Got gifts?

“Now, he's wrapped around her finger

She's the center of his whole world

And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful,

wonderful, perfect

All American girl.”

How come when it comes to deciding on that special gift for someone you can’t figure out what to buy? In our household it either borders on the ridiculous or the “I don’t know” from the person who is next in line when it comes to birthdays. Within a 30-something day period, we will go through this three times. (In June, it’s 3 birthdays within 23 days---so it can be even more difficult.)

This year, when we have asked our daughter Audrey the question, she provides us with suggestions that made us want to say, “No, what do you seriously want?” Her suggestions, she is about to turn 9 years old, have been a shirt to a picture of herself for her wall. (The picture was $10--the shirt not much more.) On the one hand I am proud that she is not asking for an iPhone (yet) and on the other I think, “What is she thinking, there has to be something she really wants?” So far, and her birthday is Monday, we are coming up empty.

It had looked like she might be getting a digital camera. My response, “She has one.” So we are back to square one. Audrey is really a nice girl; I know I have mentioned it before in “Snap.Shot.” but she does follow the rules (at least at school) and for someone who is on the lower end of the pecking order, in a family as large as ours, she seems to get that you can’t always get what you want. But, she does deserve a nice gift---we just don’t know what to get her.

I know this will end one day---we have many examples in our home to demonstrate it--- and I am thinking on Monday she will probably get clothes. She seems very happy when we go buy them, and well, it seems like she has grown out of Barbie dolls, DVD’s and the utterly ridiculous "silly band" rubberbands. (I am really thankful that fad ended.)

So once we are done with Audrey, then it gets really tough; it’s Susan’s birthday and after clothes, antiques, and other things she enjoys, I will have to figure this one out and it's going to be tough. Great, I have one week after Audrey’s birthday to get it done.

Whereas I know giving something trivial like a gift card, money, or spa day is too easy---for some crazy reason, I am stressing over it. What’s wrong with me?? It's the American way to now give!

The photo above is one constant in our home; for every birthday we turn down the lights, take out a camera, and light up the cake. The illumination is my favorite part---you can’t miss an expression, they look down at the cake, and you for an instant have no idea whether they loved or hated their gift.

Thanks for stopping by.

Change.

“Look at me, Look at me

I am changing

Trying every way I can

I am changing

I'll be better than I am

I'm trying to find a way to understand

But I need you, I need you

I need a hand

I am changing

Seeing everything so clear

I am changing

I'm gonna start right now, right here.”

Change is tough. I know. But when you take the risk, and whether it works out exactly as you thought it would, or much different, you know you tried. I doubt many people try to change for the worse---so when you make a decision you are going to do things differently, be prepared for bumpy roads, wrong turns, and roadblocks. I had all of these and I am so glad I did.

For the first 4 plus decades of my life I was incredibly consistent. I knew pretty much what to expect, what one season brought and the next and so on. Sure there were tweaks---it’s not like I was in the movie, “Groundhogs Day” or anything like that, but I lived a pretty predictable life. Obviously this is personal, but I figure if you have been reading “Snap.Shot.” for any period of time, you know I am pretty open. I am not sure if it’s good or bad, but if you keep coming back, it can’t be that bad.

There is little doubt the biggest change took place nearly 10 years ago when the decision to leave my wife left many devastated and confused. We all suffered one way or the other, but as I look back on those times, and where I was in life, “I was changing.” Move ahead 10 years and my ex-wife is moving to Florida with her husband to be near her parents...and live a lifestyle that’s dramatically different than what she had in Chicago. I am truly happy for her.

During this past decade I have been really fortunate to meet a lot of new people, find my passion (photography) and blend a family. It’s not something I recommend for the faint of heart, but it has truly made me a much better person---at least how I see it; I can't say for sure how others view it. But then again, if you are going to move forward, you have to know there are going to be challenging times as you navigate the rest of your life.

The photo above was taken at the Morton Arboretum; I have been in this maze and others a lot more often than I thought I ever would. But like any challenge out there, when you know you need to make a change, what ever it is, it’s so important to have friends and family on your side.

Thanks for stopping by.

Substitution.

It was a little more than a year ago when Lebron James made his “decision to take his talents down to South Beach.” To say his leaving had a minimal effect on his hometown of Akron and neighboring city of Cleveland, would be like saying “What’s a little water?” after Hurricane Irene moved off the East Coast a few weeks ago. Both were devastating, but recovery is for sure underway.

For the city of Cleveland, and fans around the country, the ill feelings may remain--- but those that were hurt by Lebron leaving, have for sure moved ahead. Especially after the Dallas Mavericks took the Heat to the cleaners last year. (Okay, I will admit, I am not a Heat fan---sue me.)

If you have been to Cleveland, you quickly figure out the moniker “the mistake by the lake” does not represent it. All you have to do is take any exit into the city limits and you encounter sports stadiums, restaurants, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and other sites that make you want to stay for an extended visit. Yes, I am talking about Cleveland, OH.

