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Thursday, January 31, 2013

No way. Oh yes, way.



"How can I just let you walk away,
Just let you leave without a trace,
When I'm standing taking every breath,
With you, ooohhh,
You're the only one who really knew me, 
At all."


Sometimes something out of the corner of your eye stops you dead in your tracks. It might be something as simple, and wonderful, as money on the ground---and better yet, if it's a penny having old Abe staring up at you. I do pick up pennies when they are facing up...why not? Doesn't everyone need a little good luck.

Many years ago when I lived in the city, I woke up and went to get some coffee at a near by coffee shop. This was long before Starbucks and the modern high-priced coffee shop, this was a neighborhood place where they served lousy coffee but it was still better than the brown water we drank at our apartment. 

As I was walking, I noticed something on the ground. It looked like a dollar bill; I was wrong, it was a $20 bill. I could not believe my good fortune and part of me, I have no idea why this bothers me, thought..."someone might be looking for this?" I looked around and when I saw no one, figured it was now mine and today's coffee was on someone who I didn't know. I wish they had come up, I would have bought them a cup of coffee.

We all have had this happen when something, for some reason, catches your attention. I know that many couples have claimed to have seen someone out of the corner of their eye and then started to talk. For some it is a fleeting "nice to meet you" and for others, it can be a lifelong, "you are not going to believe how we met story." Either way, it's that sense that is deep within us that makes life interesting.

A number of years ago, and I believe I have written about this before, I was at the opening game of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays an expansion team at the time. Over the years they have dropped the word "Devil" from their name---and unlike the Cubs, they have been in the World Series recently. 

Back to the game.

I was with my family when the crack of the bat is heard below where we were sitting. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something coming at me...yes at me...it was a baseball. There was little doubt it had its eyes on me and I was going to make my son proud. As it came toward me I wondered what it would be like to catch a fly ball---I will never know, as it hit my hands it spun as quickly out of them and fell to the stands below. It was embarrassing---and even till this day I still wish I had brought it to my body and trapped it. As the crowd booed, I could not wait to get out of there---unfortunately it was only the 3rd inning. Darn.

The photo above was taken with my iPhone. As I walked through our neighborhood grocery store, I saw a can on the shelf that I was sure did not say what I thought it said. I was wrong, it did and I had to take a photo. Apparently over the big pond to the East, this is found in many pantries---it's funny, I have use many Heinz products in my day, but this is one I don't think I will be trying any time soon.

Thanks for stopping by.


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The last to know.



"So you're in love with someone else
Someone who burns within your soul
And it looks like I am the last to know
I hear you've never felt so alive
So much desire beyond control
And as usual I am the last to know."

Sometimes we think we are astute and on top of things, only to find out we completely missed the point. I know it all too well.

If I travel back in time to when I used to watch "The Wonder Years," I think back to when Kevin would know exactly what was about to happen only to learn he could not have been any further off base.For me, it might have been when I liked someone and was sure she had feelings; she did often times, but her her feelings went right around me and focused on someone else. It's okay, I lived through it.

Or it might have been when I was so sure our next child would have to be a boy---I mean how many girls can one guy have and still be sane? Each time I  learned one more girl just added to the craziness of our home. I am happy to report my youngest is 8 and there are no children on the horizon. That is unless my son and his wife decide to pop some news in the future. With my luck, when they do have a baby, it'll be a boy. 

Predicting the future has never been one of my strengths. Part of me wishes I could do it, but I am sure if I really knew the winning lottery numbers every time, I would likely be bored with the billions of dollars I would win. I am willing to give it a try, and yes, I guess as readers I will let you know what it's like when it happens.

One of the times I was truly duped was when I went to a sales meeting and learned we were going  horseback riding. if you have been reading "Snap. Shot." for any period time, you may remember horseback riding ranks at the very bottom of what I enjoy doing. Maybe, and just maybe, going to the dentist is fighting it for the dead last position--but it's a tough fight for that spot.

