There’s one in every crowd.

It always seems when you are trying to capture a special memory, you have to prepare for something, or a situation, that causes it to change.

Every year I take a lot of pictures; my kids say I am obsessive, I say I am into it. Both of us are probably right, however after the photos are taken, and placed in iphoto on my Apple computer, they are looked at countless times. I guess they appreciate, in some way, my obsessiveness.

But it’s when you are really trying to capture the picture, and all is going right, that you need to prepare for something to change the composition of the photo. This past fall, as I was preparing to shoot the local high school band doing its march down to the football field prior to a home game, another photographer stepped into my line of sight. I was not happy and she had no idea what she had done so I could not be angry. What was the big deal? I was being paid for the picture and it was one of the last home games.

Fortunately I got it, but I had to do something I rarely, if ever, do. I took multiple photos of the band, and made sure I photographed the band member who had been blocked from my sight. Once I got home, I removed the photographer, and put the band member in her place. There is no way to tell of my cheating to get the photo. Why do I not care to admit this? If this were a news photo, or one that ran in National Geographic Magazine, you could never get away with it. However, since it is a photograph, for the sole purpose of being placed on a wall---with no insinuation of it being news worthy or realistic---it didn’t matter. I also never told what I did when I turned over the digital file.

Recently I was in downtown Chicago,  and went to “Cloudgate” also known as “The Bean,” to shoot some reflective photos. It is a very cool structure that debuted around 2003 I believe. I would have to imagine more than 1 million photos have been taken since its unveiling.

The photo above is of “Cloudgate;” as I adjusted my camera, sure enough a man in a bright yellow jacket stepped into the photograph. I took photos of him because it reminded me that if you take a picture of the same thing a million times, something is going to make it unique on the million and first.

Thanks for stopping by.

Big City. Big Smiles.

I honestly am not sure where the readers of  “Snap. Shot.” live but I suspect most are located in the Midwest, and many are in or around, Chicago. At least I think.

If you have been to Chicago, then you know it is a big city and it does have what makes a big city just that, a big city.. Big buildings, bigger entertainment/food prices, bigger politics; but right now, as we head into spring, when the city is exploding with color and the resurgence of life, there is something we have not seen in a while in many of the faces of those either visiting or living in the Windy City.

Big Smiles.

People know the good weather is coming---it happens every year, we just don’t know when to expect it. Will it be a situation where one week we have winter and the next summer? Don’t laugh we have missed spring before. Or will there be a longer spring that allows us the luxury of having a nice enjoyable stroll into the warmer weather? My bet, it will be a combination, but then again, I am no meteorologist. So far this week, we have had snow, rain, and now the possibility of sun. It’s only “possible,” not necessarily probable. As I look outside, and hear the rain, I suspect it’s not likely to happen until next week or maybe the week after. But it will come. It always does.

Yesterday as I rode the train into the city, I heard talk of a Chicago Cubs game that had taken place the day before. I thought back and remembered the weather on Wednesday; I also thought, they must have been miserable out there. It was in the 40s, but not near the ballpark, it was colder, and it was just a very grey day. But like true Cub fans, as they rode down to Thursday’s game, they were sure it was going to be a better day for watching a game at the ol’ ballpark. They were right. It wasn’t grey and dreary, but it was colder. Whoo who.

But that’s about to change. The weather is coming around, the buds are budding, and soon there will be no coats, hats, or winter wear, it will be what we long for here in Chicago--warmth. I can’t wait.

The other day, as I was in between meetings, I walked down to Millineum Park to take a few photos. Unlike most times I have been down there, the crowds were sparse, the fountains not yet turned on, and the coolest site, the “Crown Fountain” had yet to begin its annual rite of spraying kids and adults as they brave the Chicago summer. I could not have been happier; it was a picture just begging to be taken.

So I did.

The photo above was taken in Crown Fountain. Normally it is not possible to stand in the middle, with patches of water laid out, and virtually no one in site. Today it happened. Just like the young man who is smiling, I could feel more and more Chicagoans doing the same as we all know what’s next, spring. 

Okay, maybe just summer.

Thanks for stopping by.

Upfront and personal.

As winter turns to spring and spring to summer, there are something’s that never change; hunger in America, and the world, happens to be one of them.