While I was travelling into the city, I took note of a particular “massive” outdoor sign that was across the street from the stadium where the Cleveland Indians play. About a year ago this was the location of a giant advertisement where King James (as in LeBron) overlooked the city. It represented the love and admiration the city had for him and he had for the city---until he made a “decision” that did not fall on deaf ears.

Since then the city has changed, maybe not in the way it had felt it would when it came to professional basketball, but it has changed and has become cohesive. Maybe this is a bit extreme, but when Michael Jordan retired—the first time---Chicago was in mourning. Then he came back, then he left, and then he went away after a while, came back and we stopped caring.

Since I am a big basketball fan, and I am still holding out hope that we will have a season this year, I do hope that the Cavaliers have a decent season; not a great season where they win the championship, that’s reserved for Derrick Rose and the Bulls.  But a winning season---one where they look back and say…”we have been to South Beach, and you sir are not bringing enough talent to win the big one.”

The photo above was taken when I was in Cleveland. The city landscape in this case is brought to you by Sherwin Williams, a brand that has stood by the city for nearly 150 years---or about 143 years longer than LeBron did.

Thanks for stopping by.

An open letter to Sports Illustrated.

“Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;


Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;

Look at me, I can be Centerfield.”

More than 2 years ago when I began “Snap. Shot.” I made a ridiculous claim. It was fairly simple---I wrote, “If I ever get the call, e-mail, or note from Sports Illustrated to photograph an event, the blog would end." Two years later, it continues to be written---and whereas I would probably continue to write, because I love doing it, I can assure you the experience of shooting for SI would be a major topic----probably more than one time.

About a month ago we started football season here in Illinois; as a photographer, you feel the passion players, coaches and parents have for the game. I never played the sport, but I for sure, understand the emotion that is evoked from being on or near the field. Before every game I introduce myself to the coaches and referees; it’s amazing the response I get from them. It also takes me closer to the game. I think they are shocked, yet very appreciative of the gesture.  It’s funny, because I am the only one you will see allowed on the playing field---I guess that’s where sales experience comes into shooting photographs.

I joke with the refs a lot---and the other night I was sitting in the end zone (barely over the line) and a ref nearly stepped on me. He said I had to watch out; he was 100% right. After a few plays, and several apologies on my behalf, he joked and said, “I was not worried about you getting hurt, I was more concerned about your camera equipment.” The rest of the evening was all banter back and forth.

I am not going to beg for the opportunity to photograph for this iconic brand--- and it’s not like I am asking to shoot the swimsuit issue (although I am sure I could get time off)---I just want to be a part of the action, where some of the world’s greatest sports photographers shoot. By the way, I really don’t understand women’s field hockey, so I think this might be a bad assignment in case you are starting to think about where to use me. (Just a point of reference.)

As a photographer, I am always looking for the place where you are capturing the specific moment. I find the angles that capture the raw emotions of a sport, and then start shooting like I will never have a camera in my hand again; for me, that’s what sports photography is all about. Who else does this? The photographers who have brought some of the finest sports photos to the pages and digital world of Sports Illustrated. I study their images. I have a lot to learn.

The photo above was from this past weekend. Honestly, it was not an NCAA or NFL game---it was BGYFL. (Bill George Youth Football League) Yet, Every one of the players, who sweat their hearts out, have a common dream; they all want to go to the next level. I may not be on the field when they step out in front of 60,000 cheering fans, but for one moment,  if I am, you can be sure I will have one big smile on my face—even if it is behind the back of my trusty Nikon.

Thanks for stopping by.

9/11.

“Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

Out in the yard with your wife and children

Working on some stage in LA

Did you stand there in shock at the site of

That black smoke rising against that blue sky

Did you shout out in anger

In fear for your neighbor

Or did you just sit down and cry”

For anyone who is old enough to truly remember September 11, 2001, it’s very likely you remember exactly where you were when you heard America was under attack. Depending on your time zone, you may have been at work, on your way to work, or waking up to go to work, school, or preparing for a day with your children or other love ones. But chances are, you remember.

Right now I keep hearing, “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years” and all I can say is, “it has.”

Today’s “Snap.Shot.” is not about that Tuesday that I will never forget, it’s all about that cold Sunday morning nearly 60 years prior. When I was growing up, there was a date that was etched in my head ever since I can remember…it was December 7, 1941, “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy.”  For those of who you who are looking this up on Yahoo, it’s the day Pearl Harbor was attacked.

It doesn’t feel good that I am able to remember an attack on America in my lifetime, but in some ways it places me in a position to be able to tell my kids and their kids about the day my grandparents and parents told me about, that changed their lives. I want them to know that America is a great country, one that came together in 1941 and united like no other time in modern history. I also want them to know it was repeated in 2001. We can never forget what happened, and we can never say it won’t happen again---we just cannot say for sure but I pray it never does.

