IPC 2013: Good-Bye Cruel Case! (part 1)

Dear IPC Case #3742 , formerly known as Northeast District Case #3169:

Today, we parted ways. With a swipe of my business check card for a slightly-over-$24 charge, I was rid of you. And your ilk.

I don’t really know what “ilk” is, but it sounds serious. And menacing. And stuff.

Today was the final goodbye. We learned in late March that indeed, collectively, you four would be leaving me. You had formed a bond, shortly after the Ohio state level competition… where at first there were 6 of you, but scoring and critique kicked two of you to the curb. And then there were four. Like Genesis. Only not.

I look back and I see the development of the group…

I knew that Dwight’s image would be included. The session we did exhibited so many spectacular images – I narrowed the selection down to two. An environmental portrait and a head shot. The environmental portrait went through competition and merited last year. The head shot scored a 90, 82, & 84 in previous competitions this past year and was the top score at one competition. And it all began as a quest to recreate an amateur candid I’d taken 10 years before.

Without question, Bryon’s image would be included. He and I had 5 or 6 sessions throughout the year. He and the camera are having some sort of illicit affair that I’ve not been able to identify, but I foresee many merit images in the future with him as a model. I do wonder if that’s fair… The image I chose from his sessions scored so well that I brought home a trophy. A really big one. I want to win it, again.

My muse, the most beautiful man I know, Alex. Alex, of course, Alex. I would be a fool not to include an image of Alex. He is strength and beauty and his intenseness… I need to shoot Alex some more…he responded immediately to a need for a model and helped me re-shoot a concept we’d done a few years ago that didn’t quite mesh. This time it did. And how. It won an award, complete with engraved plaque on the wall as well as the highest scoring entry of my case at Northeast District.

And my oldest son. This is this first time that I’ve included a child of mine in competition. As I love him, I love the image. It is me, stylistically, and it is him, with cheek. It scored an 80 and an 82 in previous competitions.

Four men. Four seals. For solid merits.

For awhile, I had tried to include a woman in the mesh.

Michelle, another muse, has sat for me several times and renders characters that I love and wish to develop, but somewhere in the translation, things seem to fall apart. I do that crazy thing and look at it and say “it’s just not a merit image.”

I can’t explain what that means, but I think those of you who have also said it, understand what I’m saying.

I believe I need to purposely look into why most of my merit images are of men. I need to work with women more. This case has taught me that.

This case has taught me many lessons. Lessons that I’m still learning. Still thinking about. Lessons so embarrassing, that I’m not sure I’ll share them. Lessons that I have yet to learn, I’m sure.

To be continued…