This Morning, Waking Early

This morning, waking early, at the time
you often do, I remembered that first
touch, your hand in mine; I reached out for you,
but remembered you are far away. Your
absence is a taste of life without you.

You did extract a promise that I live
longer than you, not to leave you alone,
I am to be the one alone in our bed
waking at two in the morning, thinking
you had just slipped out to the bathroom, I
make room for you to climb over me when
you return.

Haiku II

Rain wakes me, standing
At the door I inhale, sweet
Air calls to delight

Haiku I

My unicorns run
To play with a new wind
On another beach.

1972, 2010

My Last Will And Testament

When I die don't waste
your time missing me; just remember
how much fun I had.

When I die I want my
Earthly Remains
to provide gainful employ
for bacteria, maggots, sexton beetles,
vultures and jackals. Just drop
my corpse into the forest
somewhere around Mount Shasta.

When I die I want the last frame
in my camera published
in my obituary (wait, not that one
- I must have squeezed the shutter
when my heart stopped - use the other one).

When I die I want all of you to come to my house
and eat up all the food and drink up all the booze
(I recommend the single malt scotch);
if more is needed there is cash in the cannister
behind the toaster. Then play all the music
really loud;
take off your clothes and dance
all around the place, scandalizing
the neighbors and forgetting the rules
of decorous behavior. I'm telling you this now
so I can enjoy imagining it while
I see your faces. And, ladies, sashay
your gloriously revealed bodies
up to the the big portrait of me
in the front room, kiss me and wave
your asses, your tits and your lovely pussies
at my unseeing image, knowing I love you more
for just having the nerve to ask such a thing of you.

And perhaps you will wake up next morning entwined
around each other, slightly hung over, having satisfied
some instinctive desire to remember your own mortality
by dipping, with abandon, into that pool
of touch, scent and sight
of each other which makes
life the delight it is.

Gary, Concord, CA

Gary, Concord, CA (11/365), originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

Daily portrait number 11. January 11, 2010.

Gary is a neighbor. I think he found this amusing; but he is gracious.

This was shot on film while the digital camera is in the shop. By the time I got it posted here the digital was back, but I want ahead and loaded another roll of film - it still looks good to my eye.

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

A break in the portrait series - the digital camera is in the shop, the portraits are analog for a while.

This is from the Wayback Machine. We took a vacation to the Grand Canyon in April 2009.

This, and it's companions (click on the photo) are victims of pixel punishing, PhotoShop manipulation extraordinaire. Color originals were converted to black and white through various shenanigans with the saturation, clarity, exposure and contrast controls.

Love, and broken pixels,
Stephen

Lisa

Lisa, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

A very nice lady who cheerfuly takes care of my elderly aunt's nails.

I begin each day in a state of mild anxiety; what will I have to do to get the required portrait today? Somehow it keeps working, but it is only January.

Day 10 of 365

Love, and pixels,
Stephen

Suchira

Suchira, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

Our middle daughter. Mother of the Incomparable Grandchild

I'm running low on family members in my own house as subjects

Day 9 of 365

The Natural

The Natural, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

Day 8 of 365. The Incomparable Grandchild.

When I ask her to portray an emotion or attitude she willingly complies, for half a minute, before she breaks up with laughter or highjinks.

Today I did not walk about looking for subjects. In the afternoon she was home from school so I took the easy way

Demetreanna

Demetreanna, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

This young woman knows what she wants. This time I was asked to take the photo. When I said "yes", she was a bit surprised, but recovered gracefully.

Up to now, I haven't photographed a woman I didn't already know; I'm shy - fearing I would be thought on the make. I wonder if this makes the next time easier or not. We will see.

Ashley and Tommy

Ashley and Tommy, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

I got a second set yesterday. These two were so nice together, I had to bother them for some shots.

Ali

Ali, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

The first of the day. From yesterday.

Willing Complicity

A. M., a co-worker. I'm lobbying her to do a session of her with her mother, whom I've never met.

Yesterday, while reading blogs on photography, I came across The Visual Science Lab by Kirk Tuck. In a comment response he says, "The images that really hit you are the ones where there is some sort of collaboration or willing complicity between the photographer and the subject."

Day 4 - Talking to Strangers

I accosted this gentleman, Mr. S. during my afternoon walk. I'm shy about asking strangers If I may photograph them. Just a major point of this exercise.

Day 3 - Our Youngest

She's resistant to being photographed; self-conscious, I guess. I had to work fast.

The Portrait Project, Day 2.

Our eldest child, TJ. She sat for a moment in the midst of a busy hair salon.

This was shot with a cell phone camera and converted to B&W in Photoshop.

Madam

Madam, originally uploaded by Stephen Foster.

The first of the daily portraits.