st. pete's christmas house

When I was in Florida two weeks ago, I visited a place called the Christmas House. I think since there is rarely a white Christmas in Florida, they overcompensate with crazy displays like this. It's been featured on the Today Show, People magazine and HGTV. Walking through it you can't comprehend the number of lights and displays. Photos don't do it justice, but maybe they'll peak your curiosity and you'll make a stop in St. Pete.

florida jasmine

This dog is beautiful, so is the home she lives in. Here's to the pooch and her pals!

entitlement

I watched Philadelpia for the first time last night. I didn't realize how controversial that film must have been when it was produced. I'd say it was ahead of its times. What a film, packed with love, loss and emotion. Made me remember the first time I met a woman with AIDS. Made me think about how I become entitled to certain knowledge and situations because of my camera. Made me feel ... a lot.

nervous
not sure what to say to her
if anything
what can i say?
how can i pretend to relate?

i know i'll die
she knows she'll die
the difference?

AIDS will kill her
i live with a culprit unknown
i live with a lack of pain
she lives with AIDS
she dies with AIDS

she's ordinary
she's beautiful
she walks slowly, carefully

my camera loves the smooth skin on her face
i put the camera between the two of us
but i feel as if it's not there
she's in my head

her calmness fills the room
it hugs me
my nerves are gone
i'm more relaxed than i've been in a long time
i cannot explain

our eyes meet
i smile

the only sores i see are on her feet
he touches her feet
he wears no gloves
he knows her pain better than i
his hands take her pain
it disappears, momentarily

i feel inadequate
i take no pain, just pictures
i feel bad
even guilty

she says its from a needle prick at a hospital she worked at
but she's a recovering crack addict
she doesn't lie

later we chat on the front stoop
she smokes a cigarette
i know she has AIDS
some in her family do not

when i leave
i know i will not see her again
but i send her photos
i hope she sees the beauty in these photos
that i see in her

photo tunes

On the way to work today I listened to a nice mix created during my six weeks at Poynter. In case you didn't catch on, this is a "photo" inspired mix- one of the finest, I might add.

1. The Kinks - Picture Book (The Village Green Preservation)
2. Blondie - Picture This (Greatest Hits)
3. Spoon - I Turn My Camera On (Gimme Fiction)
4. Kimmie Rhodes and Willie Nelson - Picture in a Frame
5. Athlete - Beautiful (Vehicles & Animals)
6. The Who - Pictures of Lily (Who's Better, Who's Best)
7. The Cure - Pictures of You
8. The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It (Hot Fuss)
9. Jet - Look What You've Done (Get Born)
10. Weezer - Photograph
11. Filter - Take a Picture
12. Ryan Adams - Burning Photographs
13. Wilco - Kamera (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
14. Snow Patrol - Open Your Eyes (Eyes Open)
15. Ben Harper - Picture in a Frame (Both Sides of the Gun)
16. John Mayer - 3x5 (Room For Squares)
17. Def Leppard - Photograph (Vault)
18. Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
19. Coldplay - How You See the World No. 2

Listening made me think of all the wonderful folks I met in that six weeks. Pulled a couple of images for memories sake. There's my roomie Karen on the First Amendment. One of the greatest quotes ever, said by fellow Creighton Welch, "I'm going to slip and die on the First Amendment." In Creighton's defense, it did rain a lot in St. Petersburg and that First Amendment did get slippery. The other photo is of our friend at good old Eckerd College. I am convinced he had rabies, but despite that fact, he was pretty sweet.