Individuality

Week 22

Individuality

June 4, 2011

Yep, it's another wedding pic. Can't help it...lots of weddings going on, and frankly, this was a great image. Scanning through my work from the week to pick the 22nd entry into 52,  I came across this photograph. I'm no aficionado on women's shoes. Not by any stretch. But dang, these are cool, and I immediately thought about the idea of individuality.

I believe we are all created as individuals, after the same pattern. We have many of the same drives, ultimately the same needs, and frequently the same kinds of reactions to life events. I also believe that part of that pattern itself is individuality, and that we have the need and desire to express that in our day to day lives. Sometimes we do it in a way that attempts to drown out the expressions of other individuals around us. Sometimes we do it as a unique contribution to a chorus of individuality. I always prefer the latter, and too often do the former, but that's true of all of us isn't it?

Go out and celebrate what makes you unique!




Image taken with Canon 5DMII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/25 sec @f2.8, ISO 3200

Bouquet

Week 21

Bouquet

May 22, 2011

It feels like it's been a while since I included an image from the weddings I am privileged to photograph. This one, as you can see is of one of the most anticipated moments during the reception... the bouquet toss. I love seeing this tradition play out, and it's always interesting to see how those single ladies, (some eager - some coerced) going on that dance floor and waiting for fate to drop that sign of future matrimony into their hands, will react. Some stand there out of obligation. Others jump at the chance, literally, to jockey for the best position and use every ounce of athleticism they possess to capture the prize.

The tradition is fun, and though not one I take much stock in for it's ability to predict or influence a girls chance at marriage any sooner than otherwise would come their way, is simply part of the celebration of the new bride and groom, and a way of enjoying the friendships that surround the marriage.

What it makes me think about is our desire for connection. Marriage, that symbol and act of committing to one another in a forever partnership is a manifestation of that desire, and I'd say need, for relationship. Whether your views on it are faith based or purely secular, its hard to deny the deep longing that humans have for companionship. It's a need for someone that can be trusted with the darkest secrets, the silliest ideas, the toughest challenges and the evolving passions we have as we go through life.

So here's to celebrating that pursuit... may you catch a bouquet (or garter) when you have the chance :).

Image taken with Canon 5DMII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/500 sec @f2.8, ISO 400

Beautiful Day

Week 20

Beautiful Day
May 21, 2011
 

Yep. That's a big dumpster. With just the beginnings of what eventually would jam-pack this giant trash can many times over throughout the day. This, a result of hundreds of volunteers spending their weekend serving a challenged neighborhood in our proverbial backyard, was part of a greater effort called Beautiful Day.

I sat down with Jon Talbert, Executive Director of Beautiful Day, and wanted to share some of what he believes makes Beautiful Day unique and important, and how it impacts lives in the Bay Area and across the country. A new approach for 52Photos, I've included excerpts from our conversation about this thing called Beautiful Day. Enjoy.

dg
 "How would you describe Beautiful Day?"

jt 

 "Beautiful Day started as an idea to immerse people in the concepts of compassion and justice, serving humanity with the resources that we have. It's turned into an enormous collaborative that is led by the faith-based community, and engaged through other entities in business, government, education, heath-care, media,  and entertainment to respond to the needs of the surrounding community. It's a concept to immerse people into the idea of compassion. The strength of it is collaboration, and the beauty of it is the creativity and innovation. We want to tailor make ideas, in response to specific needs and often times you need to collaborate to make that happen."

dg
Clearly, collaboration is a big part of BD. How did you move into that scenario instead of just a faith based service project.


jt
 "I think historically the faith based community has attempted to be the answer to everything, and we're recognizing that they are one channel of culture within the community of many different channels. Ironically, though, the faith community has this very influential role, because it interweaves into all the other sectors if its done correctly. We can do everything we do now, and just do it within the faith based community, and make it very exclusive. But that falls back into the stereotypes of a church that has isolated itself from community and says 'come and see and we'll give you the answers' vs. 'we're gonna go and work together to provide a solution.' The church becomes more validated for it's existence to the general populace when it stands alongside the issues of the city with people that aren't of faith and says 'this is our city too, and these are our problems, and we stand alongside you'.  When you stand off to the side and don't engage people, you confirm the stereotypes that already exist out there."

dg

Which are?

jt

"Ignorant. Biased. Prejudiced. Money Hungry. Better than Everyone. The truth is we are just one piece of culture. We feel like we have some spiritual guidance and influence and teachings that are valuable to peoples lives and we embrace that, based on our holy texts, our scriptures that we teach and hold to be true. The teachings of Jesus that center on compassion and justice and love and service... to teach those things and not actually live them, confirms hypocrisy in the church. The church is notorious as hypoctrites in the community because we've said and haven't done. We'd like to reverse that."

We went on to discuss some of Jon's favorite memories from Beautiful Day this year, including a young parapalegic boy getting a chance to dance, a PR-producing homeless man, and an unexpected reunion of long-lost neighbors, all through a gigantic combination of many small steps of service by hundreds of people who care about their city, and the people in it.

image taken with Canon 5DMII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/2000 sec @ f2.8 , ISO 100