With Father’s Day yesterday and today being Meeting Men Monday, I couldn’t think of a better man for you all to meet than my dad. He is just the right blend of wise, daring and loving. For years, he was one of the top international advertising photographers. This was an age where there was no such thing as Photoshop, so he had to do whatever it took to get the image right every time, on time. He shot for all the major motorcycle companies in the world. To do this, he trained at Suzuki Racing School, and shot hanging out of the back of pace cars and helicopters, and being strapped to scaffolding…but that wasn’t as dangerous as some his projects involving wild animals, from black panthers to this Bengal tiger.
So my dad has this total enviously tough side, but he’s also gentle as you can see from this picture taken when I was an infant.
When my brother and I were young and facing challenges, he would lift our chins, look deep into our eyes, and say, “You just have to crawl out of the jungle.” And then he would add, “You can do it!” When I went off to kindergarten, one of my friends thought she’d never master the monkey bars. On the first day, she kept falling off, so she sat by herself and hung her head. I patted her on the back and said, “You just have to crawl out of the jungle. You can do it!” She did.
When Dad retired from photography, he sold all of his equipment because he didn’t plan on taking pictures any more. But since I’ve started this site, he’s been persuaded to take some when I’ve been in a bind. He jokes, “Most dads my age are downsizing to smaller houses. I’ve downsized to Katherine’s little purse camera.”
All jokes aside, what I love most about my dad is that he’s willing to get in there and help our family no matter what. I love you Dad!