So here we are on our way to the stables, directly from the airport, and the entire sales team is talking about how they are looking forward to going riding after our long flight. I have to believe anyone who was looking back in the bus saw the excitement on my face. If they truly thought they saw it, they were mistaken. As we pull up to what I thought was the barn, I notice a hotel sign; I was confused. Then everyone, and I mean everyone, turned around and stared at me and then started to laugh. Yes, the entire team, probably 30 people, were all in on the gag. I was not mad, I just knew who did it and that there would be payback. Just another time. 

The photo above was actually taken by my wife. Whereas I really liked the photo for its artistic beauty, today I heard from a business associate who said, "I really liked the photo on your site that looked like a horse head was on a human body." I really thought that was funny as I had never thought about that when I looked at the photo. I came home, told my wife about what had been said, and she said, "That was the point of the photo, horse owners love this photo." Oh, I knew that---what did you think I really was the last to know?

Thanks for stopping by.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The other side.



"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true."

No matter how young or old you are, it's natural to wonder what would it be like if things had not gone as planned. What if we really could go to the land of "Back to the Future, It's a Wonderful Life, or one of my favorites, Mr. Destiny"---would we change our lives or just marvel at where we have come and what lies ahead in the future?

Boy, that was deep...excuse me.

Maybe it's the time of the year, but this is when I look around and wonder, "Why am I in Chicago?" I really don't like the weather for more than 6 months a year and whereas it is a big bustling town, I wish I was more a part of it than I am today. I go into the city, out of the city, and I know the paths to take in order to make my commute back home shorter. That's just plain wrong. 

I think part of the issue, and certainly the weather plays a role, is the desire to stay inside when it's either too cold, there's too much snow, or better yet as screwy of weather as we are having now. We have gone from single digit temperatures to spring time in less than 48 hours. Might sound like winter is over in January, but it's not. We are supposed to see temperatures drop by 50 degrees this week. As my daughters like to say, "Whatever."

So what's missing? I know what's missing...I have not been motivated to take photos as often as I have in the past. In some respects I feel like I have taken so many different subjects that I need something novel to shoot. I have been to zoos, sporting arenas, countless family photo sessions, and museums---I need to find a venue that is going to excite me and my trusty Nikon. I am thinking.

Probably the most fun I have had recently, and I do believe it will become part of my stomping grounds, is photographing horses. There is something very challenging, yet simple, about these creatures who I have no desire to be around--except to take photos. They let you into their souls and I very carefully work to make sure they know I am only there for one reason, to capture their beauty. My wife and I are going to be photographing more horses for a few reasons---because owners really love what they have yet to do on their own with their camera and I know if we take good photos, they will end up on walls. From a pure business and greed point of view, they are more than happy to pay for our services. 

The photo above was taken a couple of years ago at the Morton Arboretum---my youngest daughter is taking the path to the other side of this short tunnel. I think we all dream of what's on the other side and what it will bring us if we go through it. Do we really want to know? I guess that all depends on what's waiting for us.

Thanks for stopping by


Monday, January 28, 2013

Fallen heroes.



"
You say your every day
Is a bad dream that keeps repeatin'
Maybe you should've thought about that
When you were cheatin'."

We all have good days and bad days; it's when the bad days out number the good ones is when you have to step back and "read the landscape." 

Fortunately or unfortunately, our society looks for reasons as to why things happen. There is nothing wrong with doing this, it's just sometimes you may not like what you learn. It could be out of your control or as my friends like to say, "It's Karma and believe me, when it comes back to the other person, they will wish they hadn't started it." I think this is a little too deep for me but it makes sense.

It seems recently there has been a lot of "karma" in the news. There are people who are getting their due justice and others who are getting the positive outcome they deserve. Some are famous people---most likely if they are in the news, whether they want to be famous or not, they are now. Then there are those who take the huge steps out of the shadows and do something that I hope we would all do if placed in that position.

One of the most devastating occurrences of recent memory were the mass killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. On the scale of horrific moments this would rank very high; unfortunately, when the NFL helmets are placed into the lockers after this coming weekend, many had the initials, "S.H.E.S." on the backs of them, the reminder will suddenly be out of the minds of the masses and right back into the community where this moment of horror took place.

