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 […]
Tag: Stories from the Pack
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. […]
Happy Birthday, Jill
What is it they say? You may not remember what someone said, but you will always remember the way they made you feel. I met Jill when she was 12 years old, but I don’t remember it. She was my sister’s friend, three years younger than me, and what high school boy pays attention to […]
Forward, Together Forward
“Forward, together forward” “There’s victory in view” “Come on you Huskies, fight on you Huskies” “And win for NIU” Huskie Fight Song, Northern Illinois University The last time I saw Rus Elder in person was Homecoming of 1992. I lived in Maryland, but was excited about returning to DeKalb for the festivities. I was excited […]
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 […]
Brady’s Pool
About the same time we stopped going to the dog park, our neighbors decided to add a canine companion to their family. As Diana tells it, they wanted a docile dog who was easy to manage. They went to the shelter and picked one who they thought was the perfect fit—Brady. Brady weighed about 70 […]
The End of the Dog Park Days
On a September afternoon in 2011, Roxy, Blitz, Kal-El and I went to the dog park. It was their favorite place to go. When we arrived, I opened the car door and they sprinted to the gate. Once inside, Roxy usually went off and explored. Blitz found his friends to play and Kal-El followed him […]