Six years ago today.

 

“The older I get the more I can see

How much he loved my mother and my brother and me

And he did the best that he could

And I only hope when I have my own family

That everyday I see a little more of my father in me.”

Tonight, it will be six years since my father passed away. If you were to look at his death notice, you would see that tomorrow is the date listed. The reality, my sister was with him as he passed, and I can assure you it was tonight.

I will never forget the night my Dad left us; I was able to speak with him before he passed. It was a one-way conversation, but I know he heard me. This was the second time I have lived through a conversation with my parents when they were about ready to leave. I can say in all honesty I am glad I don’t have to do it again because it totally sucked.

The primary reason I was not in St. Louis that night was due to an impending snowstorm taking place along the 300 miles that separated Chicago from St. Louis. Also on that night I had a date with one of my daughters at the High School Father Daughter Dance. She gave me permission to leave for home, but there was no way I was going to miss this “important date” with her. 

For a couple of reasons: First, this was not just a daughter, this was one of my non-biological daughters; it was so important that she knew I was so proud to be her Dad and be there on this special night with her. Plus, I knew my Dad, and I was pretty darn sure he would have been just fine with my making this decision. He was a great family man, and we all knew how he felt about us.

I miss my Dad as would any child who has lost someone so important to them. But it’s what he instilled in me that I treasure most. He showed me the way to be a human being; it might sound strange to say that, but with the way he treated others and the way he loved his family, it confirms the reason why I used to call him, “Nice Guy Si.” (His name was Simon Rosenbaum.) Why no middle name? He used to say he was so poor the family couldn’t afford one—-that’s my Dad!

Dad, thank you for what you gave me—-a life that I would not change at all. Thanks to you, you showed me what a real man/great Dad was all about.

The photo above was obviously not one I took. This is a photo of my Father with his family. My Dad is the one on the right; as you can see by his smile he was happy to be there—-I am happy he was too or I wouldn’t be here today.

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The first one.

 

“Well, it was true love- right from the start

True love, straight from my heart

True love, ain't no doubt about it, baby

True love, now I can't live without it.”

We have all experienced it, even if we are not sure we have. Falling in love is something that is not explainable—it just happens and when it does, we have changed. For ever.

Our first experience with love is when we’re born. Our families welcome us into their world, and hopefully—-as long as you don’t have a jealous sibling—-they actually want you. In my world, it was my Mom and Dad, but I am happy to report I do believe my sister and brother wanted me. My brother and I had a lot of good fights (I always lost) but I know he has always looked out for me. 

As we move through the years, love comes calling in a number of different ways. 

When we are in the early years of school, at least in my case, I wanted to be “in like” with someone, but even if I was it was "in like”— it always was a one-way street. I was, as they say, “husky” and I am not asking anyone to feel sorry for me, but I was not on any girls list of being desirable. It’s okay, I made it through.

The first time I was really introduced to the concept of having a girlfriend was when I was in a youth group. I was “dragged” into joining by my parents (the same ones who loved me from the moment I was born) and when I got to the building that night I knew I was in the right place. I met friends for life and am still in contact with some of them— and let’s face it, that was a long time ago. 

Probably what I received most from being with these new found friends, was the acceptance that I was one of them. When you are an outsider, and suddenly you have found many people who welcome you, it’s not only a good feeling, it’s a bond. 

I had my “first love” in this youth group; I won’t be specific of course, because I have certainly moved on (and I assure you she has as well) but it’s that first trust in telling someone how you really feel about them that you can never forget—-even if the other person has!

The photo above was taken at Brookfield Zoo many years ago. I used to “drag my youngest daughters” to the zoo because no other family member who could say “no” went with me—-but these two would. One day we went and a younger calf was near their mother—-I saw this shot happen, and when I thought I snapped the photo, I realized I missed it. But, if you wait long enough funny things happen. This is the true sign of love—and I didn’t miss it this time.

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11:04 AM.

