Pic+tory 2
June 16, 2010
This special edition of Pictory is published for Father’s Day. Again, I have the honor of being published in this brilliant online magazine. This edition was designed by founder Laura Bruno Miner in collaboration with writer Lauren Ladoceour.
Going Soft
I can’t remember what sparked the rare, deep smile that spread across his face that day, but I’m thrilled that I got to capture it. A fierce negotiator and man of strength, he terrified me with his discipline and stern nature when I was young. Little did I know then that his tough exterior harbored such a warm heart. He teared up reading Grover Goes to School, typed country songs into poems for his wedding anniversaries, and provided a belly for me to nap on when I was small enough. And he’s happy just to wake up every day — to a warm cup of coffee and a poppy seed bagel — and protect the rest of us softies of the world.
Pic+tory
April 7, 2010
Pictory is a beautifully designed on-line magazine that showcases photographic images + text to tell stories that excite, inspire, awaken & touch the spirit. People from around the world of all ages and professions are featured. This project is the brain child of editor and writer Laura Brunow Miner. This month, I had the honor to be featured in the London showcase, with the image London Dreams. This image really gets at the heart of the community based photography work I was doing in London, helping young people to share their stories through photography. Sharing stories is ingrained in the human DNA – it’s an important part of being heard and being alive!
London Dreams
During my time in London, I worked as a photography teacher, mentoring young refugees and asylum seekers. I sought to teach them to observe beauty in any environment. That said, East London is the epitome of a dirty, over-industrialized, concrete jungle. Many of these young people had left behind third world countries, due to war and disruption, only to find themselves in conditions that were not much better. I spent days, hours, weeks walking the streets of London with young people looking for beauty. And I realized that it exists in the people — with their hopes, cultures, and stories all mingling together on a dirty street or a crowded bus — dreaming of the past and building a new future.
