My 15 year old niece, Keats, is visiting from Idaho. In exchange for her plane ticket, I put her to work–both as an envelope stuffer for our current promo mailing and, naturally, as a model. She packed a variety of clothes to wear for our extemporaneous shoots during her stay. My goal is to make her visits entertaining while I stay productive.
Photography is not a desk job. I've often considered a multitude of ways I might meet my end while pursuing my craft. Perhaps stepping off a cliff while using my telephoto lens or falling off the back of a motorcycle. But yesterday while shooting at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica I found another potential way to croak creatively.
I'm following my niece as she walks. She's to my side and I'm watching her through the viewfinder with my left eye. I thought I had surveyed a length of sidewalk before I put the camera to my eye to be sure my way was clear but before I knew it, I walked smack into the middle of a palm tree.
The absolute surprise of it hurt as much as anything. If anyone caught the mishap on video it might be a hit on YouTube. The good part is I'm OK, my niece is still here and my camera works. I've promised to do a shoot with her today. Maybe a shoot in the studio or her taking surfing lessons. Whatever we decide to do, I'll take the camera down from my face before I walk too far.
