Day: September 18, 2016

Community was present at the Round House, so was the future. Sam Clubb and his friend Meg came to the portrait reception, Sam is a 17-year-old photographer who  worked hard at several jobs to buy his Nikon, he has a photo page on Facebook, Sam Shots Photos.

Sam seems a natural photographer to me, he is coming to the Open House in October to shoot some photos, I invited Meg as well. When I see Sam, I see a version of me many years ago, I am soon to be the past, he is very much the future. It was a joy to have the future present at my photo portrait reception. I look forward to getting to know Sam.

Kelly Nolan is the star of my portrait show, and she will always be the star of my portrait work. I first began photographing her at the Foggy Notion Tavern (a/k/a “The Bog”) known for it’s excellent hamburgers. Four nights a week Kelly tends bar and waits and busses tables all by herself. She is a strong woman, she is fearless with the camera and completely at ease with herself, she is patient, competent, full of grace.

I have been taking photos of her just about every week all summer, and they are a hit on my blog, if I miss a week, I hear about it, people want to know where Kelly is. When she had a $1,300 vet bill to pay for saving her dog and two puppies, people on my blog paid the bill for her in two days.

She is a star in my book, a testament to what beauty and grace truly is. I was so glad she came to the show reception today, she’s also coming to the Bedlam Farm Open House on Columbus Day Weekend. She said she has no idea why her photos have generated so much attention, she is, she said, just “rolling with it.”

Mickey came to the portrait reception – he is one of the portraits in the show. Mickey is mostly on the street,but he has a good home to go home to, he is well cared for. He comes into the Round Hose for his beloved coffee and  when he can, buys cigarettes down at Stewart’s, a local convenience store.

He doesn’t do well with small talk,so he went out into the street outside of the Round House to have a smoke and wait. I thanked him for letting me take his picture and he nodded and smiled. I told him he was welcome to to come inside, but he didn’t. He said he was fine outside.

We all take care of Mickey in this time, keeping an eye on him, making sure he has enough warm clothes, buying him coffee, and sometimes, cigarettes. He is an integral part of our community.

Treasure Wilkinson came to the reception with her daughter and a friend and immediately stole the show, she took over my talking, telling a mesmerized crowd about her alcoholic goat. I love Treasure, she is pure heart and spirit, and one of my favorite photographs in the portrait show. I  hope to photograph her many times, she is an animal rescuer and lover and a Dream Catcher.

The very beautiful spirit, Alfreda, came to the portrait show reception, the portrait of her and her boyfriend Reuben are among my favorite. She works long and challenging hours on a farm, and we have gotten to know her well and love her. Reuben couldn’t come but she hopes to  come back to the Round House cafe with her to have coffee and a muffin.

Alfreda has enormous grace and presence – she sat for me underneath her portrait –  she has worked hard for years to help her family back in Mexico, and her spirit is all love and connection. I tried to capture some of that love in her portrait with Reuben, and it is one of the favorites, people were talking about that photo all day.

We share our community with many farm workers, they are rarely seen in town or on Main Street, they work and work. It has been a blessing to us to get to know Alfreda, and share in the glow of her loving spirit. She stayed at the reception, talking to people in her broken English, laughing and share our community.