Clickbait rating:

Only 50% clickbait, but that's just because of a life update. Trot to the finale if you want spoilers.

I'M NOT LATE, YOU ARE!

About half of 2021 is complete and here's yet another article exemplifying the nonchalant bloom of chronically-late-to-life-ers. I checked, I did research, and as it turns out: I'm not exempt from the wide-reaching effects of COVID-19. But that's not what I'm here to write about. After all -- and there was a lot of "all" -- I's married now!

And I kissed the girl. AND I liked it! Don't sue me. At all. But if you must, let it be for my way-too-early dad jokes and please, please don't send pampers to my house.

As my wife likes to remind me, I had a very real, very Jacobian seven-year stretch of living and hustling in New York City and it was exhausting to be concise.

So, frankly, the 2020-2021 quarantine was right on time for me and gave a much, much needed break from working restlessly. But I did just say I'm not here to talk about COVID. Not directly anyway.

FAMILY REUNION

On May 8th, the fine folks over at StreetMeetDC held their first gathering in just over a year and -- following their habit of monthly gatherings -- it was much more a family reunion than I expected.

Not only did I witness folks shouting gleefully to recognize cached faces obscured by many a colorful mask, I pleasantly surprised that I, too, was remembered by others, especially after only going to maybe two events pre-COVID and not being from the area. Summer's nearly here and I felt warm. Fuzzy, even.

Dusting off Anita, my Canon 1Ds MKii, and polishing a few front elements from my slightly neglected glass collection wasn't a chore this time. Even more satisfying was feeling my mind cut shapes remembering how to guide people in posing, how to wait for things and how to anticipate moments.

For those of you who don't follow my Instagram account, I shared a droll anecdote about undressing my smartphone and resting the case on the ground while I used the backside of the device to reflect the subject into the lower half of my lens. But I've just shared it again. You just read it. Anyway, here's the photo, with constellatory DMV model Condrea:

CARTIER-BRUSSEL'S SPROUTS

I often share, in conversation, that the photo, or the idea of one, doesn't usually stop at the decisive moment for me. Rather, it often doesn't stop at the instant that I press the shutter button.

This is especially true for portraits, maybe even doubly so. Yes, there are the spontaneous moments, like at this previous meet, where all I get is whatever's in front of the camera when I raise it. More often for me though, is what's in my mind's eye, not in my blinking eye.

Whenever I'm planning something, the thoughts run even more deeply. In any case, I allow myself to be fully surprised and excited by what I see when first opening all of the images together. After all, to me, there's just nothing like a good edit!

If you've read this far, you're a real one. I'm reluctant to admit but -- in the name of good writing -- my goldfish gene shows a little too prominently in my attention span. So, thank you for exercising yours.