Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Merry Christmas 2010 from C. & i

Decided to make it a digital card this year...took a few tries ;o)
i'd watch it full frame (icon bottom right) in order to see the whole thing...

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Sr. Lou 1923-2010


"We weren't afraid of the wind-we were afraid of magnets" -Sr. Lou on the Sisters of Humility's habits.

Sr. Lucille Conley was one of my favorite. She's my father's aunt but I just dropped the great and made her my own. At 16 she entered a convent and made serving the community her life's work. In 1993 she established an apartment complex and center for women with children who left their abusive husbands...something very near and dear to my heart. Despite living in a post-industrial community, (re:suburb of Youngstown) where the good times had come and gone, she was still able to get people to donate both time and money for the women and children that needed it most.

As kids, the convent was a stopping place while we were visiting family in Cleveland or traveling to DC. My brothers and I thought the cafeteria was really cool (often on road trips we would only have pbj's to eat). One year, I recall my cousin Mary (in photo, far left) and I grabbing lemon juice packets to use as rinse to make our hair more blond. I laugh now thinking about how we were explaining to the other nuns and how intently they listened to our beauty advice.

As a grown up I'd stop by there while working on a project in the Youngstown area, sometimes spending the night. Once I brought a girlfriend of mine, she was shocked to see beer in the fridge.

"Come on," I said,"these are Irish nuns," Recalling the late night I spent with Sr. Lou going over my annulment while splitting a Rolling Rock.

There are so many vignettes and cross-sections of Sr. Lou in my life. But as I look back, it was me doing the in&outs and zigzagging, she was just there, guiding me to quilt connections to my father's Irish family and my faith.

I'm returning the convent this next week. I got the call on Friday that Sr. Lou had passed. I think about how having her in my life had made me so much a better person, and I know it wasn't just me she touched.

"We lost a good one," emailed my cousin Maggie, who just named her youngest daughter Lucille. Indeed. We are truly blessed when strong women enter our lives, but even more so when we are related to them.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Mr. Jay at Phil's

Well this took way too long to put together and to post. And there's a good story here that's just about as long.

I was in TC over the summer and was checking out the Third Coast Bicycle Festival. I had just finished riding a quad (we didn't tip thanks to the direction of our fearless leader John Robert Williams), when out of the sushi restaurant I hear "e-Beth". With all of the nicknames people give me, i can tell who is shouting by what it is and i knew instantly it was Mr. Webber.

Jay Webber used to be accompanied by a friend of mine from a former life (re:ex-finance) and our paths hadn't crossed in years (10-12 maybe?). He asked me if I could shoot him playing that night at the restaurant across the street. I had all of my gear since I was working. I gave him a price, he disappeared to the nearest ATM and then paid me on the spot, to the amazement of my friends, and me. As Peter put it: "It's like your photography is crack and people are just buying it off the street." I love my friends.

I'm pretty sure his upcoming album won't have any songs written about me in it (for better I'm sure). Maybe that's why I used this song from that night. The head-slapping memories of years ago when a simple poem made me fall for everything, even love.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mashup 10.10.10

Big day Oct. 10, not just because of how cool it is to write that date, but Michigan's gubernatorial candidates actually had a debate!!!! I know, big excitement. and as I waited in the spin room for the candidates to come out and to be photographed I kept wishing i could catch Eminem's interview on 60 mins....BUT WAIT! there's more! the Lions won! by A LOT!!! so they found their way into the video too...as did Detroit New's columnist Nolan Finley, lest anyone think I'm too liberal. SO this video is kind of how i played the evening out in my head...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

One moment in time for one great cause

In late April my friend and favorite photo editor, Rodney Curtis, swung by my house to go over my portfolio and as always, he was a flurry of energy. Despite being laid off a year ago from the Detroit Free Press and still unable to find full-time work to support his family, Rodney was still full of positive energy and love for the universe. He was working on making his book Spiritual Wanderer into an iBook (eBook?) so it could constantly be updated and linked to his blog. As he left, I was expressing my gratitude for his feedback. "Thanks for making me feel useful," he said.

A few days later he was in the doctor's office being told he had leukemia. As in step with his personality, Rodney's facing it with amazing strength and humor, as is his supportive and beautiful family. He was hit hard-core with chemo, but without any change, the hospital let him go. Now he's working with Karmonos Cancer Center in Detroit. First step: bone-marrow transplant.

To help defray medical costs, he's been on COBRA since being laid off, photographers in the area who have been touched by his skills and humor have pooled together some amazing photos to be sold. Both newspapers, Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, also donated some historical images as well. The sale ends Aug. 1st, please take the time to look, buy and pass along:
http://defcode.com/rodney/

thank you Rodney, for making me feel useful.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Ed and his boat


Sitting on Empire Beach in Northern Michigan I watched as this determined young boy made his way to the waves with an odd contraption. Ed made the boat, with other rescue boats on it in his bedroom, which according to his mom, is filed to the rim with drawings, blueprints and random models in the making. His confidence as he walked to the shore, set it up, then place it in the water was so great, a little inspiring and of course reminded me of Caleb and the gifts we give our children when we just don't get in their way.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Brother Vincent Reyes 1940-2010


He fed and clothed the hungry, loved photography and was slightly radical (like most bros.) Getting out people's story who passed through the doors of Capuchin Soup Kitchen was so important to him. He asked me, along with photographers Steve Perez (okay, he asked Steve first) and Ed Hahn,to help created the book "My Name Is..." to give a face and story to those who use the Detroit soup kitchen. To me, I was one mistake from being in their shoes, to him, he was in their shoes.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Press Preview Day 1 at the North American International Auto Show

Covering the auto show is quite an excruciating experience for someone who doesn't care much for cars. And in these days of blogging, everyone needs to be the first to write/photograph something about a show. So, i try to slow it down and make something I'd like to see, because honestly, i don't care what's under the hood as long as it starts. The whole shoot was about 2.5 hours.