Thank you Kenneth for letting my camera borrow your face ... I'm forever grateful for every stranger on the street who gives me their trust and gifts me the honor to do that ....

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Just grateful that General let my camera borrow his face .... and my street portraits just don't feel complete unless/until I'm able to share them... always my thanks for letting me do that ...

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Sorry … but I just feel compelled to share this … only because of how it affected me so…made me more grateful … gave me some joy …. first off ... I'm just grateful that I had my pocket camera with me at the park yesterday afternoon … Gerry was sitting quiet and alone on the bench ... hunched over his cane ... I passed by and gave a nod … he responded in kind … and that somehow was enough confirmation to me that the Universe was aligned just right ... that I was enabled to overcome my natural timidity and summon the courage to ask to make his picture … and without a moment’s hesitation or any hint of distrust he agreed to let me do that … and when I got home and worked on the image I realized some things … I’m pretty sure it’s jolting ... but also welcome and affirming when a stranger approaches …. saying that you have such a good face…. and that he wants to capture that … it’s such a vulnerable position that I put him in … but at the same time that’s kinda offset by the unexpected interest and attention from a stranger in the park …. there's a lot that's happening in a thirty second one shot click of the camera … and... turns out that I love this portrait …really love it …. also kinda wonderful when the last image you make becomes your new favorite … so for me there’s a lot of confirmation and joy here … that I was able to make a new connection with another ..... and to then capture and create something that never existed in the world until yesterday afternoon …that touched something in my soul … and also at the same time hopefully gave Gerry some feeling that he didn’t go another day unnoticed, invisible and unappreciated (goes for me too)… anyway … thank you Gerry …. thank you Universe … and as always thanks to my friends here for again letting me express and share ….

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Well .. I’ve pretty much settled in and hunkered down for my obligatory holiday blues period …I live in a small quiet Florida city and I’ve lately been reluctant to even go to the park … each time I’m out with my camera there’s really not many people out or much that I'd want to shoot … to complicate all that … I’m a child of the 60’s … love and peace generation … all that kind of good stuff … and it’s fairly evident and disheartening that the Universe has gone far off that course … wars … divisions .. politics … hate … all of that puts in context what would happen next the moment I entered the park Sunday afternoon … I saw thirteen year old Isabel …. I had my little new pocket camera ... I was just compelled to make her picture … OK … I needed to make her picture … and when I asked her if I could do that … she let me … no hesitation … no affect … no pretense … and then … that smile …. and I’m telling you … for a moment at least ... all that noise and nonsense going on in the world and in my life just melted …. that smile she gave up without even asking … just pure and good and sweet and trusting ... and so full of promise …. and that friends is why I wanted to share these feelings and her face .. cause if you can’t see some hope in that dear face then I can't help you … that’s what I got from little Isabel yesterday … and I’m sharing hoping that you get some of that too … thank you Isabel …

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