 

“Wanna run, I want to hide

"I wanna tear down the walls

That hold me inside.

I wanna reach out

And touch the flame

Where the streets have no name.”

If you have been to a large city recently, you may find something missing. People. 

It’s been nearly a year since I left my office, walked to the train, and thought…”I guess I’ll be back in two weeks when this is all over.”  I was wrong. 

Chicago, like other cities around the country has been rocked by the pandemic. When I went downtown today, I took the train, wore a mask, and knew it was going to be different; I knew something was up when they didn’t take my train ticket, and all I had to do was show it when I got off the train. In other words, it’s still good and I can use it next time. That next time was the ride back home where once again no one wanted it, so it’s still good.

But my gain in a ticket is being felt by the loss of what so many people who live on the streets have had to deal with. I went to the branch of the bank that only a short while ago I would go to nearly twice a week. Today, it is temporarily closed, however I believe if things don’t get better, the word “temporarily” will change to “permanently.” Sitting outside was a homeless man with a cup. There was nothing in it because there was no one around. There was something in it when I left.

As I walked along, I saw empty stores, restaurants, and boarded-up buildings. It was like I was in the “Twilight Zone”—-but in this case, I wasn’t and to think this is how a city I have lived in for so long has ended up, it’s depressing. I do believe a year from now it will be different, but I also believe a lot of damage has been done. We have always been resilient in Chicago, I certainly hope we can pull through because of what I witnessed today, we have a lot of making up to do.

The photo above was taken at 11:04 AM this morning. It was not a Sunday, it was a Friday. Usually at this time the streets are packed, the sidewalks full, and if you stand in the middle of the street you get honked at. Today was a reality check, let’s check this year off and move forward.

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It's a game of angles.

 

“Ah, might as well jump (jump)

Might as well jump

Go ahead and jump (jump)

Go ahead and jump.”

When I started getting into photography, I would pretty much shoot straight forward. Why not? I was photographing what was directly in front of me and they came out okay. 

Then I started to look at photography books; specifically books on sports photography and I couldn’t figure out how they got that shot—-it was at such a strange angle. The book that I fell in love with was called “Hot Shots.” I would look at the photos, see who the photographer was, and then look them up on the web. One of my favorites, and he still is all these years later, is Neil Leifer. You might know his most famous photo…it’s Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston. It has claimed the top spot in the history of sports photography.

What I finally figured out was the importance of angles and shooting locations. I started to practice what I had seen in the books, and sure enough the photos became much more interesting. At least to me. Since football was my primary sport I shot, I started to apply this new “knowledge” when I was on the sidelines. So, while everyone else was standing in their usual positions, one photographer was lying on the ground. You can probably guess who that was. 

One of the other photographers came up and asked how my photos were coming out and I showed them to him. He said, “Do you mind if I do the same over there?” I said, “Sure.” It’s not like I invented doing this and/or had a patent for photographing this way—-in fact I copied off of other photographers who I believe are some of the very best. 

Over the years, I have photographed from above, below and on my stomach and side. I have found the only time it’s difficult to do this is when the weather is bad. But, that has not stopped me. I have sat in water when it was in the mid-30s, laid on the ground in a snowstorm, and have been filthy from a mud game. These are some of my favorite games I have ever shot.

The photo above was taken for a project for our local YMCA. They were looking for someone who could help out and I said, “as long as you let me be creative, I am all in.” With this photo I wanted to make it appear that this young man was flying—-and so I had him jump off a picnic table and I was below shooting up. I think it worked.

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Next stop...far away.

 

“But I would roll 500 miles

And I would roll 500 more

Just to be the man who roles a thousand miles

To fall down at your door.”

Are we there yet? Probably the most common question of any passenger in a car, train, or any method of going from Point A  to Point B. As the driver who has been asked this question easily a million times, my response is always the same…”sooner than we were a few minutes ago!” It does not get a positive response.

