Two Projects

Some days turn out almost perfect. Took Janet for a walk this morning and she remained awake for the full hour. She usually goes to sleep the moment we leave the house. Shot a couple of photographs of her and took several shadow and sidewalk photographs along the way.

Then this afternoon I got in two hours at the Rock Star Photoshoot at the Aerosol Gallery. I’ll post about the photoshoot later because the most important thing was that I got three photographs to add to my $2 Portrait Project and one to add to my 100 Strangers Project. Since the gallery was small and well over fifty people showed up my group had to wait outside to be rotated in later. While we were waiting the gallery owner mentioned that there was a lawyer’s office about three blocks away that had graffiti all the way around the building and three of us decided to walk over to take a look.

Just about the time we got to the lawyer’s office the other two decided that they were not comfortable carrying expensive camera equipment in that neighborhood so they turned back to the gallery. I decided to go on alone. Checked out the building and decided it would be better shot in the morning but I noticed a couple of people sitting under a tree a ways down the block and as I came back to the street I gave them a wave and they waved back so I decided to go down and talk to them. They were looking for work and didn’t have any money so I again explained my $2 project and both Jackie and Ronnie agreed to sit for portraits. Jackie is from Georgia but Ronnie is a native Houstonian. We talked a while and then I returned to the gallery.

Next to the gallery was a poorboy restaurant that was about to close. One of the workers, Michael, came out to close the metal blinds. He was wearing a bright red shirt and the blinds were painted bright red so I couldn’t resist asking him to sit for a portrait. He was a pretty good sized individual and on the back of his shirt was what I assume was the motto for the restaurant “Size Matters.” I had to shoot him from the back. So I might not have done too well at the model shoot, but I came home with three photographs that I am extremely pleased with and two more that I am happy about. And on top of that I am sure that I am going to find a half dozen or so of the models shots that I will like. It was a great day for a change.