When you walk around any major city, whether it’s New York, Chicago or your town, you are apt to see people who don’t have what we have. Certainly there are more people who are in need than ever before thanks to the economy. When I was walking in Chicago yesterday I would have trouble counting on two hands the number of people who were in need; I would probably need six hands—maybe more.

Like most pedestrians I tend to avert my eyes, or say “No Thank You” when they ask for money. I have no idea why I would say that since they are not offering me anything, it’s the exact opposite. I guess because yesterday’s weather was not very conducive to sitting outside, I felt in a giving mood. I was down to my last dollar---I was in serious need of finding an ATM---and when a man in a wheelchair asked for help, I said, “I am down to my last dollar, I hope this will help you.” Whether it did or didn’t, I can’t answer but it did make me feel good.

A few blocks away I saw a scene I have seen countless times; a man holding a sign, asking for food, and letting me know “God will be blessing me” if I help him out. Normally I would not pay attention to the sign since I have seen it so many times, but this time, with the way he was kneeling, I felt compelled to take a picture. (Of course, even though I had meetings in the city, I still had my trusty Nikon with me.)

As a photographer, it’s really not right to take pictures of someone who is homeless and asking for help, without asking them if it is okay…oh, and if you can give them money? It’s the second question that gets the best results. When I asked, he just nodded. He didn’t look me in the eye, didn’t see how much or little I had dropped in his cup, or anything that would let him know if I was cheap or not. Since I had gone to the ATM by then, he would have known I was not cheap.

I still am not sure why I stopped; I just felt this one homeless man needed to be captured in a photograph. Well, I actually took more than one photo, more like 25, but you get it.

The photo above was taken yesterday outside of Macy’s, formerly Marshall Fields on State Street in Chicago, and I can say with some absolute certainty, I was the only person taking a picture, and looking into his near empty cup, one of few helping him through a cold and miserable day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Korver leads Bulls past Nets 97-92.

You would likely think today’s “Snap. Shot.” is all about the Chicago Bulls and their being in the playoffs. Well, it’s not.

This past season the Bulls picked up Kyle Korver from the Utah Jazz as a free agent. Korver, like a typical basketball player, is tall, athletic and very generous. Whoa, was that “generous” that you just read? Yes it was.

Korver was born in Paramount, California and always loved basketball—his first love, the Los Angeles Lakers; early in his life his family was uprooted and moved to, get this, Pella, Iowa. For any of you who are thinking this is a fairy tale, it’s not, I have been to Pella and it’s a very real place. Turns out Korver’s father is a pastor in Pella, and it is obvious more than basketball has been instilled in him.

Kyle Korver gives to others based upon what has been given to him.

When he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Korver held a coat drive where he collected and donated coats to “Operation Warm.” He has also worked with the NBA’s “Basketball Without Borders” outreach program in Africa, China, Brazil and India. But, here’s why I wrote about Kyle Korver today; he knows he has a gift, and he realizes that paying back to those who do not have what he has, is a role he feels is important to who he is---not his image, jersey sales, or restaurant. (I don’t believe he even has one.)

Every offseason, Korver donates thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours, to have ramps made for those who are disabled. Most of us have no idea what it’s like to be in a wheelchair and certainly the barriers placed upon mobility. Sure there are many players who donate money to schools and other very worthwhile programs, but Korver is involved. He doesn’t do it for notoriety; he does it because he knows it’s helping those who are in need. When you make more money than you know what to do with, this is the right thing to do.

In addition to being a very good basketball player, Korver is often mistaken for Ashton Kutcher even though as he says, “I am much taller than he is.” It’s funny, they are both from Iowa, so I guess that’s the place to be if you want to see Ashton and look-a-likes.

Okay, back to the Bulls. In addition to giving, Korver also has something most NBA players don’t; he has the highest shooting percentage of all players for making 3-point shots. It seems only fitting that he be awarded more than the average 2-point shot for his talent, I guess this is payback.

The photo above was taken at a recent game in Milwaukee. Kyle Korver always has a white mouth guard---I guess it beats a red one. He is a very gifted player, and I am told he knows how to "get into the head" of his opponents. For us Bulls fans, who are now numbering in the millions, I am happy he came to Chicago---we need more players like him.