But enough about the bad moments that make the news---let's focus on the good stuff for a moment. 

Probably one of the best things about the "connected world" we live in has to do with the instant nature of sharing. It might be a video of two toddlers laughing and talking to one another in gibberish, a special memory that had long been lost or forgotten suddenly found, or virtually anything that has taken a special moment from the mouths of two people to millions of people who are experiencing it with them thanks to social media. That is where technology works and why we live in times that are so different than what I personally grew up in.

So where does this lead us?

This month we witnessed two very different news reports---one was a person coming clean, sort of, and the other was about someone who was always a man of "clean" character. Since the New Year we saw heroes take one of two directions in lift---Stan "The Man" Musial, who many didn't even know outside of St. Louis, passed away. While Lance Armstrong came out and admitted he was living a lie. Unfortunately, just like timely news of the day, the Lance Armstrong story will stay around as long as anyone finds it to be of interest, and the death of a baseball icon will fade into the memories of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and others. 

The photo above was taken at a bike race a few years ago. I remember hearing, as I was photographing, "Radio Shack is one of the sponsors of Lance Armstrong team."  I thought that was really a picture worth taking; as I write today's "Snap. Shot." I realize that the rider with the red jersey is probably burning the memories, and the jersey, he was once so proud of wearing---in the scheme of things, I would rather wear the number 6 of another red jersey---that of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Thanks for stopping by.






Sunday, January 27, 2013

Billie.



"She comes down from Yellow Mountain
On a dark, flat land she rides
On a pony she named Wildfire
With a whirlwind by her side
On a cold Nebraska night."

My appreciation for horses is not extreme. In fact, I would say the further I am away from them the better. That is until recently when I was fortunate to go and photograph a horse named, "Bille."

A friend of ours is an avid horse lover. She not only loves horses but owns two of them. She rides, jumps, and has an incredible connection that can only be understood when you see her with her horses---if you knew all of the details, and commitment that went into owning a horse, you would know if you don't love them, you are wasting your time and a lot of money.

On New Year's Day, I went to the barn where Billie and Pharaoh (her other horse) live. It's not luxurious or warm enough for humans---so probably the best way to explain it would be, it's a "hotel for horses." All in all there are probably 40 to 50 horses at the barn; when I went there and looked around I thought, "Boy these are really small stalls." I was then told, "these are actually pretty spacious." Seeing this convinced me not to come back as a horse after I go to that big camera store in the sky---I would be really disappointed with the living quarters and I can't imagine eating hay.

When I got to the barn I knew it was going to be a good day to photograph; I had a good lens, my trusty Nikon was back from the fix-it shop and I was ready to capture something I had never photographed before---horses. As the light came through the slats in the barn, I realized the lighting was actually not as good as I had hoped and it would likely make for less than excitable photos. 

Of course I challenged myself to get something that was not going to be easy to capture; I wanted to get the "whiskers" of the horse with the sun's backlight coming through. The hardest part? Getting the horses to stay still when my camera was not really in the mood to focus. I did get some photos---and you will see them in future "Snap.Shots."--- but for this day, I wanted something truly special. 

I gave myself an hour to shoot; of course, in looking at the photos I had taken after 60 minutes, I knew that an hour was not going to be long enough. All of the photos just left me saying, "Not that one, and nope this one is blurry, or that's not going to do it." I had 2 shooting  options while I was there; I could photograph in the barn or in the area where equestrian  jumping was happening. There was only one problem with the equestrian jumping---the height of the rails were not like I had envisioned, they were about six inches off the ground. More than enough for me of course---I would never get on a horse again---but the shot was just not there. (That would happen the next week ironically.)

Knowing I had gone to sleep at 2:30AM the night before, I really wanted something for my efforts. So I went back into the barn, ventured to Billie's stall,  just looked at him and vice versa. I think he felt my desperation and just said in horse speak, "Okay, I am going to give you 30 seconds, make this work."