Travel has been pretty much been on hold for the past year; fortunately it looks like it’s going to make a comeback, and I truly hope it comes back stronger than ever. I saw a poll the other day that showed travel was second only to live performances as what has been missed most. I enjoy concerts and other forms of live entertainment, but I really love travel more. I guess it has to do with getting away and of no shock, the ability to take photos of where I travel to. 

I have photographed concerts, and it is a thrill, but it’s different than traveling to a location where you experience a situation you have never seen before and you can visualize what it would look like on a wall. The funny thing about this statement is…I have very few photos I have taken on my wall. Why? Because when I put something on a wall, I get tired of it and want to change it—so I usually place someone else’s photo up and dream of what it would be like to have taken that shot. For example, Michael Jordan in flight, photos from “The Great Depression” and others that are emotional and speak volumes.

One thing I did, and plan to do once I do have the opportunity to travel again, is to take my Nikon and my iPhone with me. For sure the iPhone, but sometimes I have contemplated whether or not to bring my trusty camera with me; I always end up bringing it with me, but I have thought about doing it. I am always happy to have it with me as I end up taking more pictures than my phone would be able to hold—plus even though my phone takes good pictures, nothing beats a Nikon.

The photo above was taken on the outskirts of a town in Nevada. I don’t recall which one, but one thing I do know, once you went past this sign, you had better have enough gas. No it’s not 500 miles, but when you run out of gas 50 miles from the next station, you better have a camera, because you will be taking pictures and your iPhone will likely not work.

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Mirror on life.

 

“Through the mirror of my mind

Time after time

I see reflections of you and me.”

It took a while, but as I have spent more time taking pictures…simple things like looking at the moon, trees, buildings, and even puddles have provided really great subjects to photograph.

I remember one of the first photos of a puddle was in Popular Photography Magazine; I don’t want to disappoint you but it’s no longer being published. It figures, we go from film to digital and so goes the magazine. What was kind of funny about the magazine was how poor the paper quality was. I mean, “come on” it’s a magazine about photography and the paper is bad? Yes, the paper was just a grade above what you would finding a newspaper.

I read somewhere recently that “photography is not real;” it went on the say, this is “because it’s not 3-dimensional,” and we just see it as a flat image. I had to read it a few times, and I tried to comprehend it, and finally “almost” did. I believe photography is real, can be held, viewed, and hung on a wall. So, it’s real!

A lot of people I know say they love video more than still photography—I have been asked if I would be interested in video taping weddings and other events? Whenever I am asked, I say…”I don’t do video.” I get a strange look like….how can you say that? 

Growing up I liked taking pictures, but I never really had time or real interest in doing it like I do today. I was much more interested in being with my friends and my father was the one who took the pictures in our house. I do remember when I was in high school and there was a dark room. I tried to get into it, but I always had trouble rolling the film around the spindle. Another problem, I didn’t understand the dials and all the set up. It showed when I would have the pictures developed…they were either dark, blurry, or overexposed. In other words, they sucked and I stopped.

Then I got into digital and the rest was history. My first digital camera was a point and shoot and I want to say it was more than $400. Today, it would sell for pennies on the dollar—if you even wanted to buy it. Since my first digital camera I have probably had more than 10 of them—-I still have them today, I don’t even know if they still work.

The photo above was taken at a pond near by. It was cold. It was overcast. It was perfect for photography. I have never thought about shooting film again, I guess it’s just a reflection on my shooting style.

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I've looked at clouds from both sides now.

 

“I say, hey (hey), you (you)

Get off of my cloud

Hey (hey), you (you)

Get off of my cloud.”

Like many, I have always been mesmerized by clouds; lying on the ground, I would look up and see things like a car, Snoopy, or a piece of fruit—more like an apple or pear than grapes. But for sure, on a clear blue sky day, with white clouds overhead, it’s easy to lie back and daydream. Ahh…that sure brings back memories.

