So it’s been a while.  Almost a month to be exact since I’ve lit up the internet with a blog.  It used to be that I wrote one a week, which is where I’d like to get back too.  Grace the internet with misspellings and grammatical travesties.  One could say that I was being kind on the internet by taking a break from writing, but they would be mistaken.  The truth?  I’ve just been busy.  A very good kind of busy at that.  Between shooting weddings, Indystar, Wedding planning related things here and there, and just living in general,  the last few weeks since I’ve written have been keeping me occupied enough that writing a blog just never really played into the cards.  While you can all think that I was just being kind and trying to raise the percentage of words spelled correctly on the internet by NOT writing a blog; one of my projects involved doing actual nice things for fellow humans in real life.  Fellow unsuspecting humans or non humans at that…

A few weeks ago I was approached at the Indystar about working on “The Adventuress” project.  I say it like it’s a thing instead of a gal named Leslie, but that’s not the point.  A few different people in a few different editing, managing, and photographetizing positions agreed that I was the right person to take over care of Leslie and her adventures.  As normally happens when I get a call about working on something new, I sort of shrugged and said “yea that sounds great!” then only to hang up the phone and wonder what I had agreed to do…..

I actually met Leslie years ago through a different newspaper advertising client.  At the time my assignment was for a company called The Knit Stop, owned by Nancy George.  Nancy George being none other than the sister of the former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and CEO Tony George.  I’ve shot lots of things for Nancy over the years in lots of different neat places including her daughter in Bob Sweikert’s original pink race car on the yard of Bricks for the 100th anniversary of the existence of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Yes, we pulled the the actual car out of the museum for the shoot and rumor has it that even a small dog made it into the cockpit of the car for a while despite the feelings of the museum curator who was there with us; but I digress.  I met and shot Leslie in Knit Stop garb long before she became the Adventuress.

Leslie has come a long way since that photo was taken.  She’s no longer a blonde, but I don’t think that has as much to do with where she’s at now as much as her personal preference.  I’m not sure which color is her natural one, but I’m pretty sure that any amount of stress won’t turn hair from blonde to brunette; or vice versa.  It doesn’t matter though, because she found her niche’ in writing for the newspaper.  She’s good at it, and she’s adventuress enough to do the things that lots of other people either don’t know exist; or won’t do themselves.  It’s always a good idea in theory to do something nice for a total stranger but not many people take the plunge to do it.  My first adventure with Leslie was to do just that.  Multiple times.

All said and done we did some kind things in the world.  I say we, but it was really just her as I was there only to document these things for the story.  She gave away cups of coffee, and by gave away I mean we tried to give away.  One gentlemen took our Starbucks coffee only to throw it away moments later.  Leslie discovered the best way to do it was to get a gift card and leave it with the barista.  She then walked dogs at FACE after feeding and watering some of the 60-70 cats that live there.  She bought an unsuspecting guy Taco Bell in the drive through line in downtown Indy.  Leslie then visited a hospital where Leslie gave out cards and balloons to patients she didn’t know or had never met before.  To finish it all up she put about $5 worth of singles in to a bunch of vending machines at the hospital only to walk away so the next person to come up would be surprised.  It wasn’t my normal assignment, where I lit all the elements, or even set up lights to shoot portraits as much as it was running and gunning photos and videos almost simultaneously.  It was a difficult photographic day, yet very fulfilling doing nice things kind of day.

You can read all about Leslie’s experience as well as watch the video I made for it at the newspapers website.  If you’re looking for more of her articles you can check them out HERE. Speaking of adventures.  I’ve got a neat blog coming up that I am doing in association with my pals over at Roberts Camera here in Indy.  Since I’ve broken so much gear of theirs (and my own) over the last couple years they decided to really put me to the test to check out how durable one of the new SKB Hard Cases for photography equipment actually is.  When they gave it to me I asked if they wanted me to store stuff in it, and that wasn’t quite what they had in mind….. That’s also one of the things I’ve been working on as opposed to blogging.  Lets just say that most people don’t ever know what their hard cases will actually protect their gear from.  When I’m done though; you will have a much better idea.  As it turns out; destroying one is tougher than you think…. More Soon.