Spotlight on James Gregg

TID:

Your exponential growth over the years has been
impressive, and it's great you're willing to lend insight
into your thinking. One of the pictures that stood out
was this image:





JAMES:

Thanks so much for the opportunity to share here. The
thought behind the work is so important, and I know the
advice I receive from people, workshops, or through reading
has impacted how I approach my photography.

TID:

We'll take a break this week from the usual interview style
and just have you recount the story behind the image, which is
interesting in it's organic development.

JAMES:

I was fighting a "tunnel-vision" mentality a the time – the mentality
that's easy to get into when working for a newspaper. It's easy to get
into - you go to your assignment, you shoot what is expected,
then you go home. Day after day it can be a grind. It can make your
senses and your pictures dull. I was working on ways to challenge myself
when I made this image, on a day when I had no assignments.

For me, most of the work that I've done comes from enterprise,
looking for images that inspire me in some way aesthetically,
or pulling on a thread of interest that I find when I meet people
that grab my attention. Sometimes that can come from assignments,
but more often than not, I find them on my own.

I was driving back to the office after lunch when I saw a man painting
a day care building. I had an impulse to stop but I kept driving,
thinking "Nah, I should just go, there will be another time."
I thought about the danger of “tunnel-vision” and went back.
I attempted shooting him for about 15 minutes but it just wasn't
working.

That's when I spotted Ken (the man in the photo) trimming the
hedges of his yard. I also saw what looked like hundreds of
pigeons on telephone wires near his back yard. I thought it
was more interesting than the original reason for stopping.







I walked to him and asked him why there were so many
pigeons. He responded, "They're waiting for me to feed them.
It's almost time" he said. I thought to myself, “Jackpot.”

I talked to him for awhile, and I told him I thought the scene was
interesting and I asked if I could hang out with him for a bit and
make some pictures. In this case, it helped Ken understand what I
wanted to do, so that when he went to to feed them, he would just
do his thing, naturally, instead of worrying about what I was doing.

Then I started to think about what kind of image I wanted to
make. I loved the old Airstream, the birds, the sky, and of course,
Ken. I wanted to make an image that incorporated all in one.
There wasn't much color, but the textures and contrasts were
great, so I knew it would stronger as a black and white imahe.

That's important because it affects how I approached shooting
the scene.

He was pretty talkative and not used to having a camera
around, so I made a few pictures of him as we talked. The first
couple are awkward, but I do this a lot with people who are
shy because it kind of breaks the ice. I'll never use that picture,
but it's really helpful because it helps me get to the good ones where
people are relaxed.







I also make a couple that help me feel how the light is working around
the scene I'm interested in, and it also helps me anticipate the best
position to be in.








I thought I had the right position in the following images. They had
everything I wanted: the airstream, the old shed, sky, gravel,
Ken. I was excited because I thought, this is it, I'm in the right spot.






















Even when I've put myself in the best, well-thoughtout spot, I find
there is always at least one thing that is totally out of my control,
and that's the moment. The more complicated the attempt, the
more moments are out of my control and the less chance that they
will come together at the right time.

At the beginning when he was spreading seed it was working, but
it's missing a moment, like the birds in the air. He said the birds
were afraid of me because they didn't know me. Luckily, that wasn't
the only scoop of seed Ken was spreading, so I would have other
chances.

I ducked inside of the shed in the hope the birds would be more calm
and fly down to him on his next trip. He started chatting a lot again,
and then I check the way the light was hitting him in the doorway.
The whole time I'm thinking about how that Airstream and the birds
are looking in the background.

When I saw how the door opened I chose my position and
hoped for the moment, just like before. This time, it worked a lot
better I think. Part building the elements together as I learn about
my subject and the environment, and more than a little luck.





















TID:

Thanks James, in conclusion, what advice do you have for
photographers to get into these type of situations, situations
that are not part of the daily assignment?

JAMES:

My advice would be to listen to that little voice or impulse when
you're driving down the road or going about your day in "tunnel
vision". Be open to exploring situations and never, ever, settle for
going day-to-day, grinding out assignments without looking
for ways to stretch yourself. You will find interesting people, great
experiences, and more interesting pictures. It's not easy, but when
it pays off, it will feed the soul for a long time and inspire you to
reach out again.

++++++

James Gregg was named 2009 Photojournalist of the Year, Smaller
Markets, by the National Press Photographer's Association's Best of
Photojournalism. He was named First Runner-Up for the honor in 2008.
The Arizona Press Club named him Photographer of the Year in 2009 for
the second consecutive year. He has received two regional Emmy awards
for his work in multimedia.