Sometimes clouds are not as friendly. I have been on planes when we fly into or around a thunderstorm. I don’t think it’s advised to do it, but even when you fly next to it, it is amazing to the height and feel the power of this true force of nature. 

I don’t know the names of the different types of clouds, but I know they are not all the same. When I was in college, I watched a cloud from far away start to spin and make its way to the ground—as a freshman, I knew I was invincible and stood on a wall as it came toward campus. It was a visual I will never forget and either will the town of Kansas City who got hit head on by the tornado. The damage was bad enough to be made into an Allstate commercial—-so in this instance, the cloud was a star.

When I started to take more photos a number of years ago, I knew I wanted to take pictures of clouds and barns. It might sound easy, but for some reason, the perfect shot would come into view when I was driving on a highway, too far away to capture the photo, or worse…when I didn’t have my camera with me. (This was before the iPhone.)

This has been a really good year for photographing clouds. Some of my favorite photos have happened by our local lake, and during two trips to Florida. This time I had my camera and my iPhone-- and being on a highway didn’t stop me. I’ve learned…so I stopped and got out and took them from the side of the road. 

The photo above was taken near Sarasota, FL. I was going to my daughter’s wedding and when I got off the plane (yes, I flew during the pandemic) I saw incredible clouds off in the distance. While I walked through the terminal, I took a few pictures from inside—but there were too many distractions on the tarmac. So, I got into my rental car and off in the distance I saw some clouds that if I had not taken the photo, I would have regretted not doing so. (Even if I was running close to when I was due to the rehearsal dinner.) I will never forget her wedding, and I will never forget the clouds—both were magical moments.

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Coming out of the dark.

 

“Coming out of the dark

I finally see the light now

And it's shining on me

Coming out of the dark

I know the love that saved me

You're sharing with me.”

Finally. 

With all of the news that has come out about the pandemic’s future, and what it will look like in less than a half of a year from now, has provided optimism. Optimism doesn’t really get you too far, but if you think about what we were going through this time last year, it’s nice to have a brighter light at the end of the tunnel.

This really has been a year I would like to put behind me, but like any experience you go through—-or in this case we have all gone through—-we will be on alert for some time. All it will take is some continuous good news and the conversation will change to where we were before. It’s normal. Once we do move forward, and once we have had a somewhat “all clear” for a while…I really believe we will once again feel like we’re free. 

We have all thought about what it will be like when we emerge; it’s like coming out of a deep hibernation (in this case we have gained and not lost weight) and feeling the warmth of the sun hitting our faces. This winter has been as tough as predicted; but I have always been a believer that when the people who know best, start to make predictions of things to come—-and they’re positive—-they tend to know. Think about the economy. When things are going well, and the word “recession” begins to creep into the discussion, it usually is for a reason…and it often happens. 

The same is true when the situation is in reverse. I do follow the economy and the talk right now is one I hope really comes true. Although there are some dark clouds to these sunny skies, at least they’re feeling better about the future. If they feel better—I am going to carry it with me. We need to have our lives back; we need to start really living again and when we do, we need to be careful. Hopefully just careful and not isolated because if we haven’t learned from what we have been through, “What are we thinking?” 

The lyrics at the top are from a song by Gloria Estefan from many years ago. Back in 1990 she was in a horrific accident when her touring bus was hit from behind by a truck—her back was broken and she was told she would never walk again, or have any additional children. She proved the doctors wrong.

The photo above was taken late last year. As Chicago was preparing for winter, and the harsh news we had been receiving for months was staring us in the face, it only felt right  to use software to make this into a circle—we were trapped. Now I see this as a city that has banded together and is prepared to break out into better times. In other words, we are coming out of the dark.

Thanks for stopping by.

Out. There.

 

“Is there life out there? So much she hasn't done

Is there life beyond her family and her home?

She's done what she should, should she do what she dares?

She doesn't want to leave, she's just wonderin' is there life out there.”

