When he said it I just laughed. Sort of in derision, if I’m being honest. Dismissively at the least.
I talk about being kind and generous a lot. These are traits I admire, and attributes I’d like to create. But doesn’t mean I create them all the time, not at all. I suppose none of us are perfect. That’s what I keep hearing anyway.1
“These are good, you should make more of these”, he’d said.2
Why dismissive
I’d laughed because he was talking about the faded, foggy images I shared in my newsletter last week. I’d laughed because I almost never see fog like that where I live, so even if I’d had an inclination to make more of them, when and how would I do so? I expected I’d need to do some research and drive great distances, perhaps many, many times over great distances, to find the right conditions and subject matter upon arrival in these far-away places.
And it felt counterproductive to even consider such a thing. It wasn’t on The List.
You know the one. The “Top 100 Things I’d Planned To Complete Hundreds Of Years Ago and Still Haven’t Started” list. That one.
But I did tell my partner Stacia about his feedback, at least.
And I did start noticing things differently. Have you ever purchased a new something, whether it’s a kitchen faucet or a car, and suddenly you see them everywhere you turn? When previously they were invisible?
The right foggy conditions were NOT everywhere, to be sure. In my part of the country I felt like I’d be looking for a Gaggenau faucet installed in a Bentley Flying Spur. But I looked. And last week we were driving through a much different area, through upstate New York and on to Vermont. On the way up we came upon a scene that almost worked, near the Vermont Border, on Christmas Eve.
Almost. It was foggy that day, foggier than it is here. But not quite thick enough to really work.
Better conditions
A couple of days later on our way back from Vermont, it looked like things might be promising again. It helps immensely that I have a super supportive partner who was also looking as we drove, and who has tremendous patience with me.
Conditions were in flux that day, but definitely better than on the way up. Foggier here, less foggy there, as we made our way west and south. We stopped once and I really tried to make something out of it, but No. Just a blah scene. We continued to the spot we remembered, at it looked better this time as we approached.
Stacia dropped me by the main road while she took a side road looking for possibilities a bit further up into the mountains. And as she drove away the fog thickened for a short while, and I made these:
The conditions were short-lived. The island image only looked like that for a few minutes. The other side of the reservoir stayed similarly foggy for a good 20 minutes, which was enough time for me to include the lone Canadian Goose the way I’d hoped. I kept waiting for one or two to separate from the flock in a visually-pleasing way, and it eventually worked out.
As I should have done
I knew when I’d laughed dismissively a couple of weeks ago that I’d owe Don both an apology and thanks, for being supportive and encouraging. I wasn’t gracious, not the way he deserved me to be, regardless of whether I agreed at the time.
But now I’m offering a second layer of thanks for what he said. He and Stacia together helped me create images that I like. Images that I feel good about. Whether other people like them or not is beside the point. These images (and others) would never have been created if he had not spoken up. No way. I wouldn’t have thought twice.
So Don, If I haven’t already told you directly by the time this publishes, sorry and thanks!!!
Oh, and check the footnotes below the next section, the formatting here on Substack is occasionally limiting… but take a look.
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This is a remarkable book, made from a remarkable project. Advice From America: Life Advice and Photos of 1,000 Strangers From 48 States was created by Imran Nuri, who describes the process here. This young man decided to drive around the country to speak with strangers from all over, ask for advice they would offer their younger selves, and take their photograph. You get a bit of his story along with theirs. Absolutely worth a look, I love my copy!
Don Giannati helps other professional photographers like myself. His words: “I LOVE CREATIVES. I have been a creative all of my life. From a professional musician to a professional photographer to the creative director of my own ad agency, I have been involved with creative people of all types. Now it is my turn to give back.” Click here for his website and substack.
Great essay and wonderful images!
Great images as always.
And yeah, your not the only one that has happened to 😉😂