The Illustrated Romance

It has been a whirlwind autumn, two giant studio shoots totaling hundreds of man hours, broken cameras brought back expediently and masterfully by Canon CPS, a hard drive on temporary LOA, another documentary trip to the Gulf, Young Marines, football, softball, costuming, corsets, birthdays, the list goes on. Insanity. Can’t say as it hasn’t been a whole lot of fun, because it has. Even on the sidelines in the freezing cold rain while the play went down the other side of the field. But moreso in the studio where the lighting is controlled and the costumes are beautiful.

I have learned a lot in the past year, really, an amazing amount. Like how to talk myself past the local police chief, the fire department, and the National Guard to get on a closed beach where tons of oil has come ashore in the middle of the night, when no others were there to be witness. I’ve learned about who I am, what I want, who I will work with, what I will and —more importantly— won’t do and where I’m going with my photography. Not too mention Iris. It’s all about the moment, when the magic happens and the shutter is miraculously in tune with it. That image that springs from the page. I’ve said this before, but one more time for the cheap seats: This isn’t what I do, it is WHO I am.

Expect a giant website overhaul soon.

And never forget: “I am not a nice girl, I am a photographer,”

-Berenice Abbott

The Kiss