him that i might call him later if i find myself in need. anyway, the subject is dreaming of doing some modeling, and he slipped into an intense series of subtle poses to try to demonstrate his skills. he asked me if i thought he could be a model... i said, "sure"... he already was. so, another parking lot was utilized to "get the shot"... mixed results.

i was in heaven

this wonderful woman caught my eye one day as i was leaving a coffee shop... the sunlight lit her dreaded hair up like it had been spotlit. and then, a most beautiful thing happened for this guy with a streak of striking out while trying to get a portrait of a woman... she happily said, "Hello." i responded with my usual, "Howdy," and i walked about six more steps before i realized what was about to happen. i turned on a dime and made a direct approach, i popped the question, and she was as open as she could be to my proposal. i had to get my camera from my car, and she headed to her car in the garage... i proceeded to the garage area and began to check the lighting. next, she called out to me from the back of the parking lot, and as she moved closer, she mentioned that she had to put on a little lipstick... perfect. she was fired up. in her eyes was the look of a woman who knew she was worth a photo shoot, and this was that moment, and she was not going to hold back anything. so... a simple door in a garage, painted black... how could that be dramatic enough for this woman so full of life? well... i trusted my instinct, and that is where i led her for the first photos, and i could hardly be more pleased. the lighting, her skin, her hair, her eyes, her teeth... the lipstick... gold heart earrings... a studded star??? what more could i have asked for from her??? well... after we moved to the brick wall backdrop, she asked me, "Can i do this?" and then she posed. i was in heaven.

passing through and staying put

i was lucky enough to have this woman (friend of my wife) pass through town about ten days ago and stay at my house; she is a yoga instructor, massage therapist, and a chef... a perfect house guest that will hopefully stop by again on the way back out west. we ate two delicious pizzas, but we forgot to get our massages??? anyway, you should try to find such a houseguest someday. the gentleman in the red (shirt and truck,) told me that he usually doesn't sit around like that, but he said that he works seven days a week, and come monday, he needs to take it a little slower; i believe him.

no's, a collector, and a mother of 3 girls

the night after "the night of four no's," i collected five more. i had been at home all day with my 2.5 year old who was sick, so, i did not see anyone to photograph all day, and my wife was gone that evening doing a variety of wife things... she returned around 10:45, and after chatting for a bit, i was out the door to snare a nighttime portrait. i had an idea: my friend works at a bar, and i was sure that someone there would be willing (or drunk) enough to be a part of this project. to my and my friend's surprise, the bar was sparsely populated... but there were two women having a drink at the end of the bar, and they looked "approachable." so, i made my way to their perch and gently approached, pitched my pitch, and then received the look and rejection that i feared. following comments let me know that they were mother's... drinking, smoking, and hanging out at a bar near midnight on a wednesday, and i got the impression that they wanted no documentation of their "transgressions." so... i watched as several new groups of people entered the bar, and some others left; time was becoming a concern. a gathering of three women and one gentlemen sat at the other end of the bar; the three women were curious but unwilling, the guy was gung-ho (and lucky me because it was after 11:30.) he later told me that he is a photographer of sorts... so, he understood my mission. two of the women did assist me in my investigation into the dynamics behind my approach, and how i had so quickly collected nine no's. i have stored the data, and though i have not used the information gained that night, i don't believe that i have been "rejected" since then (knock, knock, knock.) the well dressed gentleman with the moustache and pink handkerchief is a friend and a collector of my artwork... he also happens to be the interior designer who did my parents living room in 1972. i could probably go on about a variety of facts or stories about him, but it is late, and this post is long; he is a classic. the woman pictured last is the wife of the guy who i was with when i first drank a beer (the summer between 6th and 7th grade.) she is also the mother of three girls... bless her heart. i think that instead of "Holy cow!" i may begin using, "Mother of three girls!!"... it really seems to express that awe.

goodness, goodness, and more goodness

i went to my in-laws new lake-house for memorial day weekend... and all i brought back for this project was a very charming 5 year old girl and a nephew-in-law. again, i am plenty pleased with what these beautiful people have added to this collection. i did discover that even if you swallow a baby tooth with a piece of candy, you can still collect at least one dollar for the loss of said tooth. unbeknownst (i think that that may be the first time that i have ever typed that word,) to my nephew-in-law, his mother had asked me to try to get some photos of him at the lake... he is not given to posing for photos, at all. but, for this project he was very willing, and i was even able to coax some smiles and laughs out of him... he may look like a gentle teddy bear, but he can be a tough one to budge. the last photo is the savior from "the night of four no's;" i might owe him something. i love us.

good people

i used to work with this woman at Basantes (a most delicious "Italian" restaurant that everyone who knows it wishes was still open... sweet potato ravioli with a walnut basil cream sauce; so good.) i surprised her one early evening, stopping by her house with a request to photograph her... she immediately tried to offer up her husband... i did not accept the offer. well... she fidgeted with a "flower," trying to warm up to the concept of posing for a portrait... she then went into the hiding of the eyes thing... which actually made for a great photo, and then my daughters helped me out and performed for a while to provoke much smiling and laughter.
memorial day weekend, this regal 91 year old, who survived being run over by a car in a sledding accident as a child, proved to still be near the top of his rummy game by pouncing on a handful of unsuspecting, younger, cardslingers. his rummy table name is "swordfish."

shoes to fill

here is a man that is filling big shoes. he is working the land of his father's farm... a father that was nearly killed last year in a terrible car wreck. this man grows my lettuce and probably about fifty other foods that i will enjoy in my CSA this year. he helps feed countless people, and he and his family do it with such grace and large hearts. i am very grateful for his/their willingness to share the fruits (and herbs and vegetables) of his/their labors. their monster kale might actually be bulletproof.
i photographed the boy with the red balloon right after dinner... he and his mom and sister had just returned home from the grocery, and while mom cooked, we hung out on the porch. he really seemed to enjoy the attention of me and the camera... he performed with the balloon until dinner was ready, and i think that i heard him mumble something about me staying the night with him. he has his own shoes to fill, and i think that he can do it.
(update... these shots are from may 25th and 26th... i am still planning on being up to date by this coming friday, the 18th.)

US

talk about different stories...
still the same... beautiful people.