Category: April 2012

I Shoot People Too ~7

Imagine all the people

Then imagine all of their imaginations.

I had this idea rattling around in my head, from time to time, since I wrote last. I kept remembering being on trips with my parents. I would be in the backseat of the car, heading down a state road and passing all the people. I would wonder, who are they and where are they going? What do they do? What do they think? What goes on in their lives?

I’ve always enjoyed travelling and people watching. Very rarely do I ever feel the need to talk to anyone. It might destroy my image of them. Just imagine, of all the thoughts people have in their heads, as you’re passing them in the street. That’s a lot of words and ideas. Delusional snapshots of life, firing through everyone’s brains. And you’re left in your own silent, talkie, until you decide to say something.

And I did.





In the sea of people~

See the beautiful.

I Shoot People Too ~ 6

This set of ten portraits makes a total of sixty. Today’s cover shot is my brother; the one and only. My siblings consist of one brother and three sisters. He is the second oldest. After my mother had her first two offspring, she said she had achieved her quota, that had to do with the responsabilities of children and school. According to him, it was after the firstborn. We have our varied perspectives on life in general, and our histories together.

I have come to believe that the devil IS in the details. When I use to share with my friend, stories about my family, he said, “That sounds like a Pat Conroy novel”.  So, I read Pat Conroy. The father in the Prince of Tides was a mild mannered, southern gentleman compared to our Dad. Our family life took it’s toll on my brother, as it did all of us, in our own ways.

At one time, I adored my brother. In 1968, he had a green Road Runner. He took me to my first concert, The Allman Brothers at Jacksonville Beach. We went 110 miles an hour on I-10. I was use to fast cars. I  can remember my brother driving a white station wagon of my father’s. He would practicing spinning it around to go in the other direction. He would pick up speed, hit the brakes and turn the wheel.  Those were the days, full of danger.

I always drove his motorcycles, including his Harley Low Rider. Women didn’t ride back then. I once heard him tell someone, “If it’s got wheels, she can drive it!” That was a proud moment for me. I always wanted to please him.

Here and there, he let me be his pool shooting partner. He’s always been a gambler. After work one Friday, he took me to shoot dice out behind Ardsley’s Liquor Store on Beaver St. It was by default really. I just happened to be in the car. It was probably dangerous, but back then, without danger I wouldn’t have known how to act.

68′ was quite a year for me. I was twelve. I can remember looking in the mirror and teaching myself to cuss. I got pretty good at it. I was trying to survive; but I was still the Catholic School girl that wouldn’t walk on the grass.

It was a year that my life soared in a direction that had been a long time coming. It would have been really weird, if it had been any other way. There was no one there to save me. I was on my own.

The wild and crazy stories seem endless if I start telling them.

Here are some more people


I see people~beautiful!

I Shoot People Too ~ 5

This is set 5 of 10. These are some of my favorite portraits that I am sharing. I have ten more days until I fly out of here, destination, Costa Rica. I have hopes for my life there. I thought I was going to be an ex-pat and live there full-time, but none of that worked out. I still keep allowing my life to unfold; I go where I’m lead. God’s plan always seems to be better than mine.

Let Me Show You

 

 




Look closely~see people~beautiful!

I Shoot People Too ~ 4

This is my fourth set, of ten portraits. I started this photos series to help me get through my last days here in Florida. I will be going back to Costa Rica soon. I still have work to do~loose ends to tie, and then I will be CR bound. I can’t wait really. I try not to let myself feel the enthusiasm. I try to be here when I’m here, and not even think about there.

I went to a party last night at Tiger Point Marina on Amelia Island. What a scenic spot on the planet. The setting was perfect. The band and the people would have made great subjects. I took my camera, but wasn’t feeling it. I was reminded of just how much I don’t know about photography. There was a professional there and I got to ask questions. When I woke up this morning I knew I should have asked more.

I chit chatted ~ which in a previous post, I mentioned I have a hard time doing. But I was in my element there. I’ve been on the island for a long time. I know it’s history. I’m bound to the island.

 ~ Everybody let’s party party – Everybody let’s party party~

When I look at this series of photos, I know that it’s sharing a moment. I also know that each person has a story. I never go into great length about anything in my posts. I want to share photos more than words.

But I will tell you, that these last days here with my family, are not easy. Nothing is ever easy with my family.

In 1958, my family lived on Carder Street, in a nondescript brick home in nondescript neighborhood. I would stand in the front yard, screaming ((JANE)). Sometims she came out and sometimes she didn’t. I have no idea what she looked like. I can’t remember her at all. I can only remember the screaming and her mother telling me to stop doing that.

I wish I had my camera back then. My life would have been different. I would have been better.


Beautiful people ~ I see.

I Shoot People Too ~ 3

I use to have a fear of people. It came from the early years of my life. Even though my parents had money;  they could provide a roof over our head and drove beautiful cars, inside our house, it was not safe. From the earliest years of my life that I can remember, which is two years old, I was always alone and always afraid. I was in the dark a lot.

All of that’s changed now. I’m not two anymore and I can take care of myself. I’m not scared of life or people. It took some work but that’s OK. To put it simplistically, ART was my healer.

Photography is art. It’s about light. It brings me out into the light. And it brings me around people. I remember when I took the photo above. It was one of my first, working for Que Magazine.

Some people don’t like the camera. It scares them and it shows in the photo. If people only knew how beautiful and valuable they are, they wouldn’t hide, they would pose, they would laugh and they would smile and jump and dance.