Yesterday, NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover, touched down on Mars. There is little doubt, that’s amazing; what’s more amazing to me is.. Mars is 128.39 million miles from Earth and they did it. What would have happened if they were say, 500,000 miles off course? A small fraction in the scheme of things, but one heck of a miss.

A few years ago, and I know I wrote about this recently, I visited Death Valley, CA. Since I have never been to Mars or any of the planets in the solar system, I can only assume that Death Valley was similar to what you would experience if you happened to get on a rocket and head to say…Mercury. (Bring some shorts, it’s hot there.) 

Death Valley at night is silent and dark. I went with a friend and we just couldn’t believe the stars overhead as there are no city lights to get in the way. More than that, if it were not for the moon, I don’t think we would have been able to navigate as we walked—-we did have a flashlight—-but I learned what it really means to be in pitch-black darkness. 

The next morning, we went back to where we had been the night before and it was like a completely different experience. What we thought was a small area was vast; I was trying to take a photo of a rock formation in the distance, and I thought it was within walking distance. It was more than 10 miles away. 

Going to places like Death Valley truly add to what I would say are in my bucket list. I really had never planned to visit, as it was not on my list like Montana during a snowstorm with buffalo on the range, but I am really glad I had the opportunity to go there. I want to go back and I want to go back with the right equipment to photograph the stars above. I can’t wait, it will be so cool.

The photo above was taken by Lake Ellyn in Glen Ellyn, IL. I have been there probably 200 times, but this one day, when I looked up at the clouds, I got to thinking…is there life out there?

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When the Blues came to town.

 

“Where players dash, with skates aflash, the home team trails behind.

But they grab the puck, and go bursting up, and they're down across the line.

They storm the crease, like bumble bees, they travel like a burning flame.

We see them slide, the puck inside, it's a one-one hockey game.”

Roughly 53 years ago, St. Louis had a new sports franchise come to town. The Blues had come to town and of what I was told, most St. Louisans were completely unfamiliar with the sport. That wasn’t for long, the Blues came in and captured the hearts of so many people,  I think even Cardinal fans were surprised. 

Because of their popularity, hockey gear was suddenly available in sporting goods stores and even stores that similar to Walmart—-however, Walmart wasn’t around then because they had yet to be in business. My first purchase was a stick and puck. Of what I remember, and it’s been a while, I seem to recall sticks were around $5.00…compared to those around today, which are well over $100.00. You would think they make your game better, for that amount of money they better and hopefully they won’t break.

One of my favorite things to do when I went to games, was to stand by the glass and beg/ask for autographs. Many players would sign, but there was one who didn’t and that was the goalie for the Blues. His name was Jacques Plante and he was my absolute favorite player. In fact, for the holidays, I received a mini-statue of Jacques Plante—-the only problem was he is in a different team’s jersey. I still love it however.

The photo above was taken at a recent hockey game for our local high school. This was my second game I have photographed; all I can say is hockey is a very fast game—-and focusing is really difficult. How do I know for sure? More than half of the photos were out of focus!

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Getting the band back together.

“Guess who just got back today?

Them wild-eyed boys that'd been away

Haven't changed, had much to say

But man, I still think them cats are crazy.”

Let me start with, I never was in a band, wasn’t crazy, but I did play the drums…for a short while. As much as I had hoped, my right hand was coordinated, my left didn’t quite keep up— my music career never happened.

I thank my parents for dealing with my desire to play drums, and their generosity in buying me a set of drums—-and after a few years…selling them. They dealt with the noise, and some of the worst drum playing I am sure they ever heard—in the end I am sure they were very pleased to see the set in someone else’s home and not in our basement. 

As I grew up, I always watched the drummer in rock bands. They’re normally in the back, but if you watch the amount of drumming they do, you know they are in really good shape and a very critical part of the band. It was a long time ago, but one time I was given tickets to see “Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band”—up until seeing Ringo play, I had no idea how good he was. His drumming style is so unique, and seeing him in person obviously reminded me of where he became famous. It was a “Wow” moment.