James recently joined the staff of the San Diego Union-Tribune as a
photographer/videographer. You can view his work at:

www.jamesgreggphoto.com

++++

Next week on TID, we'll take a look at this image by Rachel Mummey,
this year's College Photographer of The Year:



As always, if you have a suggestion of someone, or an image you
want to know more about, contact Ross Taylor at: ross_taylor@hotmail.com.

For FAQ about the blog see here:

http://imagedeconstructedfaq.blogspot.com/

Spotlight on Scott Strazzante

TID:

Scott, thanks so much for being open to this. I have to
start by saying thank you for allowing us to talk about such a striking, 
powerful image. 

What is the background behind this picture?





SCOTT:

Thanks Ross! I am honored to be included here. I have been
following TID religiously and I enjoy it immensely.

This image, taken on July 2, 2002, was the culmination of my
documentation of Harlow and Jean Cagwin’s family farm in
Lockport, Illinois, 35 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
The story started as a daily newspaper assignment on various
people who raised animals in Homer Township.

After the story was published, I continued to follow the Cagwins
as a personal project. I didn’t really have any concrete idea of what
I wanted to do with the images, but I did know that I enjoyed being
on the farm and felt the need to make photographs there.

As time went on, certain themes started to present themselves and
I just went with the flow.

The project began as a series of “a day in the life” photos of two
senior citizen cattle farmers. The Cagwins led a very redundant life
so I would shoot their daily chores over and over again. This approach
allowed me to perfect images and try out different angles and lens
choices. Basically, the farm was a self-taught story-telling workshop.

As time went on Harlow’s body began to break down and the focus
of my story began to turn towards Harlow’s health issues. Shortly after
that, I started hearing conversations about the family farm being sold
to a subdivision developer.




Once that scenario started to present itself, I knew that suburban sprawl
was what the story would eventually be known for.

TID:

How long had you worked on this story before you made the 
image?


SCOTT:

I first met the Cagwins in 1994.

After the initial meeting, I intermittently visited the Cagwins over
the next 5 years. I didn’t accomplish much photographically but I
did establish access and a comfort level with the Cagwins that would
be crucial in later years. In 1999, I started making a point of getting
out to the farm on a weekly basis and it stayed that way until July 2, 2002.


TID:

Now, on to the image. How were you able to arrange to be there
during this moment? 


SCOTT:

Once, I began hearing rumblings of the sale of the Cagwin farm in
late 2000, I started to think about the final day. I had endless conversations
with Harlow and Jean about how everything would play out, about their
future plans and about their feelings as the end of life on the farm neared.
Construction of the subdivision started almost a year before the Cagwins
moved and as each day passed, the Cagwin farmland got smaller and smaller.

There never was any doubt that I would be there on their last day. It was a given.



TID:

What was going through your mind at the beginning of 
your time with them?

SCOTT:

The final day was intense.

First off, I never once imagined that the day would unfold like it did. The
Cagwins were supposed to be out of their farmhouse in June, but the process
of leaving the house, that Harlow had lived in for 74 years and Jean for 35
years, took much longer than they had imagined. The subdivision developer
kept giving the Cagwins more time to move out but he eventually couldn’t
wait any longer. On July 2, 2002, as the Cagwins gathered the last remnants
of their life on the farm, the demolition crew waited anxiously outside. Less
than a minute after the Cagwins walked out their door, the demolition commenced.

TID:

What was their reaction to you documenting this situation?




SCOTT:

It was a very emotional day for everyone.

Harlow was incredibly cranky. Jean was sad. Harlow’s sister Sandy, visibly
shaken, cried as she visited her childhood bedroom for the final time. A
stream of neighbors stopped by to pay their respects. Except for the occasional
scolding by Harlow, no one seemed to notice that I was there but by that time,
I was a fixture on the farm and people would have noticed more if I wasn’t
there than if I was.




TID:

I can imagine this being a very difficult moment to photograph.
Was there any point during this that you became emotional? If 
so, how did you handle it?

SCOTT:

The final moments inside the house were heavy. Harlow and Jean were
bickering and just seconds before they walked outside, Jean’s oldest cat,
spooked by the demolition crews, ran upstairs and hid amongst a roomful of
junk. As Jean headed up to get her, Harlow told her that there was no time
and she would have to leave her pet behind. As Jean left the house, she seemed
to be in shock and Harlow yelled that the demolition could begin. I had always
pre-visualized that I would photograph Harlow and Jean standing together
outside their home as it was torn down but as they left they went separate directions.