Thanks for stopping by.

Technology.

We have come a long way since the days when technology meant using batteries that were AAA to D; a long way.

When I was growing up, we didn't have ipods or ianything, we had transistor radios, and as I got older, this really cool device called a "CB Radio." A CB radio let you communicate with other people far away---like the next state over. Wow. Back then, my brother had a CB radio and he met people from all over; I remember his call letters like it was yesterday, he would turn the knob, press down the microphone button and say, "This is KBY3413" and then some other gibberish to let people know he was out there and ready to talk. Of course, unlike the wireless contraptions we have today, this baby was wired and needed a huge antennae--- it was on our roof. Why it was not struck by lightening I can't tell you---it was a perfect lightening rod.

Then my Dad bought the next big thing, it was called a "Walkman" and it had the clearest sound I had ever experienced. It had earphones with orange sponges on each side; under each sponge were the "speakers" that brought the music to life---unlike a transistor radio, no static and you could listen to the music you want ed to. Just slip in a cassette tape and you were mobile. It was amazing.

Move ahead a few decades and here we are today...we have ieverything, cars that park themselves, and every modern convenience taken care of, at least as we know it today. I can only imagine what's ahead. Then again, if I could, I would invent it, so maybe I have no idea what's really ahead.

Is technology always fool proof? Not for me. Yesterday the Chicago Bulls were playing the Orlando Magic. Big game, a key preview for the upcoming playoffs, and being played during one of the most beautiful days of the year. Like many TV shows, the timing was night right, so I set our DVR to record it. I made sure not to let any form of the outside world provide me with the outcome of the game---to me it was like watching it live. It could not have been any closer;  with 2 seconds left, one shot would decide the game. As the Bulls and Magic walked on to the court, preparing for the final shot, it stopped recording...as far as our TV was concerned game over. Luckily we have computers...the Bulls won.

The photo above was taken in CA on the way to Lake Tahoe. There was something about the car and the post office that reminded me of days gone by---when the mail was not delivered electronically and gas was less than .50 cents per gallon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Here we go..

No this is not a Bud Light commercial, we're talking about the start of spring and the weather that comes along with it.

This weekend we have experienced the best weather of the year; yes the first third of April is behind us, and anyone reading this blog south of say, Hwy. 80 would be saying, "We have had warm weather for weeks now, what are you talking about?" Well, we haven't...it's been grey, cool, and well, typical for Chicago. But here it comes, and here come the storms along with it.

Today it is supposed to be in the mid-to-high 80s and then tomorrow in the Mid-50s. This is not a meteorological report, it's the goofiness of what this weather can bring. When I was young, very young, growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, one night we had a tornado rip through our area; it was the first time I think I had ever heard of a tornado, and all I remember was the destruction and devastation in the neighborhoods around us. Our area had little if any damage, yet an area less than 1/2 mile away was flattened. I mean, gone. Luckily of what I recall it was physical damage and not loss of life. I have no idea how that happened.

Last weekend, when I was leaving St. Louis after visiting my Dad, he said, ""We are supposed to get some pretty bad weather be careful driving back."  I made the casual comment, "I would love it if I could see a tornado when I was driving back, I would love to photograph it." My Dad wears hearing aids and I think he adjusted them with that comment. I went on to explain that I have travelled to Kansas in the spring on business hoping to photograph a tornado. Not close up, but far away. I am crazy, not stupid. So far, no luck.

A tornado is one of those weather phenomenas that would just be amazing to photograph; as I explained to my Dad, "It's not like I am going to stand in the middle of a field and wait for it to pass by, I would be under a viaduct or near a safe structure where I could escape the violence of the storm." By the way, I am serious. Put a farm in the background of this picture and I think I would be spastic. I have seen a picture of a farm with a rainbow and tornado in it, it was published in Smithsonian Magazine years ago, and it has stuck with me since I saw it. I want to capture something like it---it just takes time and the right conditions.

