““You must met my uncle”, the Host exuded, “He’s from England and he’s a photographer!”
We walked across the room to the person she was pointing to and my eyes scanned up and down a man, maybe in his 70s, tall, thin, with shoulder length gray hair. As I moved closer I noticed he had a necklace with turquoise and matching turquoise ear piercing in his right ear. Around his neck was a Fujifilm digital camera.
The Host, interrupted his conversation, with a “Peter, this is my friend, Davis, he too is a photographer.” She then turned and melted into the crowd.
I am often introduced to “photographers” at parties, luncheons, meetings and all types of other places. Truthfully that moniker is misused. When most of the world now carries a camera on their person, it’s very difficult to view the wheat from the chaff. My thoughts are often, "I wonder how much should I expose about my personal career" or my deep emotional interest in the history of photographer as well as contemporary practitioners.
Peter and I shook hands and ever so politely exchanged pleasantries.
I go first, “So, The Host tells me you take pictures (a more general way to get around calling him a ‘photographer’. )
Peter, “Yea, I’ve been dabbling with it for years. I really enjoy the field, " Pete says ever so nonchalantly. At the same time he's eying me up and down.
Me, “You have an English accent, where’s home.?”
Pete. “Outside of London. About one and one-half hours. I can commute in for a job.” “some friends and I purchased three buildings with a moat around them. It’s very cool.”
Me, “Wow, yes really cool”.
Pete “how about you? Been taking photos long?”
Me: "Since my teens. I was the 'high school yearbook photographer'. It's been quite a journey." With this statement Pete very discretely shutters and starts to change the subject.
I then quickly added, then Bio-Medical Photography school and finally starting my own business.
We went on like this for a few minutes sniffing around each other not knowing how much to expose of our pasts. At the same time, I was beginning to get a sense he was a professional in the true meaning I understand.
Peter has begun to dig a little deeper. Still not revealing anything about his own background. We’re both enjoying the dance. And I for one, hope he is the genuine thing, as it’s been quite a while since I talked with a professional.
Me: "My career has taken me to lots of locations, working with a variety of people (still being vague) and you?"
Pete: "Mostly music."
Me: I think, "hmmm." Then offer, "In the 80s, I worked with Dave Brubeck on one of his albums. My first session with a musician." Then I opened up, took a change an dove in: "Most recently David Crosby of C,S,N licensed one of my images of him for his retrospective album
Pete: "Great! I worked with Joe Cocker starting in the 70s. I traveled with him and devoted a great deal of my professional time as his key photographer.."
Then we were off and running... What a fun time taking hiccups, f-stops, broken camera's and difficult shooting situations.. We became fast friends and stay in touch. One day I hope to visit that English home with a moat and see some really great pics of Joe Cocker and the rest of his oeuvre.