The 40-Year-Old Recruit

In late August 07, the Washington Post Magazine commissioned me to shoot a documentary on Clayton Beaver, a 40-year-old Waianae resident who was joining the Army. Last year, the army raised its age limit for new recruits allowing Beaver to join. Hardship and a sense of patriotism drove Beaver to follow this path the military attractively sold. Large bonuses and increased benefits also enticed Beaver, along with many others to consider the path of the military.

I covered the Hawaii side of the story examining Beaver, his background, and his family. Another photographer met Beaver at boot camp and covered his initial training. My documentation found what I describe as "Island hardships." Whether this term makes sense, I find it descriptive of how live in Hawaii can be so far away from the advertisements in the travel magazines and tourism boards present.

With a very high cost of living including sky rocketing real estate prices, below national average salaries don't allow for a comfortable living. Affordable housing costs can be found in Hawaii but sadly many of these neighborhoods are plagued with socials ills and bad schools. Hawaii is a trap for many...anchoring many locals here with family, friends, and as Michael Leahy described, aloha.

So many here are trapped by large families, low pay, and sadly, drugs. What most tourist encounter on the beaches of Waikiki and Maui are fantasies that a majority of local people will never afford.


Here is the link to the Honolulu Advertiser from November 23, 2007. The story was syndicated locally and is easily accessed.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Nov/22/ln/hawaii711220356.html

The Advertiser published the powerful story along with my photos. The other photographer could not be reached by publication.

The Washington Post Magazine link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111401447.html

You have to register to see the original story and images from both myself and photographer Brett Flashnick.

Morgan Montana

I was at Kewalos today trying to shoot more of my surfer project when I was confronted by Morgan Montana. Morgan saw my camera (which he declared was worth over $50,000...how wrong he was) and wanted me to grace him with a photograph. Oh the power of a 4x5 camera.

Morgan, who aura wiffed of tall boys and Mickeys, recounted a story of history, celebrities and fame, which very few could be capable of obtaining.

As I spoke with Morgan, who I slowly found his real name was Lenny, I was told of a sailboat of great girth which entertained local prostitutes, Lost celebs, and the female undergarments which flew freely from the masts of his vessel. Morgan/Lenny spoke of engagements on the mainland with Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow and others details too interesting not to believe.

He recalled a bar in Colorado where he slugged the Kid for mouthy behavior and watching Mt St. Helen's trumpet around his life.

He also spoke, with glassy eyes, about time spent in Vietnam (he did say he was 57 which actually makes him of proper age) and lives lost and taken. He described life as a tunnel rat, of women's screams and lives lost at his hands...of Agent Orange, of snakes, and friends who still remain hidden within the bush.

He told me of "gook" heads skewered on bamboo as warnings, of life taken with no regret. Of mothers holding their children and his M-16. He chattered about life and death with candor. As if nothing was worth but his eyes felt it was...

But back to those bars he so quickly returned to, his boat, his pose, and his scrap with Kid Rock.

Life for Morgan consisted of cheap drinks, long hair, and a history full of fun, death, sailing, and living. Is a far existence away from jungle rot, cans of MREs, and killing someone you don't know.



At the end of the afternoon, Morgan hit me up for some dough. I coughed up $5.00. I got a polaroid out of it.

You be the judge...was it worth it?

Surfer girls

I met Karin the other day at Kewalo Basin. I approached her and her friends to ask if I could take a photo of them. I was working with my 4x5 camera so they figured I was for real. She agreed but as I started to pose her, the Hawaiian sprinkle rain came down and I had to close shop.

I gave Karin my business card and told her to look at my site to see what I do hoping I would run into her again. I hate to approach anyone, especially women, and ask to photograph them without identification or something of the sort. People weird out and think I'm a perv but with a 45 camera and the likes, I look like I know what I am doing. It actually takes a bit of nerve for me to get the guts to approach anyone. You just never know how people will react when you ask to take their picture.

About a week later, Karin calls me telling me she'd be out at Kewalo and asks me to come out to photograph her. She saw my site and loved work and wanted to be part of my project.

I was very happy to have a chance to meet and shoot her again as she has a strong surfer chic's body (as do most real surfers...all that swimming, balance, and the likes really makes you tough!) and wanted to do my best to capture her. She was positive, strong, and definitely has that "je ne sais quoi."

As I was taking the photos, i quipped to her that her natural pose reminded me of Venus de Milo or Botticelli's Venus.

Art as an archetype becomes apparent when I do this type of work. I didn't pose Karin or ask her to do anything other than move her surfboard around a bit. She naturally fell into this pose, whether it was intentional or not, she fell into a beauty archetype that is as long as history.



As Karin posed throughout the four sheets of Tri-X and one polaroid, she pulled it all together. Her pose, her body language, all of it, really says something. The curve of her hips, the slight of her legs, the length of her arm..it all created a part of history, this archetype. She really put it all together and in a way, became a part of a long traditional history of beauty.

It was a great moment.




This image was made on Polaroid T 55 positive negative film. This film is probably destined to be discontinued as Polaroid has stop making lots of their products. They stop making 665 PN. I would buy loads of that film if they still made it. Its hard to get film developed here in Honolulu as labs here just aren't making money in development. Digital is king.

The next images is shot on 45 color film...Kodak 160NC to be exact.

I forgot the name of the English girl but she was fairly keen to be photographed. That afternoon, I set up at Diamond Head beach and waited for surfers to exit the water and walk off towards the showers. I had been setting up around sunset just to get that golden light and shadow play on the figures. It works really well.

Alina and Mina had just finished a surf session when they walked up the beach. I convinced them to pose but sadly, Mina shifted during the shoot and was out of focus. Alina stood rock solid still. Her image came out really nice. She has another type of sexiness and strength in her pose and her face really carries loads of power.



The pommy made for a great picture. The curve of her hip, the slight scowl on her forehead, the shadow play on her figure. Another shot for the series...

The Dog!

UPDATE! NOV 9: Dog was caught saying the "N" word in a private conversation. The recording was sold to the National Enquirer by his son (and possibly by the black girl-who is the son's girlfriend) and played everywhere. Now the black girl is suing the Dog for slander. Sooo...can it be said the son and this girlfriend set up the Dog?
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Poor poor Dwayne Dog the Bounty Hunter...a victim to the hysteria of political correctness yet a fool unto himself.

My shot of Dog is from his release from prison last year for jumping bail in Mexico City. The Mexican government wanted to extradite him to put him on trial for kidnapping the Factor guy. As a real life bounty hunter, the rules do not seem to apply to him.