A Slice of Life

It came to me the other day, that I ought to digitize and preserve some of my favorite black and white images from when I was a staff photographer for the Huntsville Times. After over twenty years, I had amassed a sizable collection of bracketed reject negatives of some of the images that I thought were significant in some way. It may have been the historic aspect of the event or the notoriety of the subject that compelled me to hang on to a particular negative.

Some images, like this one below, were retained, not for any reason other than the fact that I liked them very much. This one was shot over 30 years ago. I came upon these four boys sitting outside a rural convenience store, eating popsicles. I asked if I could take their photo for the paper, and of course they said “sure thing mister.” Those were the days, before you had to hunt down the parents and ask their permission. I liked the fact that they resisted the impulse to mug the camera, smile and make funny faces, which is what most boys that age typically will do. They were a serious bunch, or maybe they were just concentrating on eating those popsicles. I remember that it was one of the hottest days of the year, so who could blame them. My editor never ran the picture though. He said that the boys looked too mean, too sinister. He wanted a happy summer's day feature photo, not one where the subjects looked like juvenile delinquents ready to knock over a liqueur store.

I can't help but wonder where they all are today.

Mooresville Portraits

The historic town of Mooresville, has been called the "Williamsburg of Alabama". I don't know if I'd go that far, but it is one of the oldest and historic places in the state. When cotton was king, Mooresville was home to many of the cotton planters, field workers and merchants from that part of Limestone County. Remarkably, the town has changed little since then and appears untouched by time. Some of the current residents are descended from the earliest settlers and they strive to maintain the look of the original structures, while adding the conveniences that make modern living possible. One former resident, a tailor's apprentice, Andrew Johnson, went on to become President of the Unites States.

The town's historic and unhurried charm have made it a desired location for several Hollywood movies, including "Tom and Huck" starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas. It also attracts countless photographers, both amateur and professional. Some just photograph the historic homes and beautiful gardens, but many portrait photographers use the buildings as artistic backdrops for their subjects. There have been so many photographers on spring afternoons, that the town now requires that commercial photographers purchase permits, and adhere to certain rules and regulations in order to limit the numbers. The permit is costly, so I'm sure it has had the desired effect.

One day this week, I jumped into the fray, and attempted to take some photos of my daughter, Michelle, and my grandson Kendall. She wanted a new picture to give her husband as a Father's Day gift. I wasn't sure how her 19-month old would do. A child's attention span at that age is about fifteen seconds long, and getting their cooperation is certainly a challenge. My daughter came armed with toys, music and snacks that she used to entice, and otherwise bribe her son. My other daughter, Jennifer, came along to assist, create distractions and get Kendall to smile by making faces and noises that I wasn't aware she was capable of making. I'll have to admit, that he did pretty good, and much better than expected. Here are some of the results.