Brian’s PhotoPile

Some of my friends like to tell me what to take pictures of. Tom does that. I don’t really mind much, after all I am visiting him, accompanying him on a ride out in the country. Once in awhile, his vision opens my eyes/mind to something new. However, I feel that I’m humoring him. I’ve thought of trying to convince myself that I’m working with a great director and need to bring about his vision, but haven’t been able to do that yet. So I take his pictures, accumulating images that differ from what on my own I would have taken.  This presents a slight problem in my archive. I feel I have to label his so that in the distant future, if I go back to this days shoot I won’t find myself complimenting myself on what a beautiful picture I took long after I forgot Tom told me to take the photo. Here’s a picture of Tom telling me I should stand where he is and frame this picture just like so and so. So I do it and this is what I come up with. I don’t think it’s all that great and it probably doesn’t even come up to what he was seeing. It’s always an adventure riding with Tom.

As I mentioned in the last post, I rode down to Florida with John. John offered to pay my expenses in exchange for doing most the driving of a fifteen foot Budget rental truck loaded with artwork to be sold through a agent in St. Petersburg. With the cab loaded with an ice chest full of food and water, a boom box with plenty of CD’s we trucked on down there. I probably could have taken photos of all the rest stops and gasaterias, but didn’t seem interested. On reflection I wish I had. Even in St. Petersburg I only took photos on my walk along the beach and from our room. But I did take a few photos that John requested. He had reasons for wanting each one. The signage just outside of our lodgings’ parking lot provided three pictures: John in the path of a small flying fire truck; John, aka Scoop, holding one of his favorite treats; and the I scream for ice cream yell. The other three where taken by the Salvador Dali museum: Dali and John together; wiped out on melting bench; and rejuvenated by the hostess at the neighboring cabana. We went there for lunch, great food, and John received the beads as part of the national Pirate’s Day festivities.