Art and People~A Winning Combination







I see~people~beautiful.


I Shoot People Too-2

I Shoot People Too~is a series of 100 photos that I pulled out of my library. I took them over the past two years, in three different countries, the U.S., Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. This picture was taken in the Oriental Market in Managua; one of the hardest and most dangerous places that I have ever visited. I had to get a picture of this plumbing vendor. She looks innocent enough, but I bet she has a knife hidden in that apron. Other than that, the real reason I like this photo is; I look at her and she looks at me, neverending.  These accumulated portraits are just another aspect of photography that I love and need.

Recently in WordPress, I stumbled onto a page titled I Shoot People, by a professional photographer. I aspire to, but have no real expectations of achieving that level of skill with my camera. But who knows? He also had some words of inspiration to those that wanted to be photographers and I agree with him. You don’t have to have the best camera, just do it! The results might surprise you.

So, I share with you more of My People

I count my lucky stars~~I see people beautiful.

I Shoot People Too-1

Since I began to blog, I have seen some off the charts, professional photography. I don’t know if I will ever achieve that kind of expertise, it’s possible, I suppose, if I live long enough. But I don’t let my inabilities stop me from photographing people.

My camera is my drug. This all began when I quit doing real drugs and found myself very uncomfortable around groups of people. Everywhere I went I took my camera and used it as a sheild between me and the world. That way I didn’t have to talk much and I could~kind of~entertain with my Polaroid. I still carry my camera everywhere, but I no longer have the fear of people. In the long run, the camera did what drugs couldn’t.

I use to create Polaroid books. My camera, eventually, was held together by a rubber band. It bit the dust, so, I bought a digital Kodak Easy Share. That camera became my mule. It broke about a year ago and I took a huge leap in the world of photography, by purchasing, a Cannon. Between my camera and my computer, I don’t think I will ever outgrow them.

Many people are very uncomfortable in front of the camera, and I have to interact with them to get a good picture. I always tell people if it’s bad, no one is going to see it. I would never want to display a bad photo of anyone. For one, you wouldn’t have a good reputation as a photographer and two it would be very bad karma. I’ve found that people enjoy good pictures of themselves. I do. It’s a captured moment in time, that will never be again.

Also, I know to put a picture aside if I don’t like it. It’s a guarantee that I will have a different perspective in ten years! And that viewpoint is going to increase the odds of me appreciating the photo. A friend once shared that with me, and I’ve found it to be true.

Here are some of the illuminous spirits, whom I have had the pleasure of photographing.

I can remember taking every one of these pictures. They were all meaningful experiences. Indians believed the camera would capture a person’s spirit and steal it away forever. I am convinced the camera captures the spirit and hands it back.

Thank you God for all the people in my life.

I’m drug free and camera ready.

I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Happy Daddy~Happy Hui

 

Rooster and I are back at home; our place in the woods, that we call Camp Tobacco. It’s a homestead, that I share with my family. I’ve tried to create a  hui. A hui, is a bond in a family, that benefits its financial interests. I’m side stepping here, but this post is about family. I learned about hui~from my mother. Also, from reading the Michener novel Hawaii. It is the best book I’ve ever read in my life.

On the last leg of our Southeast Roadtrip, we stopped in Canton, GA and visited friends from Costa Rica. They are the owners of the Mono Congo, my favorite place in the country. When I first met Justin and Kym, they must have been all of thirty. They had two beautiful boys. They have always been a special family to be around. I enjoy watching Justin caring for and playing with his boys, which are now four. They are his OATS;  Adrian, Oakley, Tristen and Shea. They didn’t plan that~

Sweet!

Two Years Old

 Little Boys Are Natural Daredevils

Oakley

Mom

This is Adrian

While waiting on dinner, we got to sit around and chat. Check out the toys.

The next morning we went hiking at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve wanted to be in this spot since I was seventeen. I guess that makes it bucket list.

There are 472 steps, climbing to the top of the falls.

Then the hike was over and we had to say good-bye to the Happy Daddy and his beautiful family.

I am so blessed in my life today. On our trip, we visited three very different families and then returned to ours. In my life, I have benefited from my mother’s concept of hui. I don’t take it for granted. I would like to pass that on. Family is important and at its best, can care for one another in a healthy way. I put my best foot forward and place my feet by those that have what I want; like those that I visited, Justin and Kym, Jimmy and Whitney, Connie and the Man.

I want to thank all of my friends for the great trip, and the friends who followed along, you know who you are. And I want to express my thanks, for the help from my family, that made it possible.

Long Live the Happy Daddy~Long Live the Family Hui

Sorry – it was an award winning trip ~ LOL

Touring Tennessee

Rooster thought that it was a bit nippy here in the Volunteer State of Tennessee.

This is Jimmy on a suspension bridge in the foothills of the Smokey Mnts.

An old church in the historical settlement of Cade Cove. The dogwoods are in bloom.

Rooster played for us.

Then he preached to us.

We passed this old home on the way out of the Cove. I’m wrapped in a blanket now inside a modern home. It’s hard to imagine settlers, surviving the cold winters here in the early pioneer days.

The River

Jimmy, enjoying the Smokies.

This is Miss Whitney, who had to evacuate Costa Rica because she ran out of her make-up.

Me and the Roo, way out of our element, but enjoying ourselves.

Back to the Jimmy and Whitney’s version of the Beach.

At the moment we are huddled in blankets watching Medea, drinking coffee and laughing. Life is good and I am grateful.