Although I never saw him play, except on YouTube, but the late Neil Peart was one of the most gifted musicians I have seen. What impressed me about his style was not only the way the drums wrapped around him in his set up, but that he actually played all of them. Plus, for a rock star, he took it all in stride—what I have seen in a documentary, he was very modest. If it were me, I probably wouldn’t be like him. 

A few years ago I was asked to photograph an event at the House of Blues in Chicago. I am not sure it’s still there, but I was provided complete access at the event. Whereas there were other photographers, I was the only one who photographed next to the drummer. At one point I was concerned I got too close while he was playing, but afterwards when we spoke he said he didn’t even know I was there. I can’t imagine if I had disrupted him.

The photo above was taken in Detroit a few years ago. After one of my daughters was done playing in the band she was touring with, I walked in back and saw these drums in back gathering dust. When I saw them, I knew I had to have this shot—-they brought me back to those days of “noise” in my basement and very kind parents.

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Doing what you love.

 

“On Wildfire we're gonna ride

We're gonna leave sodbustin' behind

Get these hard times right on out of our minds

Riding Wildfire.”

There are times when I imagine something I would like to photograph, and then I open my mouth and see if I can make it happen. I have hung out of window, stood next to a ski jump, and a few other dumb things. 

Couple of things I have asked for and gotten a flat out, “No!” were…photographing in the rafters at the United Center during a Chicago Blackhawks game, having a motorcycle jump over me as I lay on the ground, and remaining in the photographer’s area at a Lady Antebellum concert. (I was in the area for about 20 minutes, and after I could not show credentials, I was pretty much kicked out—that’s okay, I took more than 400 pictures.)

Being in sales, as my profession, has really helped me in photography. It’s interesting because most photographers are pretty adamant about becoming a wall flower when they are shooting, and that’s really the correct way to do it; but for some reason I can’t keep my mouth shut when I am doing it. On the football field I talk to the players, the refs, and fans…I am so happy to be there, I want to live the moment. I have actually asked a ref to move so I could get a better vantage point. They usually move and I say, “I was kidding, you’re the ref!!”

However, when the action really starts, I am on the move. I have used my phone to count steps during games, and there are some games where I would suspect I had the most yards during the game. I will go from end zone to end zone to make sure I am where the action is. One game of what I recall, I walked about 6 miles during the game; it is always worth it. The only part that makes it a little more difficult is the weight of my camera and lens—-don’t feel sorry for me, but when I use one of my larger lenses, with my best camera, the weight is more than 12 pounds. I might be sore when I am done, but I looked like I knew what I was doing—-even if I didn’t!

The photo above was taken at a riding center near where we live. It took a lot of convincing, but I was finally allowed in the riding area and allowed to lay down when the horse was jumping. Was I scared? Yes, I was. But I knew if I rolled the right way, I would get a really cool picture. If I rolled the wrong way, well…let’s not go there.

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Boredom.

 

“When all the little ants are marching

Red and black antennas waving

They all do it the same

They all do it the same way.”

If it seems like little has changed in the last year, you know millions will agree with you. 

If it were not for Netflix, Amazon Prime and countless streaming services…we likely would have had to read a book, do a puzzle or even talk with one another! I know, how could we possibly talk with one another when you can stream for hours watching Schitt’s Creek, Tiger King, or the Queen’s Gambit?? 

What really has made this past year difficult is the uncertainty of when it would all end? Early on we thought it would be over when it became warm—it didn’t—and when we got a taste of congregating once more, we had to give it up once again and go into hiding. We couldn’t travel like we once did, we couldn’t go to movies, sports or even a carnival—-we are used to freedom and once it’s gone, we lose our minds. 

Fortunately we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel; when we reach that light, and once we are all clear, I am going to celebrate big time. I might go to a sporting event, perhaps even fly there, and leave my mask in my pocket. Okay, I probably won’t fly to a sporting event, but I will for sure leave my mask in my pocket if it’s okay to do so.

