Yesterday, April 23, 2023, day two, Sherwood Forest Faire.
“Strangers in the night
Two lonely people
We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment
When we said our first hello
Little did we know
Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away”
Portrait work is glorious trippy to me, in every respect of the word. Seriously. It’s an unreal calling, one of a kind, reserved for the lionhearted.
I happen to be pretty decent at it, but, more importantly, love doing it.
Portrait work completes me.
I honestly don’t think I would enjoy photography as much without this constant visitation of “strangers in the day”.
Today, I experienced a photography intimacy, albeit short-lived, with 30 people, I have never met before and will likely never see again.
Up to the moment…
The magic just doesn’t wear off me.
It is funky and fabulous.
With every portrait encounter, love and intimacy, and my shallow understanding of it, along with my obsession to know more, intimacy grows and grows.
I’m pretty sure that one of the reasons I’m happy to be single and alone, for now anyway, is that I get to experience, time and time again, with camera in hand, with perfect strangers, a warm embracing dance…
It’s a sort of love without commitment, an innocent flirtation.
I’m, certainly no Don Juan with a camera. But, whether you understand it to not, the camera gives us, who wear its badge and moniker, access and affections that most others, rarely, perhaps never know in their lifetime.
One of the hundreds of reason I loved, and still love, Shannon, is she understood, always, and unconditionally and completely, this part of my life and career.
She comprehended and supported, perfectly, the world of my intimacy and what it meant to me.
I could, in my day job, enjoy the fleeting and ephemeral intimacies that portrait work brought, but stay, deep down, in my core, always, committed to monogamy and fidelity, in my everyday life and love.
Yep, I’m a serial monogamous and somewhat traditional about my concept of love and romance.
I’m a better human being because of Shannon.
I’m a better photographer because of being able to free-fall into the mysterious world of transitory intimacy.
It is an offering of the highest exaltation.
Strangers in the day…
Click
Jack
………………………………………………………
Strangers in the night
Frank Sinatra
Strangers in the night
Exchanging glances
Wond’ring in the night
What were the chances
We’d be sharing love
Before the night was through?
Something in your eyes was so inviting
Something in your smile was so exciting
Something in my heart told me
I must have you
Strangers in the night
Two lonely people
We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment
When we said our first hello
Little did we know
Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away
And ever since that night
We’ve been together
Lovers at first sight
In love forever
It turned out so right
For strangers in the night
Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away
Ever since that night
We’ve been together
Lovers at first sight
In love forever
It turned out so right
For strangers in the night
Dooby-dooby-doo
Doo-doo-doo-di-dah
Dah-dah-dah-dah-dee-ee-yah-yah-yah
