The first Monday of the new year. In the office and back to “full tilt boogie,” not that I haven’t spent plenty of time in the office during the holidays. I hope you had great ones. And there’s not a ton to report on. The work flow slowed down for about three weeks. Just checking in here.
Photographed on Sunday, for a gentleman, Bradley Hix, who is running for alderman in Ward 1 in Galesburg. Family portraits, and other campaign style shots which will be used during the course of his campaigning. The weather was unseasonably fine. The portrait you see here, was made using an old, manually focusing, 105mm lens, with the aperture set at f2. Space was intentionally left on the right hand side of the fame for the option of adding text to the photo.
Am also on standby, in the “expectant photographer” role. Have been commissioned to photograph a birth. The second time to have this honor. And for the same family as the first. The due date is the 18th, but I’m traveling with my gear and keeping my phone nearby at all times now. The second photo illustrates what I’m packing around. When I posted of this upcoming work on facebook, it drew mixed reactions. Some thought it will be a great experience. Some were very turned off by the thought of a photographer at a childbirth. Each to their own. The late, great, photojournalist, Brian Lanker, won a Pulitzer Prize for a series on childbirth. Personally, I’d rather make photos of a baby being born than a fatal car accident, or someone’s home burning to the ground.
The holidays, and break during them, brought college football games playoffs. Made me think back to the days at The National Sports Daily, and how I photographed every home Notre Dame game. Would make the drive from Chicago to South Bend. Good times! So, here are two from the Fall of 1990. One of Lou Holtz leading the team to the field. And one of Chris Zorich and Don Grimm celebrating an interception.
Lastly. The last publication I worked for as a staff photographer, The Galesburg Register-Mail, made a recent note of a huge blizzard that hit on January 2nd, of 1999. Approximately 20” of snow wound up on the ground. The snow began on Friday the 1st, but it was Saturday the 2nd when the photo in this blog was made. Galesburg was virtually shut down. I was out making photos and it was rough going to get around. I spotted this man, walking East on Main Street, and made some frames. After obtaining his name, I asked what brought him out in such conditions. He was walking to purchase a pack of cigarettes. I submitted this photo to the Associated Press and learned that a number of newspapers across the county had picked it up and published it. That always makes a photographer proud. You can see that the Galesburg paper ran it five and a half columns across the top of the front page.
So that’s what it’s all about for now. Waiting for things to pick up speed again. And reflecting back a bit on how fortunate I am to have the career I do, and what it allows me to witness.