I have been able to go to our local arboretum several times over the past few months…because it is so wide open, it’s easy to venture and take pictures. The problem this time of year is…it’s really cold and snowy. I was there about a week ago and although it was a beautiful day, it was cold. It was around 5 degrees cold and that’s not fun to experience. If you don’t believe me, ask my camera.

There is another place I used to visit when life was normal. I would go to the zoo and take pictures. I used to go with my daughters, but as they’ve gotten older, they absolutely refuse to go with me. What are they missing? Well, time with Dad of course. They are smart not to go.

The photo above was taken a number of years ago. The expression on the face of this orangutan was a look into the future—-there would be no one coming to look at him, make silly noises…they were home streaming on Netflix.

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Creation.

 

“Colors changing hue

Morning fields of amber grain

Weathered faces lined in pain

Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

For many years I painted. Some of the work I did was quick, some took months—and one actually took a couple of years. In the end, photography took over. It allowed me more creative freedom and every year instead of one or two paintings, I had tens of thousands of photos.

Now please keep in mind, being a painter for me is much more difficult than taking pictures. Why? Because the camera does all the work. No brushes, no paints, canvas, just a card and in my case some guy pushing a button. Yes, you have to focus properly, and make sure you have a memory card inside. The focusing is easy because the lens helps make that happen…the memory card? Well, I have actually shot an entire game and only realized something was missing. Gulp.

When I did paint, I would often use a photo from a magazine or even an advertisement I felt would be a good painting; because I had a piece of paper, and could look at it, it seemed to come together versus having people pose (no way) or paint something that came to mind. In case you’re wondering what my favorite subject was…sports—-Sports Illustrated was my favorite source.  However, there was one painting from a picture my former brother-in-law took. It was of Mark McGuire hitting a home run in 1998. It was a great photo and I thought…I wonder if I can?

Now for some reason, I liked to paint in black and white. It required less mixing of colors and once you had the shading down, it was fun to watch it come together. Plus, who paints in black and white? I guess I do.

The photo above was taken this morning. My wife has started to paint, and seeing her and a creation from my daughter Audrey above on the shelf, made me feel just fine she has taken over painting in our household.

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Passion.

 

“Into a dancer you have grown

From a seed somebody else has thrown

Go on ahead and throw some seeds of your own

And somewhere between the time you arrive and the time you go

May lie a reason you were alive, but you'll never know.”

Anyone who knows me, probably can assume I have never been a dancer. The closest I have gotten to being in a dance company was when I was one of the parents in “The Nutcracker”—my daughters were both in the show.  As a parent, you do have to go through some moves that could be viewed as dancing; I had the same role for 3 years and I still couldn’t’ get my moves right. I chalk my inability to having two left feet and no rhythm at all.

My favorite subject to photograph is sports. I completely enjoy being close to the action and the risk associated with it. Tonight I am going to be photographing hockey, I sure hope I am not going to regret the “risk” comment. Hockey is tough to shoot; the amount of movement and change in direction keep you on your toes. In addition, since I stand where there is no glass, you have to watch where the puck is going and you hope and pray it’s not coming where there is no glass—-because that’s where I am at.

The other day, I was talking with a friend and he wanted to know why I don’t go into the photography business. My response, “that would be work and that will kill my passion for doing it.” It sounds silly, but it’s like finding your ultimate passion and then completely burning out over it because you thought making money would make it better—-how do I know? I have tried it and it really takes the fun away.

I am very optimistic this coming year is going to be much different than last year. I really am hopeful we will see live sports that “WE” can attend, and get our lives back to some form of normalcy. I suspect I will get very little disagreement that we lost a lot last year, and we’re long over due for a come back.

The photo above was taken last year in California. My daughter and niece went with me to take photos amongst some of the most beautiful trees I have ever seen—-they were located just off the coast of the Pacific Ocean and it was a wow. I knew when we arrived the likelihood for a beautiful photo would occur between the time we arrived and when we left—I was not disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you for your service.

