I’d lived in Columbus for a few years when I met Nathan.  Although we’d gone to the same school for a time, I can’t say that we knew each other.  It was a few years later that another friend of mine Andy suggested that Nathan come to hang out with us at the Beach.  Back then my friends were in the habit of mass vacationing, and it wasn’t until years later that I realized just how amazing and wonderful that idea truly was.  Of course, I enjoyed it at the time, but looking back it’s something that I have to promise myself we will do more of someday.

Nathan came all the way back from teaching in Japan to hang out with our little crew for the week.  We were loud, er I was loud…and I wasn’t sure what to make of this dude.  Soon enough, I came to know him as a dude you can trust sincerely and someone who I consider one of my very close friends.  Back then we were calling him Butros, and over the years his name has changed to suit various interests.  I can’t take credit for Butros’ name, but I will proudly claim variants such as Buch, Butrosenine, and Butron.

Nathan’s wife and I became friends while working at a technology firm that I’ll discreetly not mention.  While they were dating, I didn’t realize the awesome couple they would become, but I’m proud to have witnessed their becoming.  When their daughter was born at the end of the summer, I was honored to be asked to come over and capture some images.  With that in mind, here are some of the ones that have stuck with me over the past weeks.

Thanks Guys!

Like a utility belt, it's everything you need to survive. If you're me.

There’s a lot to be learned by riffling through someone’s stuff.  This is my stuff, so while I rifle you can get an idea of who I am.

If we hang out, you’ll soon learn that I am a creature of habit and I get pretty attached to the stuff I carry around regularly.  I’ve had this bag for quite a while, so it means a lot.  Here’s our story.

In 1999 I found the perfect bag to take to college.  From then until now, I’ve carried my Trager Saddle Expandable, except for a brief separation in 2007.  It came along with me on all my trips with particularly good service in Nepal, China, and Israel.  It was in Nepal that a shopkeeper attached my first set of flags.  I’ve always liked flags, and if you’re ever in Kathmandu I’d suggest getting some custom work done in Thamel.  While you’re there, consider staying at the KTMGH, the Kathmandu Guest House.  Lookout for the hashish and tiger balm salesmen; they rival the best used car hucksters out there…but back to the bag.

The patches represent the places that I’ve ventured beyond the airport grounds, which usually include a passport stamp.  The problem is that I have a bad habit of loosing my passport, so I opted for a bigger keepsake of my travels.  This worked out well until a frustrating experience with a thief in 2007.  That’s when some lucky vagabond absconded with my bag after breaking my car windows.  I’m thankful now that I only had my bag and not my cameras in my car, but I wasn’t very happy at the time.  For weeks I searched dumpsters and alleys around my neighborhood, as I was sure that once the thief realized their error, the bag would be dropped.  So, how do I have this bag now?

The story isn’t as intriguing as you might expect.  New bag, new patches from Flagline, 10 hours of hand sewing patches and voila!  Cloned bag.  The difference is that now instead of getting a copy of my travel documents, a few books, and a coveted set of negatives from Israel…a thief would get some moleskine journals, business cards, a leatherman, and paperwork…piles and piles of paperwork.  I’ll admit life isn’t so adventurous since finishing my TESOL degree and starting work with the ESL Learners of Central Ohio.

So I may not be ready to travel at the drop of a hat anymore, but at a basic level…I’m usually good to go pretty quickly.  The stuff in my bag reminds me of who I’ve been, where I am, and what I’m moving toward.  Sometimes portraits aren’t of faces, but they tell us just as much.  When I see my bag at rest I know that I’m at peace, and I know that the world awaits us to pick up and go.

Thanks for Reading,

Phil

Let's go somewhere!

]]> http://sojournerstudios.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=31 2 http://sojournerstudios.com/blog/?p=25 http://sojournerstudios.com/blog/?p=25#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:02:44 +0000 Phil http://sojournerstudios.com/blog/?p=25

Photography has been a part of a lot of good things in my life…this past few years have been full of amazing couples, families, seniors, and locations that I couldn’t have dreamed up if I’d been given the opportunity.  I’ve been lucky to be welcomed into the lives of other people, with the purpose of capturing them at their best, their most unique, and their most original moments.  In all of that, we’ve created some images that I’m truly proud of, but I don’t want to get distracted from my post before I even get started.

I first met Emily because of Photography.  It was one of my early weddings, when I jumped into wedding photography without second guessing.  The wedding was a challenge, as my partner and I were still defining our style and the couple we were working with weren’t exactly image connoisseurs.  I don’t think they’d take offense at that, but back to the story.  Part of my philosophy of wedding and portrait photography is to follow whatever or whoever is having the best time.  As the reception wore on, a pair of bridesmaids rocked the dance floor, worked the room, and seemed to bring the energy with them wherever they ventured.  As my job was to get the fun stuff, I kept running into the party people.  Now in all honesty…I don’t even know the other woman’s name, but one of them was Emily.  I liked her.

We didn’t meet casually until we were both at a church event months later.  With the magic of facebook and a little non-truth about being an espresso virgin, we were off to a first date.