I chose to stay with Harlow. I photographed him as he paced around the yard,
stopping to sit, getting up again, only to sit down somewhere else seconds later.
I was trying desperately to get his face and the house demolition visible in one
frame but most of my images ended up being shot from behind.

Jean pulled out a disposable camera and started photographing the scene.
I broke away from Harlow for a minute and photographed Jean.





I then glanced back at Harlow and saw that he had taken up residence on a
felled tree in front of the farmhouse. I framed the scene from behind and
finally Harlow, unable to watch any longer, looked to the ground.

Snap! The moment I had anticipated for almost two years came together perfectly.

Harlow got up, told Jean that he had seen enough and they drove off.


TID:

Since this part of the goal of this blog is to uncover some of the 
psychological approach behind the images, can you speak about
your mental approach to these situations?

SCOTT:


My approach is to become part of the family I am documenting.
I share my life. I listen. I socialize. I hang out. I try to get my photo
subjects so comfortable with me that when I show them photos later
they comment that they don’t even remember that I was there when
that particular moment happened.

TID:

What advice do you have for photographers to gain access to these
type of situations?

SCOTT:

Put in the time. Respect your subjects. Share your life. Ask specific
questions about future activities. Visit often but for short periods of time.
Listen, listen and then listen some more. Be respectful but be bold. Don’t
be afraid to photograph uncomfortable situations. You can always not use
an image that your photo subject hates but you can’t go back and shoot
something that you were uncomfortable shooting but unbeknownst to you,
your subject didn’t have a problem with.



TID:

Thanks so much Scott, it's really wonderful seeing this series
of images. They stick out in my mind and have a lingering
sadness and power to them.

SCOTT:

Thanks Ross! I will most likely never do any work that is as profound or
important as this story. For that, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Harlow
and Jean.


TID:

Any last thoughts before we close the interview?

SCOTT:

I think it is vital that photographers have a lifelong project to fall back
on when they need a photographic escape. The hardest part is starting.
One has to realize that you don’t have to have a fully thought out thesis
to begin working on a long term project. Once you begin shooting, go
with the flow, be open to changing direction but mostly just shoot.
My documentation of the Cagwins began simply and then as it evolved,
it became something different and then when I started photographing
at the subdivision that was built on the Cagwin land, it became something
different again.

It is cliché but the first step is the hardest.






Scott Strazzante, 47, was born and raised in the shadows of the steel mills on the far southeast corner of Chicago. The son of a tire dealer, Strazzante first became interested in photography when he started taking his dad’s Canon AE-1 to Chicago White Sox games. After college, Strazzante began what has now been a 25-year career at Chicago-area newspapers, including The Daily Calumet, The Daily Southtown, and the Joliet Herald-News.  In 2000, Strazzante was named National Newspaper Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographers Association and the Missouri School of Journalism.

In 2001, Strazzante, an 8-time Illinois Photographer of the Year, started work at the Chicago Tribune where he spends his time as a general assignment photographer.

You can see some of his work here:

Shooting from the Hip blog:

www.newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/shooting-from-the-hip/

Common Ground @ MediaStorm:

http://www.mediastorm.com/publication/common-ground/

Common Ground- The Blog:
http://commongroundtheblog.wordpress.com/

+++++

Next week on TID, we'll take a look at this image by James Gregg:



As always, if you have a suggestion of someone, or an image you
want to know more about, contact Ross Taylor at: ross_taylor@hotmail.com.

For FAQ about the blog see here:

http://imagedeconstructedfaq.blogspot.com/

Expectations

Expectations.

It's not just the thought that, yes, sooner or later Lady Gaga
will go away, or that surely your ex will give you another chance
(no, it wasn't them - it really was you).

Expectations are something we hold in our mind, both towards
our own behavior, as well as others. We carry them with us each
day, yet rarely do we think about the psychological application
to photojournalism.

Lets study an example of expectation for a moment.

I recently took a trip and needed to fly quite early in the morning.
Because I'm a cheap bastard and wanted to avoid paying for parking,
I asked my housemate to take me to the airport. He's a prince of a
guy, I tell you, and he agreed.

So, the expectation was set.

