this is not a happy story…..but, it is a story of love and loss and dealing with both..zaida sanchez, 22, is a photography student at the "instituto allende" in san miguel de allende……she used her love of photography to deal with personal tragedy….
zaida, unmarried and with the father en absentia, gave birth to a baby boy, paolo daniel….little paolo never left the hospital…..he died of intestinal complications 6 days after birth…..with no husband to lean on, and with a tragedy of the worst possible emotional consequences, zaida was psychologically destroyed…..
"my parents told me to use my talent and my photography as a catharsis…..i wanted to honor paolo….i was in pain, but i also wanted my work to be a very beautiful tribute to him…. my photographs here are little symbols of how i was feeling during the 6 months following the death of paolo"
zaida has been assisting in my class and we have become good friends along with her amigas, eloisa and christina ,both of whom you will soon meet….zaida did not want me to publish anything that would make the father of paolo look bad…..i asked why….zaida told me that because his parents had been so nice to her…..that says more about the character of zaida than anything i can imagine ..
I’ve always admired your work–since Topeka Capital-Journal days. Think we met once back then. Brian Lanker helped me buy my first serious camera. Rich Clarkson was a regular lunch mate with Pat Burnau when we were with Gov. Bob Docking. Jim Richardson and I went to K-State together.
Divided Soul sits prominently on the coffee table in our house in Annapolis.
You’d been an inspiration. Taught me how to see the world better, then capture it. Thanks for the gift. Glad you picked up that first Leica.
Jim
I’ve always admired your work–since Topeka Capital-Journal days. Think we met once back then. Brian Lanker helped me buy my first serious camera. Rich Clarkson was a regular lunch mate with Pat Burnau when we were with Gov. Bob Docking. Jim Richardson and I went to K-State together.
Divided Soul sits prominently on the coffee table in our house in Annapolis.
You’d been an inspiration. Taught me how to see the world better, then capture it. Thanks for the gift. Glad you picked up that first Leica.
Jim
Hey Harvey—You’re doing some good things here. Glad to see it. Keep up the good work. ‘Speaking of Cap Journal days I remember a morning that Harvey had such a tight deadline that he never got out of his VW. He just drove to the (statue, rock, monument, something) near the captiol, stopped, photographed some kids playing there and then bolted back to the paper. Hey, Dave, it’s been a while, huh? Best regards, John
john..
is that true??? maybe i never remember my bad moments…..hmmmmm, there may be more…
well, if it is true, please do not tell clarkson….i am STILL afraid of him!!!
cheers, david
hi jim..
well, you certainly brought back some memories…so, where is pat burnau???
topeka was a watershed for me…i RELUCTANLY learned so so much from that experience….i came in there from grad school with my head up in the clouds….i left with all the “artistic” philosophy that i went in with, but gained the practical knowledge to make it all happen..
bob docking was a cool guy….i flew with him on his private plane once to north carolina…he let me hang and shoot…that was when i learned that these “power guys” were just “guys” … normal people….good lesson for me at the time…
if you are ever in new york jim, stop by…i can’t get clarkson over to my bohemian loft, but maybe you will come….clarkson will only have drinks at the plaza hotel or whatever!!!
but he and i do work together regularly and i just shot on his “arlington cemetery” book…
some things actually do not change!!!
cheers, david