First off, hope everybody had a wonderful time over the holidays, with a great new year shaping up. Best to all, and many thanks for all the wonderful thoughts and good wishes sent our way via the blog, FB, and Twitter. Great way to close the year. Though just when I thought it was in the can, and it was done kicking my ass, a couple of interesting things happened. Good Morning America came calling, realizing that most likely lots of folks got some sort of digital picture taking apparatus for Christmas, and would be uncertain of how to use same. They all come with manuals, of course, but they’re tough to plow through stone cold sober, and much less so after decking the halls and knocking back eight to ten Limoncellos. So, in the wake of writing the LIFE Guide to Digital Photography, they found me, and proposed that I could do something instructive and coherent in three or four minutes of air time. That’s a fair bit chatting for morning TV, believe it or not.
There was this storm you might have read about. It roared in and knocked NY and much of the upper Eastern seaboard for a loop. And of course, I was supposed to go on early in the am, post storm. The phone started ringing. Folks who work in live television tend to jump on stuff, and solve problems as immediately as they can (just the nature of the beast) so when they call you, they like it if you just pick up the phone and say yes. They wanted me to come into NY on Sunday, in the teeth of the wind and the white, park it in a hotel, and be rested and there, ready to hit the airwaves. I said, of course, yes. Made sense.
Method to my madness (and the affirmative reply) was that the hotel was on the doorstep of Times Square. Hadn’t been in TS in a blizzard, I think, ever. Plus I’ve been experimenting with the D3100, which is quite a lot of camera in a small package. So, I checked in, and went out.
It was a touch wacky out there on Sunday night, but it was refreshing to know you could still get a hot dog.
Just had one lens with me, a 24 f1.4, so just messed around in the stinging snow, driving wind, bitter cold and neon lit misery in the heart of the Big Apple until I heard the call of the wild pillow in a heated hotel room. Tried some stuff from my window, and early am as well.
Then, it was show time. I’ve done the morning shows before, so I wasn’t completely unprepared. Everybody was super nice, whisking you here and there, asking if you’re okay and if you need anything. I think the only other time people are that collectively solicitous of your needs is immediately prior to major surgery, so I felt very comfortable.
They bring you in and sit you down. If I could make a suggestion, they might equip those comfy chairs with a seat belt. Because once the morning network anchor person goes weapons hot on you, it’s a fast ride indeed. Chris Cuomo did the interview. Smart guy, very nice, tough job. He’s gotta rattle his way through two hours of live TV every morning, keep everybody’s ball bouncing, roll with the punch, turn on a dime, ask reasonable questions that presume and elicit sound bite, quickie answers, shake your hand and go to the next set. He’s definitely the eye of the storm.
Whoosh! After I was done I kinda looked down to ascertain whether I was still wearing clothes. I felt like a cartoon character in a hurricane, you know, clinging to a light pole, while everything just whips past them as they struggle to hang onto their shorts. Or maybe one of those poor TV reporters out there in the blizzard, trying to make themselves heard as the wind blows them down the street, a Northeastern species of tumbleweed. Anyway, you can check out the interview here. Many thanks to my bud and terrific shooter, Elizabeth Opalenik, who grabbed the above pic off her TV screen on the west coast.
The show at the Monroe Gallery I mentioned a couple weeks ago went well. You can always tell you’re having an exhibit in New Mexico when you see one of these.
Sorta makes you wish anybody who shows up really likes your work, ya know? More tk….
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