Think about it for a moment. Normally this guy doesn't wake till
nine, and yet he's willing to wake four hours earlier to take me to the airport.

Why?

It's not just because we're good friends, nor is it because I would
do the same for him. It's simply because the expectation was set.
I know this is a silly example of someone's generosity, but it's also
an excellent example to illustrate the point.

In photojournalism, how often do we set up expectations? Too often
we just tell people, “Oh ignore me, I'll just be a fly on the wall.”
Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. I think sometimes it's
important to set expectations, and then become a fly on the wall.

Lets examine this picture above.

It's made from a photo story I did on a disabled couple who was
planning on getting married in a year. He was blind and she has
cerebral palsy. I thought their story was amazing and I wanted to
document their relationship through the wedding.

I wanted to set a high level of intimacy right away, instead of working
up to it, so I told them to tell their story in a compelling manner, I'd
need access to many aspects of their life, including the bedroom.




They agreed and said that each night before they went to bed, they did
something called “hiding” where they would cuddle with each other and
“hide” from the difficulties of life. I thought this was stunningly beautiful
and told them I'd like to document it.

They agreed and the expectation was set – the expectation that I would
have access to some of the most intimate moments from the beginning.
By setting this early, it set the stage for a higher level of intimacy throughout
my year with them. So, the second time I photographed them, I was already
witnessing something very private, very compelling.

The following frames are some of the first I made of them during the year-long
documentary project:







Sometimes this isn't possible, I understand, but I do think it's more possible
than we often realize. By laying out your purpose and expectations to people,
I think people actually trust you more and are more willing to give access.


Plus, once it's laid out and agreed upon, these expectations become the reality
of a relationship.













These images, and these moments, led to the image we're featuring, made
on Christmas day. The boyfriend gave her a "Baby Alive Doll," a baby that
they could take care of together, since the two couldn't have children of
their own.

It's because of the groundwork laid out at the beginning of the
project that this image was possible. It was one of the most magical
moments I've ever witnessed.





In conclusion, think about expectations in your life and how it shapes your
lifestyle. How can it apply to your work, your approach to people you document?


On a side note, I want to thank Theresa and Tom for letting me document them
for that year. Tom has since passed away, and my time with them is something
I will always be grateful for, both as a photojournalist, and a person.


+++++

Next week on TID, we'll take a look at this image by Scott Strazzante, who is
a staff photographer with The Chicago Tribune:



As always, if you have a suggestion of someone, or an image you
want to know more about, contact Ross Taylor at: ross_taylor@hotmail.com.

For FAQ about the blog see here:

http://imagedeconstructedfaq.blogspot.com/

Spotlight on Greg Kahn

TID:

Thanks Greg for taking the time to talk with TID. We'd like
to talk with you about this image: What's the background
on it?



GREG:

I was working on a long-term photo essay about the new
face of homelessness. Southwest Florida was hit hard by
the foreclosure crisis, and I felt something bigger than our
daily coverage was needed to show the situation.

I worked for months but kept running into dead ends. Many
of the people in foreclosure process were people who never
thought they could be homeless, and suddenly they were in
line at the homeless shelter. When I asked people, often the
response was kind, saying "This is an important story," yet no
one wanted to participate.

After five months I still hadn't found anyone.

As part of my search, I called the homeless shelter weekly, and
finally they told me that a woman, who was about to lose her
home, was scheduled to enter the shelter the following week.
I asked the shelter to ask her (Vicky Heinel is her name) if she
would be open to having me around. The next day I received a
call from Vicky, wanting to know more about the story and what
exactly I was looking to do.

I told her I was trying to show the larger community what was really
happening in the foreclosure crisis. She agreed, and I met her that
afternoon and she told me what was to happen in the coming weeks.
Vicky had lost her job six months ago, and wasn't able to pay her rent
anymore. She was to be evicted soon.

This set the stage for one of the most emotionally draining processes
I have ever witnessed. After a couple days I was allowed to come and
go whenever I wanted, I was even told I didn't need to call or knock.

On the fourth day after I met Vicky, her and her neighbor/landlord/
best friend, both of whom were being evicted, were still rushing to
move everything out of their homes. It was getting close to 5 p.m.,
when the bank was supposed to show up and change the locks.
But the bank didn't show.