So, when could that happen? Today. We are supposed to get some really violent storms tonight. In fact, Iowa had 11 tornadoes dance through it yesterday and we could be the next stop. I am not hoping for any damage, or fatalities of course, I am hoping to photograph the swirling funnel cloud as it bobs up and down and literally "dances" around the area. What will I do once I get the photos at 7 frames per second? I will run as fast as I can as would any normal person once they have come to their senses.

The photo above was taken at the Morton Arboretum in the Western suburbs of Chicago; as the buds of the flowers reach toward the sky, they await the needed rain and sunshine that help them explode in color. As far as I am concerned, for a couple of minutes, let's put the sunshine aside and catch a picture I will never forget---and once it's inside the camera, I am going to run like hell.

Thanks for stopping by.

Flag Waver.

For anyone who knows me, it's pretty obvious which sport is my favorite. For the last 13 or so years I have been in the minority as all of the other Chicago sports teams have fared better than the Chicago Bulls. Until now.

If you don't enjoy sports or reading about them, read on, this is not a blog you would find on the sports page.

In 1998, the Bulls won their last championship. The town was riding ridiculously high until in one big swoop, the team was dismantled---or should I say decimated as player after player either retired, went to play for a different team, or decided they were not interested in playing for a shell of what was just a few months earlier. There I sat with a team that had all new players it seemed, and a record of 17-65 for the season. They called it a "rebuilding year"....what it meant was, everyone left the building where the Bulls once ruled. I remained a fan. Why? Because I wanted to be there when they came back. It was a long road but all you have to look for now are the number of caps, shirts and jerseys fans are wearing these days.

For some crazy reason, sports can be addictive. It's not like most, or probably any of us, could ever step on the court and play with these men and women---do remember, when they were growing up, they were the best of the best in their town, school, and own world. Even if they are the worst on the team, they were the best growing up and are still really good to make the pros. Here we sit and live through their success...when they win, we are on their team, when they lose we distance ourselves from them. Kind of like life in many respects---who wants to be associated with a loser?

I wanted to be associated with the Chicago Bulls when they were riding high and lying low; I can say with complete honesty, I am happy I did---even though when I wore their team sweatshirt, no one would say, "Boy the Bulls are really playing well this year." In fact, most people had no idea who played for the Bulls. Each year, I had to re-learn the names of the players; from this point in time on, unless something really unfortunate happens, any one in Chicago, who follows the latest happenings in Chicago sports will know the names of the popular players---and there are many of them.

The Bulls are back, the fans are back, and the crazy ticket prices have followed as you knew they would; so here's my deal to you, the readers of "Snap. Shot," I will not be writing about the Bulls very often, but if I do, know I will not be bragging about their success because we all know, like anything in life, reality eventually strikes and we go back to re-building.  As a long time fan who has never stepped on the court, I just want to enjoy and hope you will remember how you felt when the "underdog became the top dog"...it's just a good feeling.

The photo above is of Benny the Bull. He is the Bulls official flag waver---for the 20,000+ fans who watch each game "live" these days, he has a lot of company. Welcome back, we have missed you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Where to hang my boot.

Tonight, after watching the Bulls beat the Celtics, we watched Carson Daly interview a woman who is one of the top tweeters in the world. She is funny, a very gifted writer of 140 characters, and used to be a blogger with 7000 followers. Who would ever have thought our world would come down to reading quips from someone behind a computer? I guess I would.

I used to hate to write. When I was in high school I was not able to construct a sentence, and in college I actually flunked english my freshman year. I showed them though---I got a "C" my second try. Better yet, I am a journalism major from one of the top Journalism schools in the country. Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it. So why in the world did I decide to become a blogger? It all has to do with a bit of curiosity, a personal challenge of whether I could actually write on a regular basis, and well...I now like to write.

Tonight I was inspired by the interview discussed above; she is just someone who loves to write, understood the power of the internet, and was discovered by celebrities---her tweets are very funny. Why am I not telling you her name? I can't remember it. That is part of the aging process and it's also one of my major downfalls...I have trouble remembering names. Fortunately I can remember events and stories.

Starting "Snap.Shot." again last week was something I have wanted to do for some time, but I needed a reason to do it; the best reason I could come up with was to start it on April Fool's Day and see if anyone thought it was a joke. Only one person asked if it was. I was proud of her for asking the question.

