little drummer boy

ladies and gentleman... this is the 150th post, not that i'm counting, but my computer is. this fully alive young man is a local drummer and sound master. i'm not completely sure what all he is doing with "sound therapy," but it is a lot. when i captured these moments, he was in the middle of installing some particular type speakers to the underbelly of a massage-like table... to eventually do sound therapy. in my opinion, he is a wonderful breath of fresh air out in the public arena... whenever i see him in public, he is passionately involved in the moment, shaking the atmosphere around him, and spreading love in a most sincere way. his life is his instrument, and the music hits.

just when you though it was safe to go outside...

just when you thought that halloween was over... so, when it comes to dressing up for this spook-fest, some people seem to have it, and others seem to not have it... i don't really have it. this girl's got it, and i think that her mom probably does too. this is the second year in a row that she has wowed at my daughter's daycare (the previous year, she was a perfect mini-mary poppins. i can usually come up with a great idea for a costume for me and my daughters, but the execution is where i fall short in this area... and i always say to myself, "maybe, next year." i should know better by now that there are no guarantees of a next year. carpe diem, ya'll.

remedy

there are hundreds of locals that take care of thousands of children every day... teaching them about letters, colors, music, patience, love, and the plethora of other valuable gifts that life has to offer; this woman is one of those teachers. many children spend more time during the week with preschool teachers than they do with their parents, and this fact makes these teachers more valuable than any salary can ever achieve. when i think of the millions of dollars in bonus money that particular executives receive every year, my stomach turns until i nearly get sick... the preschool teacher can remedy this sickness when i think of how much of themselves they give to make the little people of this world better people. it is a world full of off-balance absurdity sometimes, and i do my best to get back to the ones like this woman who offer goodness and light to the cause... love.

holy dang... eleven months down, one to go

davis kidd, the local king of booksellers closed in december... next came the announcement of borders closing a number of it's branches... next, this guy here is looking to get out from under his crumbling online book store. the age of the page turners is past. we now have entered a sort-of no-man's-land in regards to the distribution of literature (and music.) we are in the deep of the digital age, treading water, and the changes that have befallen us are enormous. i don't really want to comment too much here about it, because it is a sad truth of our "evolution," and i just don't have room for sad at the moment. why? well, i have just crossed the eleven month mark of this project, and i am celebrating. i have come a very long way, and most exciting is that i only need about 29 more portraits to complete this challenge that i set up for myself. i am proud and pleased. there are many wonderful blog posts to create for this project (i am still posting from october,) so the connection to this will continue for me (and the chosen few who follow this.) and after the photographing is done, i can start to look at both what project is next, and how will i finish this one. i know that i will make at least one book for my own documentation, and i hope to make copies available to others as well. i really have little idea how it will unfold, for there are a number of other irons in the fire, and i can only handle so much until i can afford an assistant or two (and a manager.) so, for now, i will continue shooting the portrait of the day, posting on this blog, and celebrating the final month of this extraordinary experience... i hope that you will celebrate with me (and continue to check in here over the following months.) i appreciate you; thanks.

one bit of lesson

if you ever venture into a project like this, i would like to share one bit of lesson that i have learned to ensure a "yes," to your unsolicited request for a photo of a stranger... approach a pair of people (or a group.) i have found it to be true that usually one of the people will get sailed upstream by the other(s) to be the "right one" for the portrait, and then the other(s) goof-off to entertain the subject. the dynamic is perfect for smooth execution of a portrait of the day. this particular gentleman is one of two of the gatekeepers for the annual art sale fundraiser at a local private school, and he seemed to be quite pleased with his impromptu role in my production.... and that's all i've got to say about that. goodnight.