This went on for nearly five days. I would complete my daily assignments
for the paper and immediately head over to their homes to see where
things stood. I would stay until everyone had turned in for the evening.
We as photojournalists talk a lot about trying to be a fly on the wall,
and in this situation that would be the best way to describe my presence.
The families were so wrapped up in moving out, cleaning up, all the while
being devastated about the process, it seemed at times they forgot I was
even around. During times when the situation felt less hectic, they would
talk to me, whether it was about the situation, or just to share family photos
they found while moving out. I became very connected to the families
during these times.


TID:
Ok, now to the image. Can you tell us about the moment?




GREG:

The image happened one of the afternoons Vicky thought would be her
last day in her home. I drove to her home after finishing a daily assignment
and as I pulled up, I saw her sitting in her car listening to music. Vicky
wasn't the kind of person to be lazy, so I knew something was wrong. As
I approached her car, she made eye contact, then turned her gaze away
again. I made a frame as I walked up to the car just in case I didn't have
another chance.

I said "Hi" to her and asked if everything was ok. She didn't really answer,
only mumbled. I noticed the reflection of her home in the window of the
driver sidedoor she had open. Vicky looked up again to see me readying
to make a photo, at that point I put my camera down and made eye contact
as if I was asking if it was ok. She nodded subtlety, and turned her head back
down again. I made a few frames, trying to shift myself into a position that
would frame her in the space on the window that wasn't reflecting the house.
Once I found that spot, I just waited for her body language to show how she
was feeling at that time. The whole time leading up to the photo was only five
minutes, but it felt like hours.




TID:

What was going through your mind while making this image?

GREG:

At that time, my mind was on her well-being. I had gotten to know Vicky
pretty well. To see her exhausted, beat-down and hopeless was tough.
She talked about giving up completely, because she didn't want to start
over again. On the technical side, I had to keep adjusting my exposure
because the sun was starting to duck behind the trees in her yard, and
my light was changing minute to minute. But it felt more like instinct at
that moment. I just wanted to help her. I decided that even though I might
not take any more photos that day, that I would stay until her neighbor/
best friend returned home. I was very concerned about Vicky at that
time. When I left that night, Vicky wasn't in much better spirits, but she
was in the care and comfort of her friend.


TID:

At any point was there any resistance for you to make this image, or
images like this? If so, how did you handle it?

GREG:

I definitely had resistance to making this image. I could feel myself
slowly squeezing the shutter for each frame, as though by going
slowly, the shutter would make less noise. I didn't want the click
to be a constant reminder to her that I was there.



I'm not sure I ever handle these moments well. I leave the situation
almost every time, second guessing myself, whether I handled it the
right way. I talked about it with Vicky the next day when she felt
better was in more of a talking mood. I shared with her that I struggled
to take photos in that situation, knowing she's hurting, but also
explaining to her why I still did it. It ended up building trust between
Vicky and me.


TID:

Did she show any resistance to you photographing her in this situation?


GREG:

Vicky never showed any resistance to me in making this photo. Her
approval to me was through her eye contact early on. I probably would
have asked her if I had not received any indication it was okay.



TID:

What advice or insight do you have for photographers who want to
work on gaining access like this?


GREG:

I guess I would say, every situation is different. The best thing is to
understand the person that you're photographing, and, just as
important, allow them to know who you are. This has been something
I didn't embrace when I first started out. I took myself out of the
equation when shooting stories, always trying to put the focus on the
person I was photographing, thinking who I was doesn't matter to
them. But now, my philosophy has changed completely.

I share almost anything, such as my background, where I've lived,
what I like to do in my off days, what my parents are like, etc. I feel
like this breaks down that initial wall that comes with being a
complete stranger, and it builds trust, so that when you raise your
camera, they know the person behind it.

The more they know you and feel comfortable around you, the more
intimate your story can be.

+++++

Kahn graduated from George Washington University, then worked at a the
Independent Tribune, a small daily newspaper outside of Charlotte, North
Carolina. Kahn later moved to Naples, Florida for a staff position at the Naples
Daily News in 2007. Recently his work on the the housing foreclosure crisis
in Florida garnered him awards in both Pictures of the Year International and
the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism including being a finalist in POYi's 2011
Community Awareness and 2010 NPPA Photojournalist of the year (small markets).

You can view his work at:

http://www.gregkahn.com/


+++++

Next week on TID, we'll take a look at this image:



As always, if you have a suggestion of someone, or an image you
want to know more about, contact Ross Taylor at: ross_taylor@hotmail.com.

For FAQ about the blog see here:

http://imagedeconstructedfaq.blogspot.com/

Axl Rose, a Bathroom Break and a Little Patience

Patience.