The photo above was one of the last I took that day; Billie is looking at me, and he let me into his world for just a brief moment. What I didn't know was that this was going to be the last photo I would ever take of him. Billie died a week later. I look back at this photo and think--- perhaps he wanted to make sure his good side would end up on a wall and perhaps he wanted me to be the photographer.

Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Pay it forward.




Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone,
Help!”

This is the time of year where people are recuperating from the holidays; the time when giving is the norm for about 35 days or so. It all depends on when Thanksgiving falls during that particular year. 

After the 25th of December, the giving starts to slow down and eventually we are back to our non-holiday way of living. In other words, it’s back to the usual grind.

If we have learned anything from the last month or so, I hope it has to deal with being nice to others and knowing that not every family or individual has it the same as whoever is reading today’s “Snap.Shot.”I never really planned to write about this, but when I saw the photo that was accompanying this blog, I figured, “They will not be all that surprised based upon some of the personal situations I have written about before.”

This past Monday I was walking to the office when I said “Hello” to a person at a street corner; he was on a bike and he said, “Hello” back. The light turned, the walk sign came on, and I was back on my way. A moment later there he was riding and he stopped to ask me a question. By instinct, when you live in a city as large as Chicago, you have a pretty good idea what his next question is going to be. I was right. He asked if I could help him out with some money. I said, “I am sorry but I don’t have any.” I was not telling the truth and it was apparent he read me like a good book.

He went on to tell me how he was on parole, and how if he didn’t make it to his parole hearing, he was going to be thrown back in jail. For some crazy reason, and maybe because it was the tears that were swelling in his eyes, I believed him. When he said he needed, “$18.50” for a ride of some sort, I thought, “Seriously, you have got to be kidding.” He was serious. I was too, there was no way I was giving him that much money and I said, “I am late for a meeting and I will give you $10.00.” He looked at me and said, “I really need $18.50.” He knew by my look that the $10 was about to vanish and it should have but I stood there and continued to talk with him.

But, and this is where I just had to let him know I was on to him, or suspected I was, I said, “I am going to give you the $10, but I really hope you are telling me the truth. If you are, then I hope it helps you out; if you are not, you can deal with whatever comes about from being dishonest. I want to help you.” I am sure he thought, “got him.”

Okay, I am sure you all are thinking that I was taken for---and you are likely right. But deep down I was really hoping he was being honest. I thought about this the remainder of the walk to work and was feeling more than a little duped. But then I thought, “Will I really miss the $10?” I finally came to the decision, “I hope not.” I also knew I had paid it forward---and regardless---I was going to accept what I did.

The photo above was taken at the Glide Church in San Francisco; being a Jewish man, I don’t spend a lot of time in Church’s, but was assured this would be an experience I would never forget. Glide Church was located in what is known as the “Tenderloin District”---if you are thinking this is a high-end area of the city, think again. The Church began a number of years ago and welcomes any, and all religions, to come in and be a part of this community.

There is little doubt the Church needs work, but the experience gained from being there needs no form of change. The choir was amazing, the voice of the minister clear and concise, and the feeling I received by being with others who do not have what I am fortunate to have, I understood. There are 365 days in the year (non-leap year of course) and no matter what the day of the year, paying it forward feels good, even if I suspect my $10 went to something more than a transit ride.

Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

The Boss.



"You can’t start a fire, you can’t start a fire without a spark
This gun’s for hire even if we’re just dancing in the dark."

Nearly 40 years ago, I attended my first concert at the Arena in St. Louis. This was before it was known as the Checkerdome (eventually named the “Echodome”) and well in advance of its demise.

There is a level of irony about it all; the concert was the pairing of the Beach Boys and Chicago. It was a great concert of what I recall. The date I took was someone who I liked but she for sure did not feel the same. We did however have good seats, so I am assuming that’s why she decided to go with me. Now, as I learned a couple of years ago, she is dating one of my best friends from high school.

Move ahead 25 years and 240 miles to the West, and I am attending a concert in Kansas City with 20 clients. We are on our way to see Bruce Springsteen---AKA “The Boss” ---at Kemper Arena. Everyone was excited; we gave them all his greatest hits CD, dinner and more—and now we were in a van heading to the concert. More than 3 hours later, as the Boss signed off, I was elated it was finally over. He was so boring, and I vowed that if I was ever invited to see him perform again, I would pass.

