Over the summer my sister and I were able to spend a week with my parents who are in their late 70’s. I was toying around an idea I had for a photograph, and my dad readily agreed to help me out! I envisioned 3 simple ingredients (outside my model and lighting) to make this photograph. 1. A hat 2. A scarf 3. an old-timey looking coat or cape. I had brought a Magritte-style hat with me and was able to quickly check that off the list. Next, my mom escorted me to her scarf drawer as we rummaged through her vast selection. We picked out a scarf that had beautiful rose-colored patterns and a velvety texture I was sure would do the trick. All that was needed to complete the vision was a cape (which I knew my dad didn’t have 😂) or a coat. I looked at my dad’s selection of coats and jackets, and all of them were sporty and unromantic. The bright fashion labels and windbreaker materials may have kept my dad fashionable and warm in southern winters, but it would not do for this photograph. After we all hemmed and hawed a bit in an effort to overcome this obstacle, my dad remembered he had his old military coat in the attic! My sister and I went inside the hot attic space together. In childhood, the attic was always in disarray and not very pleasant to be in. But now, boxes politely stacked on one another, and each box had their own label proclaiming the treasures that were sure to be found inside. We easily spotted the coat box and pulled out the final piece of the vision! The coat was wool, a beautiful dark blue, and had shiny silver buttons— each adorned with an American Eagle. It weighed about fifty pounds and was a struggle to tote around, but I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
This is indeed a personal blog—being about my dad and all— but it also shows how simple it can be to bring a photographic vision to life. A couple of the right ingredients, a willing model, and some good lighting can make all the difference.
I also included a photo of my dad to show how he looks in his “every day” role. In my opinion, the first two images capture a piece of my dad’s spirit that hardly anyone ever sees at first glance (in contrast to the photo below). I finally understood Irvin Penn when he said he didn’t want to photograph anyone under 60!
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