So where will I "hang my boot" in this wild world of writing to people who I know, but probably never thought they would be reading anything written by me? I want to continue to tell stories, write about whatever feels right, and hope that it means enough for people to come around and read it every day, once a week, or whenever they are in the mood. That's where I am going to hang out.

The photo above was taken in Western Illinois near the Iowa border. I saw a "Sears Roebuck & Co"sign and a boot hanging from a pole. I thought, I have got to take a picture of this, and I am glad I did--- because in the end, sometimes when you think no one will notice something, it comes up from behind you and gives you a swift kick.

Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you Mayor Daley.

On May 16, 2011, the Honorable Mayor Richard M. Daley will leave office; Daley is likely to leave many marks behind, one will be having served in office the longest of any Mayor in Chicago’s colorful history. Up until the end of last year, his Dad had been the longest serving Mayor. Combined, over the last 55 years, one of the Daley’s has been in office for 42 of them.

I was not living in Chicago when his father ran the town, but I can say I do believe his father would be very proud of the job he has done. Yes, there have been scandals, many of them actually, but there also has been a beautification to our city that probably would not have happened if we had a revolving door of Mayors running the city.

So what’s changed? Plenty.

When the 1996 Democratic convention was held in Chicago, it was a given it was going to be a lot different than the one that had taken place 28 years before. The town was going to be in its best shape since I can remember, and for those visiting the “City of Big Shoulders” you can be sure Mayor Daley was making sure of it.

All you have to do is walk down the famed, “Magnificent Mile” and you will see flowers, clean streets, an abundance of retailers (yes some have changed) and during the summer tourist, and citizen, stopping experiences. Probably the one that changed the landscape the most was the “Cows on Parade” exhibit. They have tried to replicate it, but nothing has come close to touching the success of the cows. It was genius---and it all started in Zurich. Switzerland.

The city of Chicago is a wonderful city and finally with spring around the corner, it will take on a completely different feel when the days warm up and the sidewalks fill up with visitors from all over the globe mixing with the “citizens of our great city.”

The photo above is of the structure “Cloud Gate” which was built for the opening of Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. Of all the most recent additions to Chicago, this is probably the largest attraction---well that’s until the Chicago Bulls reclaim the World Championship. Then in my eyes, they will rank well above any fixture in the city; if they continue on for as long as the Daley’s have in ruling the town, then Derrick Rose will likely be the Mayor of the town!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a nice trip.

Last week I spent 4 days back in my hometown of St. Louis, MO. If you have read any of my recent blogs, you probably knew that.

While I was there, I had a meeting with a guy who used to play hockey in the same rinks I played in; what’s the big deal? They are no longer around and have been gone for years. The key difference between the two of us was he must have been a really good player because he went on to play serious hockey in college. I lasted for 2 years in junior high school. Two words described my hockey career, "I sucked.”

One my favorite memories of playing hockey was the one, and only goal, I ever scored. You might think it was an empty net shot based upon my skills, but if that had been the case I likely would have missed.  Nope, this goal I never saw go into the net, as I fell after taking it. It’s not as if someone tripped or pushed me, I just fell; I learned after struggling to get back up on my feet that I had scored.

When I was growing up I loved hockey; the St. Louis Blues were my team and I was very fortunate to go to a lot of games as my parents had season tickets. I have very fond memories of going to a game on a Saturday night, screaming myself until I was horse, and then going to “The Hill,” to eat after the game. The “Hill” is the Italian area of St. Louis and they have some of the best food I have ever eaten.

When the Blues arrived in St. Louis in 1967 no one seemed to know or understand the game; it was only when they made the Stanley Cup Playoffs there first year, that suddenly the bug hit the fan. And it hit hard.

It had been years since I had been to a Blues game, but that ended last Saturday night. I had planned to go with my Dad, but in the back of my mind I knew it would be too much for him to go, and with the way I work my way around the stadium, I knew he would think I was nuts. He would have been right.

I ended up sitting in 4 different seats at the game, and none of them was the one I had purchased. I had already laid out which shots I wanted to capture with my trusty Nikon, and the seat I had, although 7 rows from the ice, was just not going to work. The top of the glass cut through the picture and that cannot happen if you wanted to shoot the pictures I wanted to shoot.

