Press conference on August 24th, 9-11am, on the second floor of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. This has been a bit of a saga, folks, and I’ll be blogging about it through the show dates. Many thanks to all, especially our sponsors, and the folks at Related, who manage the Time Warner Building. This would not have been possible without a lot of effort from lots of folks. Just click on below to enlarge.
Garvey’s hands, with the duty board of the Soufriere Fire Station.
Been coming to St. Lucia for almost 18 years, now, ever since Travel Holiday magazine sent me to paradise in 1994 to shoot a leafy place called Anse Chastanet. I have been here maybe a dozen times since then, and have dear friends on the island. The place is now called Jade Mountain/Anse Chastanet, and it remains remarkable in its’ beauty, made complete by the warmth of the St. Lucian people.
Wandering Soufriere about three years ago with Scott Kelby, who was guest lecturing at a lighting workshop I gave here, we literally just stumbled upon the Soufriere Fire Station, and thought we’d take a look inside. Nothing was planned, and they weren’t expecting us. So needless to say, when firefighter and avid photog Garvey Charlemange realized Scott Kelby was actually in his firehouse, he went to four alarms.
Garvey is one of Scott’s biggest fans, and needless to say his jaw hit the floor faster than a dropped rock. It was as if Garvey had just clicked “scottkelby.com” and, via the magic of the internet, there was Scott, saying, hey, maybe we could shoot together.
We’ve been visiting the fire station now every year, shooting pictures of Garvey and his mates, who are terrific. Last year, we had wrapped our day there, finished the workshop and gone home when Hurricane Tomas hit. It was a massive storm, and the aftermath was a tough time for the guys at the house. Lots of round the clock rescues and recovery efforts were done, all with limited gear and equipment.
The photo business is about giving back, right? I’d never even know these guys if it weren’t for photography. When a photograph is made, at least some of time, a bond is also created. They invited our workshop into their shop. So, right after the hurricane, we sent workshop money back to the fire house. They were very grateful, and Garvey told me yesterday that the dough was directly used to help victims and buy new gear.
Garvey also invited these young lads into the firehouse for a quick portrait session. They combine to prove that kids in front of a camera are the same anywhere in the world. They can only hang onto it for just so long.
This is a lighting workshop, but all of the above were shot with available light. The shot of Garvey’s hands was actually shot after the sun was well and truly down. ISO 1000, D3S, 24mm lens, Lexar cards.
Home Sunday. More tk…..
Bill Butler was with Josephine Harris and five other members of Ladder 6, inside the North Tower of WTC when it came down. They resolutely stuck with Josephine, refusing to leave her, despite her painfully slow rate of descent. Bill half carried her, cajoling her all the way about seeing her grandchildren again. The building came down, and the miracle of Josephine’s pace put all of them in a fourth floor stairwell that remained intact. Somehow, as the building came down, crushing everything around it, they, and Josephine, survived.
Bill Butler, 2001, Firefighter, Ladder 6, FDNY
While trapped with Harris and his ladder company in Stairwell B, Butler used a cell phone to call emergency numbers but couldn’t get through. As a last effort, he called his home in Orange County, N.Y. His wife, Diane, answered.
“I just said, “Hi, what are you doing?” I was trying to be nonchalant. She said, “Where are you?” I said “We’re at the World Trade Center.” She asked, “Is everything okay?” Then I said, “Well, we have a little problem. We’re trapped in the Trade Center, but we’re okay.” Then she started to cry a little bit, because she knew there was no World Trade Center. At that point I said, “Listen, you can’t cry. I have to give you some information. You have to call the firehouse or call someone and tell them where we’re at.”
Lieutenant Bill Butler, FDNY, Aug. 3, 2011
Ten years later, Bill is a lieutentant with FDNY, serving at Ladder 56, Engine 48, up in the Bronx. His memories of the day are still vivid, even with the passing of time. Shot this, along with a video interview with Bill, just last week. The interview, and the portraits open at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, on Aug. 24th.
Exhibition made possible with the generous sponsorship of Nikon USA, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, and friends of the collection.
More tk….
It’s been a hectic week, with preparations for the show, late night shoots at firehouses in the Bronx, and trip prep. Jade Mountain popped up on CNN as the hotel with the number one view in the world. And it’s where we head next week to shoot a book project, and to teach a workshop. Info about the advanced lighting techniques workshop here.
All of a sudden, dealing with the week seems easier….:-) More tk….
As we approach, somewhat unbelievably, the 10th Anniversary of 911, I’ll be posting some of the work my studio has done over the years relating to that fateful day. Just postcards and notes, really, from that time of dust and destruction, to now, a time of healing and resurgence. All these updated photos, complementing the Giant Polaroids of Sept/Oct 2001, have been a project that has taken most of our time this year. They will be on display at the Time Warner Center in NYC, starting August 24th, and running through September 12th.
From the book, Faces of Ground Zero: 2001
Father Brian Jordan, Church of St. Francis of Assisi, midtown Manhattan
In the days and weeks after the attacks, Father Jordan, who succeeded his fallen friend, Father Mychal Judge, as FDNY Chaplain, ministered to workers at Ground Zero. In a special ceremony, he rode a crane bucket up to where welders had mounted the cross-shaped girder from Tower 1, then blessed the impromptu monument. “We have seen evil at its worst, but goodness at its best. I worked to provide hope and healing–to give comfort to the living and bless the dead.”
Ten year later, Father Jordan, still a champion of the labor unions, immigrant workers, and the working people of New York City, remains busy. Almost too busy for this photo. I trailed him onto the subway, where, predictably, he was still in his trademark sneakers, moving fast, helping people.
More tk….