Why?

He played songs that were not his hits or even close to hits at least those that I knew.

Now, move ahead 14 years and we are in the year 2012. The Boss is playing at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and we have been asked to go. My opinion carried absolutely no weight whatsoever; we were going.

As we arrived at Wrigley, late, our friends were not happy. I can’t blame them and they had every reason to go into the stadium without us. They are nice and waited. Thankfully the show had yet to begin---as we walked on the field to our seats. Yes, we were actually “on” Wrigley Field about 60 yards from the stage. I checked my watch and figured I had 3 hours to deal with something I was not interested in, no matter how excited everyone else was to be there. Plus, there were thunderstorms in the area and I figured that could be our way back home earlier than expected.

About 20 minutes after our arrival out he came. The first song he played I actually knew; the second and third songs were even more familiar than the first. By then it didn’t matter that I was not familiar with the 4th song, I was "into it." Big time. I suddenly experienced what die-hard fans knew—The Boss is “The Boss.” About one and half hours into the show it started to rain. I figured, this will delay the show and we might even have to leave as the show might be cancelled. Wrong. Not only did he play in the rain, he came out into the audience to experience what we were experiencing.
Without my trusty Nikon, I took out my less than impressive iPhone out of my pocket and started to take pictures. The Boss was no more than 25 feet from us. I was actually star struck. I looked at a picture I had taken and thought…this looks clear. (I was not sure, but hoped it was.)

As he played for another hour plus, my respect for him grew as I learned he was one of us; not bothered by the rain---he relished it. No wimpy “Thanks but we can’t play any more for you all due to the weather” coming out of the Boss's mouth. He was just as wet as we all were and he played music and played in the rain,.

The photo above was taken at the show. In the background is his beloved partner Clarence Clemons who passed away last year. Clarence seemed to know the Boss would play to the crowd and he was darn sure going to be a part of it no matter what the weather.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Dirt.





"I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry"

We live in times where there is a lot of dirt tossed around. If you survived the recent Presidential elections, you should be very familiar with the filth and grime that made up the most expensive election of all time---one that didn’t change who would be leading our country.

Then there is the dirt that makes up the gossip that it seems people cannot get enough of no matter how hurtful it can be. It might be a friend, neighbor or someone you know locally, but then there is the larger national of global platform where the mud slinging is vicious. Today I read in our office that Kris Kardashian is livid because Kanye West “blabbed” he was going to be a Dad.

Why is she so upset?

It has nothing to do with the happy couple becoming a gleeful trio--she is mad because they could have provided the happy news to the highest bidder and made a lot of money by selling the exclusive story. As I see it, and this is just my opinion, if she feels the news is worth money, then sell it and give the proceeds to the unwed mothers who have no idea how they are going to care for their unborn children. 

Can you imagine what a few million would do to a birthing center who care for those who are in need?  Probably the most baffling part of this glorious news in the Kardashian family is, Kim is still married to Kris Humphries. Unless you were not paying attention for those 72 days of bliss that made up their “union” it’s just a lot more dirt that we really should not care about.

If you follow the media, you may be aware that some of the oldest news magazines that were a staple of the American diet are no longer in print. Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and others that could not keep up with the 24/7/365 world of needing everything “now” and have gone straight to the web with their news. Whereas it may seem they earned it, they kind of did, they believed consumers would not want to let go of what they were holding in their hands; that these icons of Americana would provide the in-depth reporting that made them such an important part of American culture. The problem turned out, everyone needed the dirt right now and so they went.

The photo above was taken at a local football game this fall. It had rained before game time and at first I contemplated not going with the fear of having my trusty Nikon trashed. The I thought, “Are you kidding me, this could be the game I dreamed of---dirt, mud, grime and best of all, the opportunity to capture a photo of something I had wanted for some time.”

We live in a time where there is plenty of muck and filth--I am hoping in 2013 we see more of it on the baseball, football and other sports fields than in our every day lives.

Thanks for stopping by.