 

“Some folks are born made to wave the flag

They're red, white and blue

And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief"

They point the cannon at you, Lord.”

I did not fight in The Vietnam War, my father-in-law was there, and so were 2.7 million Americans. Although I was alive during this time, I was too young to participate. I am not going to lie, I am very proud to be an American, but I would have been absolutely terrified to have gone to war. 

Times have really changed since The Vietnam War, we have seen our society go through turmoil, calm, and pretty much everything in-between. Fortunately we have had more calm and peace than turmoil, but these past few years have been quite challenging on so many different levels. 

Obviously the pandemic has been incredibly challenging; as bad as it’s been, I am very proud of how our doctors, front-line workers and everyone who has led the way in helping us tackle these times, have really shown the backbone of America. I won’t get into politics because I try to stay away from the topic in “Snap.Shot.”—-I am truly hopeful we can get back on track no matter what your political affiliation might be.

I have written about Washington D.C. in several of my blogs—I’ve done it because there is something quite amazing when you visit; it’s hard not to feel the power and awe of the the Nation’s Capital. When I am there, I love to walk…it’s very easy to do, and if you have a smart phone, you will see you the steps add up. Since my first trip to Washington, there have been many new additions to the National Mall and the area between the Capital and the Lincoln Memorial. By far, my favorite has been the dedications to fallen war heroes, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial—it’s just incredible.

The photo above was taken when we were in Washington D.C. to honor my father-in-law’s internment in Arlington Cemetery. The Vietnam Memorial Wall honors service members of the U.S. armed forces—the black granite wall is engraved with the names of those service members who died as a result of their service in Vietnam and South East Asia. The woman in the photo is making a copy of the engraving in the wall to provide families of the fallen—what a responsibility, and what an honor.

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Paparazzi?

 

“We are the crowd

We're c-coming out

Got my flash on, it's true

Need that picture of you

It's so magical

We'd be so fantastical.”

Last year, according to the trustworthy internet, more than 1.4 trillion photos were taken.  Obviously they were not taken with film cameras, but by doing the math—and this was in the article—-I read, if you took one photo every second, it would take you over 45,544 years to take the number of photos taken in total last year! Wow.

Before covid, if I was in downtown Chicago, you would see people taking pictures everywhere. It might be near a landmark, selfie, or families smiling at the camera, photography was omnipresent. If you are familiar with Vivian Maier, you know she was a very active street photographer. If you don’t know her, look her up; she did what photographers should do—she was pretty much invisible in both her photography and in life. No one knew her, her work, anything…yet she left us with a treasure.

Then there’s the flip side of photography; the picture takers who do not realize that they are being obnoxious and feel entitled to do whatever they want. I have seen it, and I am sorry to say, I have likely gotten in people’s way. I will say this, if I do it, I will apologize. We are invading space if we do this. 

If you recall there have been many famous intrusions of privacy. Celebrities who have a love/hate relationship with photographers, are the ones who are most likely invaded upon. It’s a tough debate however, a photographer whose profession it is to take photos would say, “they are in public and I have a right to take their photo.” I am really glad this is not my profession.

When I am shooting football, you have to be very aware of where you are standing, or kneeling, to take a photo. You certainly don’t want to get in the way of the game, but of equal importance you want to be respectful of the other photographer who might be very close to you. Because I shoot from some pretty crazy angles, I will often say to the photographer near me, “I’m right below or next to you.” They appreciate it. One time, and I am sure I have told this story…I had a couple of photographers tell me to “stay out of their way” because they were the professionals on the field. Obviously I was not impressed—-it’s high school after all—-and I still remember the story from many years ago, so it left an impression on me.

The photo above was taken at a BLM march. I turned around to see this photographer standing up in his car, his camera well balanced, with a great vantage point. The one thing I can assure you is, he was parked in the “No Parking Zone” and was lucky to not have gotten a ticket!

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