Alex’s cancer journey gave us many reasons to cry. But even during the darkest times, there is humor if you look for it—and sometimes it can help you make it through. When Alex needed to choose an orthopedic doctor in 2015, I went to the Carefirst website to find one that participated in our insurance […]
Tag: Life Lessons
Remember the Fundamentals
In 2014, I photographed a conference where one of the speakers was former NFL lineman Matt Birk. He said the most successful people he knew, athletes or otherwise, were fanatic about fundamentals. When Birk started to play center, his coach asked him to come to practice 15 minutes early. He did, and he spent that […]
You Might Be Surprised
In the fall of 1986, I returned to the photojournalism lab at Northern Illinois University. I was two years out of college and supporting myself by delivering pizzas while struggling to establish a foothold in the journalism profession. There had been other jobs. I caught on with Young Athlete Magazine right out of college. Young […]
Jake
When Jake was about six years old, he walked into my office. One of the benefits of working at home was being available to my children. We chatted for a while about whatever was on his mind. He patted Buster on the head and headed for the door. “I’ll be back,” he said, as he […]
How I Knew What Was in Store for Alex
In my last post, I said I knew the challenges awaiting Alex in Florida. Here’s how. In the summer of 1987, I was working for the Shoe Service Institute of America in Chicago’s Western suburbs. I edited their magazine, Shoe Service, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My boss had just announced his retirement. At their summer […]
Adventures in Parenting
In 2017, I was hired to photograph a conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. A few weeks before the conference, Alex called. “How far is Ponte Vedra Beach from Gainesville?” I looked it up—about an hour and a half. She asked if she could tag along—and if I could extend the trip by a day […]
What’s So Tough About Being a Parent?
“You have homework,” Alex said to me after her first day of seventh grade. She handed me a piece of paper with a single question on it. “What’s so tough about being a parent?” The teacher who created the assignment allowed two blank lines for an answer. That was not going to be enough space. […]
Fourth and Lincoln
My first assignment in my 1983 photojournalism class was to photograph the intersection of Fourth Street and Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, IL. I didn’t understand the assignment. Why are we photographing an intersection? What’s the point? Still, I headed out with my camera and took some pictures that I thought were pretty good. I handed […]
Rus’ First Lesson
People sometimes ask what settings I used to take a certain photo. I’m always happy to answer. But when I start talking about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, I can see it in their faces—I might as well be speaking a foreign language. What they’re really asking is: “Which icon do I turn the dial […]
Thank You Sears
One of the great joys of this blog—and the book—is being able to share my photos. Almost all of the images you see here come from my archives. People often ask how I got started in photography. I wish the answer were inspirational. It’s not. I got a credit card. The summer before my senior […]