Let me tell you about Emily.  She’s beautiful (I still have the first images I captured of her).  She’s smart (seriously, as in multiple MA degrees), and she’s perfect.  Emily isn’t dramatic and reactionary like I am.  She’s aware of people and impressions in ways that confuse me.  I don’t understand her willingness to consider others in ways that are so selfless and grounded.  We’re good together, but not just because we’re different.  Emily and I share an excitement and similarities too.  The chief connection between us is that we both really like to be together…and I love that about her.

We don’t agree on plenty.  Here’s a few examples.  I want to fill the walls with brick-a-brac while she likes clean space.  I like to “decorate with stuff”, while she’s more…minimalist.  I look for opportunities to challenge and speak while she discovers new ways to consider others instead.  I don’t know how I got her to marry me, but I knew things were awesome when she mocked my teary eyes while I was trying to propose.  This was the girl for me!

Just over six months ago, we became pregnant…and I can’t wait to see just what happens on this next adventure.  We’re expecting a girl, and oddly enough I’m the one vying for traditional names like margot, mary, and ellie while she’s suggesting next generation hipster ilk…we’ll see what happens, but I’m guessing we’ll go her way.  How could I say no to her?

So, thanks photography…see I told you the story wasn’t so smarmy.

Despite my love for freedom and bending expectations to their limit, I am a man who loves rules.  Rules tell me where to push, where to test, and when to consider myself a success or failure.  Often enough I believe we choose failure.  Be it out of rebellion or a desire to imagine ourselves the underdog, it’s often an act of subversion to reject our limits and embrace the inner outlaw.  In the same breath, it’s likely that all that is just talk and rationalization for not feeling so bad about missing even the goals we set for ourselves.

With that in mind, I’m posting just after midnight on the third day of NoBloPoMo.  Instead of starting with a perfect record to keep, I’m choosing write from a position of upward mobility.  In my early Christian days, I found much of my identity in maintaining a standard of “exellence“.  These standards told me that the Devine loved me and had a dramatic plan for my life.  Fortunately, I was rescued from the delusion that I had to perfectly execute a moral existence in order to walk in love.  In most things I attempt, I’ve learned that failure is in some element assured.  By accepting the reality of my weakness from the outset, I’m empowered to live authentically.

In the past year, of being married, post graduate school, post new business as a solo venture…I’ve learned that there is little benefit to living in-authentically.  When we pose or cajole or perform for anything false, we are likely either trapped within our falseness or committing ourselves to un-fulfilling endeavors.  What good does it do us to feign success in things we don’t truly desire?  How does it benefit us when we are known for what we are not?

Now that’s not to say that we’re lost to the whims of our baser selves…those are likely outgrowths of other lies we tell ourselves about who we want to become.

So after all that circular thinking, I was left with the question.  Who did I want to be?

I’m Phil.  I’m a husband, a photographer, a teacher, a traveler.  I love to mock, and I enjoy creating…stuff.  I’m a brother, and a son.  I’m a person of Faith, and a proponent of Grace.  And I’m posting for day 2 in the early hours of day 3 because I just want to.

Thanks for reading.

Phil

There was once a time when I considered myself a blogger.  If you go back far enough, when xanga was just a rumor, my friend John suggested that I start writing using what I argue is the first really accepted mass blogging platform.  I loved my early writing on the internet days.  There seemed like there was so much to say. In 2000 I had been studying at Taylor University while working at a youth group.  My role back then was sort of a Jesus meeting hype man…but I can’t say that I was very happy.  After returning from a study abroad experience at Xiamen DaXue, I spent the summer in Columbus, Ohio.  I had my creative moments, but for the most part I was lost and searching for grace.  That yearning and inward gaze yielded a tiny streak of artistic productivity, but insecurity set in when my mother found my tome and asked “You don’t mind if I read your site do you?”  of course I said that was fine with me.

And I never posted on that site again.  (sorry mom, you can read this site…for reals)

Spurts of blogging and web presence have occurred and I periodically created personal blogs with the intent of saying something meaningful.  For the most part, I found myself only partially invested in my online presence until years later.  Photography and the presentation of my work brings me into the public today.  My hopes are for regularity and a view into the space I share with my wife Emily and our soon to be Daughter…well, she is our daughter, she’s just not exactly here yet.  I promise updates around February.  And Ripley, our Cockapoo.

And so, NaBloPoMo 2010 – I’m going to try for it!  Posting every day for the month of November.  I’m sure there’ll be some images, and likely some meandering narrative posts as well.  Hopefully, the relationship we share will grow into something of substance.  Until then, I’ll settle for 29 more days of this!

Regards,

Phil

Ok Everybody – Welcome to the new and Improved Sojourner Studios blog.  I just updated from Movable Type to WordPress, and so far the change has been fairly smooth.  I’ll be working to update and repost the backlog of images from the old blog, recent work, and happenings in Columbus.  If you’d like to discuss creating images of your wedding, your senior portrait, your children, or your family – please give me a call and let’s talk about details.

Contact me at 614-358-5649

or at www.sojournerstudios.com

Phil