A street photographer, an experimenter.

In the late 90′s I wanted to be Andres Serrano, or Jim Goldberg. But Callahan’s work was so personal and he spent much of his life making photos of his wife, Eleanor. In fact this photo could compete for my all-time fav. Along with a push from George Waldman, John H. White, and Bob Thall I decided to do document the lives of others.

With no disrespect to my wife, my cats have become my Eleanor. Working from home we spend lots of time together. It helps they tend to sleep in nice light. When I bought a new LED laser pointer they allowed me to try it out on them. You can lure them onto things with treats, too. Maybe cat photography is my schitck?

I wanted to make some photos of the kids, but still make photos for me.

There are millions of songs about love, but very few songs about adult love. The come home and make dinner kind of love. The clean the litter box and do the laundry kind of love. Yet every time I listen to Gram Parsons do “Blue Eyes” it makes me smile and cry. The Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes” does it too. Both songs deal with the complexity of love and relationships and a woman with those blue eyes. The kind that even when you blow the exposure still are there. Although Lou could have been singing about a guy, but we’re getting off topic.

July 22, 2000, I married my BFF. In the last ten years we’ve had a lot of great days. To have someone who is both supportive and critical is important to accomplish anything important. She keeps me honest and I keep her from going sane. This year we both made reservations for the exact same time at the same restaurant to surprise each other. Although Christine did it months ago.

If you’ve ever been to a wedding you’ve heard 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. I hear it many, many, many times every summer. We had my Aunt Joni read it at our wedding. It’s the final part that still gets me. “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Always preserves. Maybe it rings true because so much of our life is spent trying to preserve who we are or were. I make photos to try and hold on to something that is impossible to hold on to. To help the memory linger on.

It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Ten years in and it’s still so much fun, and always will be. Proof? Here’s some flicks from the IPPA gallery show where I exhibited some work, including a photograph of my grandparents who were married for almost 64 years.

This is where Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys come in and say it all. You still believe in me.

So here’s my other favorite love songs that I couldn’t work into the prose.
Daniel Johnston – True Love Will Find You in the End
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – You Really Got A Hold On Me
Sam Cooke – Bring It On Home To Me
Frank Sinatra – Makin’ Whoopee

Even when you’re racing to transmit on deadline you can’t waste money light. Stop for a 1/60th of a second. Snap, recompose, snap. Move closer, snap. Move back. Snap. I was supposed to be sending mediocre (at best) volleyball photos. How quickly those images will be forgotten by me.

I’ve been thinking all day about Rob Mattson’s blog. He’s always been one of my favorite shooters, and now that he’s telling his own stories it’s even more beautiful. A thousand people can make a nice photo of some guy catching a touchdown pass, but no one else can record your own history. If someone likes you enough to be waiting by the door make a photo.

In college we’re all taught to shoot what you love. Then you get a job, a mortgage, responsibilities, office politics, stress. Photos are a way to hold time. Someday it’s all that will be left. So leave something beautiful and important to those that you love.

Moe and Tom sit in the window of Rob Hart's house in Berwyn, IL

We had some amazing judges in Liz O. Baylen, David Eulitt, and Josh Meltzer. We also were lucky enough to have Erik Lunsford perform some stand-up comedy and show some photos. I always love getting so spend a few days with people who are passionate about making pictures and communing with a bunch of my friends. I think my favorite moment was when Liz said, “This photographer has some real purposeful seeing.” They were debating my portfolio and I almost had a heart attack.

I am so blessed. Thanks everyone who helped out this weekend. Much PJ love.

He is loved and missed.

1. The Thermals – Now We Can See

2. M. Ward – Hold Time

3. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

4. St. Vincent – Actor

5. Girls – Album
6. The xx – xx
7. The Very Best – Warm Heart Of Africa
8. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You
9. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
10. Chuck Mead – Journeyman’s Wager
11. Bon Iver- Blood Bank EP
12. Real Estate – Real Estate
13. Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels
14. Art Brut – Art Brut Vs. Satan
15. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
16. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
17. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
18. Karen O And The Kids – Where The Wild Things Are
19. Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
20. Passion Pit – Manners
21. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
22. The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come

I have friends that always complain about people sending him photos of their children, so my wife decided to make him a calendar of our cats. She asked me to come up with my favorite 12 photos. So here’s my 2009 year in cats.