Last Friday I was contacted by the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. and asked to photograph Mr. Lester Mason Jr. , a life-long resident of Phenix City and a retired educator, for the cover story of the next issue of their monthly magazine. We quickly agreed on terms and I was then told that the deadline was October 8th! Why do so many large organizations wait until the last minute to schedule photography? It happens frequently with corporate groups that have events at Callaway Gardens- makes me feel better about my own procrastination. Nothing had been set up with Mr. Mason; I called him and we discussed his various civic activities and it became clear to me that his heart belongs to the children of the Phenix-Russell Boys and Girls Club, a hugely successful enterprise that he started in 1967. So I quickly scheduled a shoot at the club on Monday (my day off), and my son Gabe and I loaded lots of gear from my studio into my van and spent four hours at the club, photographing Mr. Mason in five different situations, most of them involving lots of rambunctious kids- Gabe and I were exhausted afterwards! After editing and adjusting the files, I over-nighted a DVD to NEA headquarters. My contact there sent me an email within an hour of the DVD's arrival: "Kenny, the portraits of Lester Mason are amazing. We LOVE them! Thanks for the great images."Location photography can be challenging in a creative, organizational and physical sense , and adding a tight deadline adds extra stress, but there are sometimes big payoffs; Mr. Mason is 78 years old and a wonderful man, an inspiration. It was an honor to work with him and I am better for the experience.
Honor your elders, recognize our leaders, and Keep Shootin',
Kenny