It's not just a great Guns N' Roses song that I sang in my head
while trying to upset the #1 seed of my high school tennis team.

It's also a good lesson learned even though I lost -
damn you Andy Sullivan (TID shakes its angry fist)

So, pick up your hairspray, pop the cassette in your tape
player and lets examine these profound words by Axl Rose:

(yes, you can sing along)

"Sometimes, I get so tense
But I can't speed up the time
But you know, love, there's one more thing to consider
Said woman take it slow
Things will be just fine
You and I'll just use a little patience
Said sugar take the time
'Cause the lights are shining bright
You and I've got what it takes to make it
We won't fake it, Oh never break it
'Cause I can't take it"

SO true Axl, so true.

(TID shakes its head in acknowledgement)

It's ALMOST as good as Poison's sage advice
in their immortal song, "Every Rose has it's Thorn."

Now, where were we?

Ah, patience.

It's a word we need to be reminded of - it's not just about
getting their early and staying late. Sometimes, it's also
about having patience while you're photographing someone.

Lets use this image as an example of this exercise.



I think about the concept of patience a lot. I used to be much more
harried in the photographic experience, but now I slow much of it
down, and extend it as much as possible. It takes a lot of patience
to create opportunity.

Patience with a photographic shoot often starts before the assignment,
by taking the time to call people beforehand. I use this opportunity
to get to know each other a little in advance of the shoot.

It's important to realize that most people have no idea what you're
doing. Many think you'll just spend a little time, raise your camera,
"snap" a few pictures and leave.

It's not their fault.

It's our responsibility to raise awareness and help educate people
we're working with, both subjects and editors, of the time needed to
get an effective image. I do this for two reasons:

1) to set up the expectation that we're going to be awhile together.
I often tell people I'll need around an hour and usually, unless it's a
business portrait, people are open to it.

2) to buy me time to make an image that rises above the norm.

So, lets work through and see how we got to the above image.
The image is a portrait so given this, I wanted to start where
I saw good light (in her living room). I took a few frames and
quickly realized, besides the fact that I couldn't focus worth a
damn, that it wasn't the right place for a good image.



I was stumped and tried different rooms in her house, but there was
nothing that I liked. And when I'm stumped I do something
different to help me focus:

I go to the bathroom.

It's almost embarrassing to say, but it's true. I often ask to go to the
bathroom or tell people I need to go back to my car, just to give me a
moment to think and to give a short break between me and the subject.

It sounds silly but think about it. If you're rattled and not "seeing it"
sometimes it's better to step away for a moment, exercise some patience
and try to think more clearly.

After going to the bathroom and heading out to my car, I noticed
the doorway to her house, and I thought, maybe we could do the
portrait there. I walked back in with her and we spoke for another
15-20 minutes about her life. It was after spending time with her
that I think she felt more comfortable with the experience, and
consequently more open to posing in ways I know she thought
were strange.

But, it's because we'd spent time, and because I had taken a break
to think more, she trusted me and was open to the experience.
I don't think it would have been possible if I had just shown up
at her house and made a quick portrait. Nor would I have seen
the possibility of the image.

Now we get to work and start exploring the space. Here's where
more patience pays off. I encourage everyone to pace yourself,
to think in the long form, not short, and be open to problem-
solving a space. Rarely does a striking image emerge from
limited engagement, which is really what the purpose of TID
is all about.

Here is a progression of the progress:



I didn't like the door at right, and so I thought I'd try the rarely
seen "verticle" (yes, your camera does turn to the left). But, as
you can see, it wasn't effective. I didn't like the patterns in her
shirt and I thought it was distracting.



We return to the horizontal and it's at this point it seems like we
can make something work. It's just a matter of time. I asked her
to look out wherever she wanted to, in an effort to make her more
comfortable.







We finally get close here, but it's a little soft in the focus:





And after a total of 270 images and one hour,
we were able to make this image.




So pick up the phone before your shoot and work to
create space where you have time to be patient, and
don't forget to bring along your Guns N' Roses.


+++++

Next week on TID, we'll take a look at this image by Greg Kahn
as part of the outstanding housing crisis work he's done in florida:




As always, if you have a suggestion of someone, or an image you
want to know more about, contact Ross Taylor at: ross_taylor@hotmail.com.

(yes, hotmail, he's THAT old)

For FAQ about the blog see here:

http://imagedeconstructedfaq.blogspot.com/