While I was at the game, I made friends with people who were sitting nearby and the most important friend that night, the usher named “Randy.” He was key because he helped me find the seat that was perfect for shooting.  His reward? He is getting over 200 photos from the game. He seemed very happy with the trade.

The photo above was taken at the game. Its significance was obvious to me when I downloaded the photos from the game---going home, spending time with family, and going to a Blues game, all made for a very nice trip.

Thanks for stopping by.

The moment.

Throughout life we all experience moments that change our lives for ever. It might be meeting that special someone, who at that moment lets you in on a secret---they are going to be in your life forever; or perhaps devastating news that makes this date take on a completely different feeling, and meaning, from this point on.

This date, April 4th, changed course when I was 10 years old, and then again when I turned 51 in 2009. In 1968, it was death of Martin Luther King, Jr as immortalized in the song, "Pride" by the rock band U2. 

You may recall.

"Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride."

Then again in 2009 we heard, "The doctor's think there is something wrong with your Mom." 

How do I know the date so well? It's my birthday. It is also my first cousin Allan's birthday---and as I found out today, Jamie Lynn Spear's birthday too. (I feel so much closer to her now.)

These moments in life, at least to me, are the ones that take you on a different course; there is really little you can do to change them, so you have to learn to take them in, and make the best of what the cards have dealt you. In the case of my Mom's illness, as horrible as it was, it provided the opportunity to spend more quality time with her than I had in years, and it was much better than getting that call one day, when she had been perfectly healthy one moment and gone the next. It may not seem fair to say, but at least I had the chance to say "goodbye."

Then there are the moments that mold you forever and make you a much more focused and rounded person. For me, there have been many times I learned so much about me. Whether it was the births of my children, finding that person who rocked my world, or even becoming unemployed for the first time---there is little doubt I will ever forget these "moments." It's funny, I drive by the parking lot all the time where I learned upon getting the call, that I had been let go from my job. That parking lot, on that day, took on a completely different meaning.

I have tried to make a point in letting life take its course and place me hopefully in the best position I can be in---it's been rough at times, but then again I have learned from the experience. I am looking forward to many more moments that help round me out to be a better Dad, Husband, Brother, Son, and Friend.

The photo above was taken this fall at a local area football game. After the play ended, and the quarterback got up off the ground, I was asked by a couple of people..."Did you get that shot?" I said, "Yep...right at that moment he was in midair." 

Thanks for stopping by.

Touched by an angel.

Last Saturday night I received an e-mail. Sure we all receive e-mails, but this was one that stopped me in my tracks.

I was in Milwaukee when I opened up my e-mail account on my phone,  and read a note from a former classmate of a young woman named “Jennifer Mills;” I had written about Jennifer in a blog I started this past January. I knew nothing about her except she had a memorial in a local park. All I knew was that she was 18 when she passed away, and there were angels and fairies in the tree where the plaque was placed. I even “Googled” her name to find out more about her death but came up empty. As I said at the time I wrote the blog, it’s really none of my business. I still feel that way.

The letter from this person read…

“I was a friend of Jennifer (Jen) mills. She was a student at Glenbard West High School who died shortly after turning 18 and graduating from the high school back in 2004. While I was a friend, I did not find out about her death until the summer was over. I tried calling her home but her guardians believed me to be a prank caller trying to upset them. I remember being deeply hurt by the comments that they shouted at me for inquiring about Jen. While I do not know all of the details about her death I did know that she was cremated and had a small memorial though I have never been able to find it. Please if you would be so kind could you tell me where her memorial location is? I would greatly appreciate it since I have never been able to locate it or find a person who knew its location. I would truly be indebted for your assistance to be able to say goodbye to her”

As you might guess there were many emotions going through me at that moment; for some reason, watching the Bulls play the Milwaukee Bucks took a back seat. I sent a note back explaining I would get back to him as soon as I got home and went on with the rest of the evening.

I sent the note and he followed up to tell me there was no information as to what occurred with Jen but how grateful he was to know where the memorial now was located; if it wasn’t for my writing “Snap. Shot.” and thinking this was an amazing story of connecting with someone out there, it would have never have been brought up again.

