Being Part of a Community

When I moved from rural Ozaukee County to the 'big city' of Milwaukee, I often felt like a small fish in a big lake.  I was raised in a town of 2000 people in western NY, so the city initially left me feeling disconnected.  My neighborhood was great, however, and everyone in 'the hood' is friendly and fun.  I began to make friends, associations, etc. and soon it felt like I was back in 'community.'

When churches, non-profit organizations and schools asked me to donate my services for their auctions and fund raising events, I readily participated.  It made me feel connected to others and added to the purpose of why I love, and need to, photograph.  I've realized my skill/work contributes to the visual history of a community and their families.  That feels real good to me; to be grounded on a plot of land with people who care about one another.

So when I was working on my tax preparation this month, I saw the list of churches, schools, organizations that I've become a part of through time.  They've helped me create a big Milwaukee family!  Here they are:
         St. Roberts School - Shorewood
         Holy Family School - Whitefish Bay
         Mequon Jewish Preschool - Mequon
         Rainbow Preschool - Fox Point
         Community Preschool - Whitefish Bay
         Big Brothers  Big Sisters - Milwaukee
         The Caring Place - Waukesha
         North Shore Children's Center - River Hills
         Sixteenth Street Community Health Center - Milwaukee
         American Heart Association - Milwaukee
         Hartford University School for Urban Exploration - Milwaukee
         Cream City Foundation - Milwaukee
         Milwaukee LGBT Community Center - Milwaukee
         LaCausa - Milwaukee
         Milwaukee Art Museum - Bal du Lac
         Alzheimer's Association - Milwaukee
         Dominican High School - Whitefish Bay
         St. Eugene Congregation

Thanks for asking me.  It's helped me as much as it's helped the organizations!

        

First Holy Communion Revisit

I was editing some First Holy Communion pictures that I made recently of a young boy in my studio.  Something happened while photographing him that I just had to share.  I need to categorize this moment under the heading of "Situational Awareness."  While you might hear me talk your ear off about SA in other settings, I find that it works for me in most of my life.  It's simple moving through life with an awareness of what your senses are taking in.  For me, it's hyper-drive on the visual side but smells, sounds, sensations, etc., they all play a role.  Here's how SA worked in this photograph.

After finishing a series of images, I turned off my main light and moved it out of the way to get ready for the next series.  As I did, I saw the light pouring in over Hunter's head, like a beam of light that angels descend down to us in.  (Not that I've actually seen that actually happen, but you know what I'm talking about.)  I stopped dead in my tracks and said to my photographer friend Jason, who was visiting for a few days, 'do you see what I see??"  "YES!" was his excited reply.

I made a few images of him when Jason spoke up and said, "Hunter, look up at the ceiling."  Wow!  It made the picture happen.  Pious, reverent, humble, innocent - all the words that would fit for a First Holy Communion portrait of a young boy.

So they we were, Jason, Hunter, his grandma and I, a few days before Easter, and it was that situational awareness and that infamous angel of mine, "intuition", that spoke to us and helped me create this moving image of Hunter.  I invite you to help me think up a title for it.

The light from above, you ask?  It was biblical - the roof opened up and poured down a shaft of light that I needed for heavenly illumination of his portrait!  OK, you got me.  I cannot lie around Easter.  I owe it all to the Solatubes (http://www.solatube.com/) I had installed in my studio.  (Brighter Concepts on Capital Dr in Shorewood.)   I think I'll be using them for a light source more often!  It pays to have SA!