Party

Birthday Boy Torso

My Night project allows me to interact with all kinds of folks. A while back I'd been shooting in a more swanky spot and a woman asked for my card. Sure enough she stayed in touch with me. She wanted me to shoot a party for her. At the time I couldn't but she kept my number and recently recommended me to her friend who wanted me to shoot his cousin's fortieth birthday party. I agreed to do it albeit with some reservations. I never know if people realize that my Night photos aren't intended to be flattering. It's far more about the energy and little moments of inebriated misbehavior that I am most interested in.

Luckily, my client was equally interested in letting me have free reign. He was a perfect boss, drunk, dirty and fun. I worked the party for four hours and left with wad of cash in my pocket. I could get used to that. Don't tell the IRS.

Take pictures for cash.

Captions Matter

An interesting debate has emerged over the captioning of a few photographs from New Orleans. You can read about that here or here. Also, my Coyote friend has turned up in California. Phew!

Take pictures and caption them carefully.

Katrina

My family

My brother lives in New Orleans. He's fine. He evacuated almost two days before the storm. His rule is, if the weather channel puts a correspondent in town, he leaves. That's what TWC did, he left. That's him and his wife on the left. Their son is in my arms. They've lost all their possessions as you can imagine and I'm feeling pretty damn helpless up here in New York. Of all the things I could do, I suggested that I might be able give them some photos for their new digs in Florida. His wife mentioned this one. If not exactly this one, one from the same little backyard session. It is a small thing that has taken on more profound significance. Photography can make a house a home.

I am terribly worried about a woman I photographed. She's the Coyote pictured in my blog of a few weeks ago. I was supposed to be flying to New Orleans next Tuesday for the Coyote Calendar shoot. She was going to be one of the models. Now, I haven't heard from her in days. She and I had been emailing and now, nothing. Her phone doesn't work either. With every passing day, my heart sinks.

I have avoided politics here. My blog is about photography not class issues or current events. But can we all acknowledge that this disaster has shone a bright, brutal light on the inequities that exist right here in America and the astonishing lack of priorities given to our own citizens? The complexity and immensity of what is happening will have us reeling for a long time. I am a liberal. Solidly so. I can only hope that the past week's blatant missteps (to say nothing of decades of problematic policy) spells the end of the far right wing's grip on our country's political discourse or more precisely it's lack thereof. Tragedy brings opportunity. Let's hope we don't squander another chance like we did after 9/11.

Forgive me this one political statement. I am a photogrpaher before I am a policitian but I am astonished. I am worried. I am hopeful. I am pissed. And of course, I wish I could be there telling stories with my camera. Between a broken wrist and a lack of resources, I must simply sit tight.

Take pictures.