The photo above is of the memorial for Jennifer Mills. What moved me most were the leaves gathered around the fallen fairy. It is just a moving tribute to someone I know nothing about.

Thanks for stopping by.

Quality. Time.

Two years ago today, we learned something was wrong with my Mom. It was actually on April 4^th when we “officially” learned it, however it was on a Saturday, and it is only fitting to write about it today.

Today’s “Snap. Shot.” is not about looking backward, it’s about looking forward and appreciating what you have today and tomorrow. This past Thursday and Friday I was fortunate to spend quality time with my Dad. Although he is 30 years older than I am, it always amazes me how his smile and twinkle in his eye make so much younger than his real age. My Father is a very kind and caring man. In fact, during these past 50 or so hours together, he has probably asked me at 10 times “If I am hungry? “ I have assured him based upon my age and size, I know how to eat. But he still asks, and I keep on answering. 

I know he is feeling this time together is just as important to him as it is for me--I am so lucky to be here.

While at a late lunch yesterday, my Dad and I talked about a number of things; but none was more important than his explaining his need to keep busy. When you were married to the same person for nearly 60 years, you really do lose a part of yourself when your “partner, spouse, trusted friend” passes away. My Dad certainly feels the loss of my Mom---but he is doing very well for all he has been through.

I am not going to go into the specifics of what we discussed, but it was probably the most open, and important, conversation I have ever had with my Dad; even though it was April Fool’s Day, this was not a joke although we laughed quite a bit.

Last night I was feeling torn about leaving him alone as I went to the St. Louis Blues hockey game; I very much wanted to go, and we discussed his going with me, but I knew it would be too much for him. So I went. I felt guilt for doing it as I felt I had lost precious time with him. But then I learned this morning he went to bed at 8 PM, so my guilt subsided a bit. When I woke up this morning his first question was, “How was the game?” When I told him the entire story of the evening, he laughed because he could understand now how difficult it would be to go to a game with me and how embarrassed he would have been with my antics to take photos. More on this in another “Snap. Shot.”

I am really enjoying the quality time I am spending with my Dad; I am leaving tomorrow to head back home, but the memories will be alive for the rest of my life, something that a phone call can never replace.

The photo above may have been in a previous “Snap. Shot.” It’s of a clock that is located at an agency downtown; it is one of my favorite pictures because with one look it just sucks you in…kind of like the same way spending quality time with the people you love does.

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Let’s try this again.

On September 1, 2008 I began writing a daily blog I called, “Snap.Shot.” I started it as a personal request to Sports Illustrated to let me shoot at one professional event—their choice; I wanted them to know if they need a photographer, I am their guy.  I didn’t care if it was baseball, football, hockey, basketball, or any sport they felt needed some extra coverage. Who am I to request?

For one year I kept on writing, yet no reply from Sports Illustrated. Seems like an incredible long shot that I would hear back from them, right? Wrong. I know people who work there, who actually had read my blog, knew my passion for photography, and still no phone call, e-mail or text. All in all, part of me was disappointed, yet part of me was glad I had written for one solid year.

What I discovered during 365 days of writing was how much I enjoyed doing it and the number of people who actually enjoyed reading what I had written. I think we call that an audience! I was very flattered, surprised and challenged to keep them coming back for more. I heard back from some I had touched with my daily chitchat, and while most remained silent, I knew they were there. It felt great.

Move ahead to April Fools Day 2011, this is not a joke by the way, and I have decided to give it one more try. I am going to write, or at least make every attempt to write, for one solid year---unless I get the call from Sports Illustrated that I am needed. Then I will end Snap. Shot.

It’s funny, about 2 weeks ago I was talking to someone at SI and after we hung up I sent him a photo via an e-mail. I don’t even remember which one, but I made sure it was good; he wrote back, “You need to go to the Derby.” I responded, “You can make it happen.” It’s been quiet since.

The photo above was taken last Saturday night at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI. The Chicago Bulls were playing the Milwaukee Bucks, and sitting 7 rows from the court, watching my favorite team, I was in heaven---1400 shots of heaven as the Bulls went on to win in the closing minutes. It’s good to have the Bulls back in their winning form, but more important to me, it’s good to be writing “Snap.Shot.” again.

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