Monthly Archive for August 2008
The last day was hard to get excited about even in the face of the historic significance of what occurred. There was an honest excitement and genuine nature to the people but within the context of a controlled theatrical environment I stared to see the same pictures I had seen all week. I made a handful that I like but found it to be the most creatively challenging night.
It’s almost four in the morning. I’ve got to get some sleep so enjoy the pictures and see if you can figure out what I was thinking, if in fact I was thinking anything at all. I think some people call that being an art critic.
Following the excitement of the opening night, day two of the Democratic National Convention in Denver was much slower than I expected. The highlight of the night, as expected, was when Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother Hillary Clinton to the stage to put her full support behind Barack Obama.
I get a kick out of wandering the convention looking for pictures and bumping into celebrities, politicians, news reporting heavyweights and the like. It’s not really surprising given the event but cool nonetheless. Early on in the afternoon when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) was speaking I made my way over to the DC delegation for some reactions and came across Donna Brazile who got a warm reception. Later in the evening I was coming back into the mob scene that is the convention floor and I heard a voice that sounded very familiar. It was Richard Dreyfus and all I could think of was him sculpting Devils Tower in Wyoming out of mashed potatoes in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. One of the most moving points of the night was when Mervyn Jones Jr. stood with Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus before an image his mother, the late Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) who died last week. She was a tremendous Hillary Clinton supporter.
I admit I was a bit unsure of what to expect at the DNC. I came in with the goal to make telling images that stand apart from my competition. I have a tendency to over think things sometimes and can be my own worst enemy when it comes to creativity. The creative process is not the same for everyone and figuring out how to navigate your own can take time. I am getting better but it comes in waves. My experience today was hard, rewarding and helped to move me forward.
My day began with a trek across downtown Denver to pick up credentials and look for a group of protestors I had read about the night before. While I didn’t find the group I was looking for, I did come across a man wandering along a closed street on the perimeter of the security zone surrounding the Pepsi Center. A few hours later Howard Dean was calling the convention order, then Nancy Pelosi spoke and John Legend sang. Later Jimmy Carter made an appearance with his wife, and then as a surprise to everyone, Ted Kennedy came to the stage after a tribute video to him was shown to the delegates. They were visibly moved and excited. Shortly after, to round out the night, Michelle Obama came to the stage to share her past, and her vision of the future and introduce her daughters.
Fun, laid back and really great to work with. That’s the way I like it and thats how things went with Sue and Eric. They planned to perfection and were blessed with amazing weather. They managed to spend quality time with their family and closest friends while soaking in the experience. They are a wonderful couple and I am so glad to have been able to spend the day challenging myself to make pictures I am proud of and that will become part of their family legacy. Congrats you two!
Jay is an unobtrusive documentarian, who insists that the best pictures happen when events unfold naturally. As an individual, Jay is pretty laid back, a demeanor that’s ideal for weddings. Amidst orchestrated chaos, he’s a calming presence.