In 1941 my parents had recently turned 11 and 13; they remember sitting around the radio listening to the horror happening in what was a world away. At that time, Hawaii was not even part of the United States, so it was really not familiar to the average person; that changed very quickly. Unlike what we saw on TV, they had to listen and try to grasp the enormity of it all. I can’t imagine how they did it---but they never forgot and passed on the story to the next generation. That’s me.

I do hope I never put aside the morning I was listening to the radio at the office, and heard on the “Eric and Kathy Show” that a “small plane was believed to have crashed into the World Trade Center Building”---at that point in time we had no idea. A few minutes later we did.

The photo above has been in “Snap.Shot.” and for this day, it’s worth showing again. Draped over the side of the Wrlgley Building in Chicago is a 9-story American Flag. Unfortunately it is removed after event like 9/11 and the 4^th of July, but I wish it wasn’t. I love America and am very proud to be a citizen; I wish this flag was up every day to let anyone who visits our city, state, or country that America is a great country that will never forget. At least if I can help it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Things we said today.

“You say you will love me

If I have to go.

You'll be thinking of me,

Somehow I will know.

Someday when I'm lonely,

Wishing you weren't so far away,

Then I will remember

The things we said today.”

As we embark on the 10^th Anniversary of 9/11, the airwaves are cluttered with memories and images of that horrible day. As far as I am concerned, keep them coming.

Last night I watched Dateline NBC; it was a 2-hour show because it needed to be. Unlike what we experienced 10 years ago, there is a lot of information now available about was occurring during the most chaotic time I hope we never experience again. I will be honest, I am nervous about tomorrow. No I will not change any plans to stay indoors on a beautiful fall weekend, but I will be aware. I have been ever since that Tuesday morning a decade ago.

Like many, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard about a “small plane” going into the World Trade Center. As the information came forth, that it was more than a small plane, we gathered around a TV set and sat there without a word being uttered except for an “Oh My God” and “What is going on here?” We all now know what was going on.

What hit hardest last night as I watched the show were the comments by those left behind to wonder why? Children who were young and looking forward to years ahead with their Mom’s or Dad’s only to have them cut short; to husband’s, wives and families who were left devastated by what must have been the worst nightmare they ever could have imagined. To hear their voices, those who were calling to say goodbye, to those on the receiving end who did the same, it reinforced the need for me to remember---live life like it’s your last day, because unfortunately you never know.

As a photographer, I would have loved to have been in New York that day. I am not trying to be morbid---but capturing a memory, one that will haunt us forever, is something we rarely have the opportunity to do. Like other horrific events we need to remember—that’s a very important part of what a camera can do without saying “No” back to you. You can’t live your life in constant fear, but you can’t sweep it under a rug. Because eventually, the rug has to be removed and there lie the memories of the day.

The song above was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney; whereas it is not the most popular one written by the duo, it’s one of my favorites. Along with the photo above of my Dad and family at home, for me it signifies the need to always remember those critical words you say to someone you love---they are the everlasting moments that will never be forgotten.

Thanks for stopping by.

Summer highland falls.

“They say that these are not the best of times

But they're the only times I've ever known

And I believe there is a time for meditation

In cathedrals of our own.”

It seems every year about this time, we realize what is now staring us in the face. For states to the South, it’s hurricane season, for those to the West, it’s the time when wild fires eat up acres and acres of wilderness---and for us in the Midwest, we know it’s only a matter of time before the first flakes start to fall. I am not a fan of the winter, but being I live in the upper Midwest, I picked the wrong place to settle I guess.

So before we look forward, I would like to look back on what has been a really good summer. We were able to spend time with family and friends, learn of an experience that only happens once in a lifetime from our oldest daughter at home, and the trusty Nikon did not let me down snapping thousands of photos.  But probably the best part of summer has been how my kids have grown; my youngest daughter has perfected the art of tooth loss---my second oldest daughter is excellent playing big sister and being actually really nice about it…mostly. My third oldest daughter has become an expert at convincing the family we really do need things when we don’t—case in point, a puppy that I didn’t want that now lives in our home.

Then it’s the next 3 in line who are now living outside the house. Our 18 year old had the summer of a lifetime; she went to Rwanda, spent time with her boyfriend and prepared for her next stage in life heading off to college. The oldest daughter is making a life of it in Dallas and met Simon Cowell at a taping of X-Factor. Lastly, our oldest, he (note a son) he continues to thrive and learned a few weeks ago that he is not ready for “daddyhood.” He and his girlfriend spent the weekend taking care of an 8 month old baby---I think he was happy to hand her back.

So, as we now approach an event that truly turned our lives around, the anniversary of 9/11---I want to be able to absorb all of the events that have shaped my life since that horrific day. Chances are pretty good you might be seeing more of this in the next couple of  “Snap. Shots.”

The photo above was taken at our local pool. With the sun setting in the background, and knowing the season was coming to a close, it felt right to capture the moment so I can remember that summer will be in here in about 8 months. I cannot wait.

Thanks for stopping by.