To give credit where credit is due, I must attribute the creative epiphany, behind the shoot, to my dog. (As some may remember from a previous post, Jezebel is the famed chocolate lab yearning for freshly mined mellifluous morsels.) Being a guilt ridden dog owner, I obligate myself to take Jezebel on road-trips...and I am particularly obligated to do so for Christmas.
I cannot speak for all of you--out there in "TV Land"--but on a 10 hour drive, I often distract myself with every fleeting thought that passes through my brain. Just so happens, this past winter I decided to spend my drive devising a variety of shoots to embark upon once I arrived "home".... Ironically, I found myself completely amazed by the number of shoots (and subjects) I envisioned. The exercise turned into to a good reminder that "material" is abundant--a little town with so much to offer--I could spend months in my home-town shooting all sorts of crazy-fun images (again, another reminder: It is the ever-present "I" that is ones greatest ally and enemy...if you cannot make something interesting out of the familiar it's only harder with the unknown). So, I decided to start with family....
As some, or most, know, American Gothic is one of the most common 19th century American Artworks...my grandparents used to reference it as the reward of hard work, and symbolic to the "American Heartland".
...so I thought I'd give the concept an update.
I have an uncle that owns/runs a little cattle ranch. And, as required for ranching in cold climate, He has to feed the cows throughout the winter....what a great chance to capture images of my uncle hard a work...creating his American Gothic...
Imagine, if you can, 2 men out in a pasture.....one, gently walking around--with 3 Canon speed lights mounted on lightstands...one with a white umbrella....and a heard of hungry cows.
...ever seen how cows like to rub against things... you suppose a light stand would have a fighting chance??? Yeah, not so much, luckily, the model was entertaining the "extras" with dinner.
After several shots, the cows became a little more curious about these new "rubbing posts"...and a little less about their dinner. So, I talked Wayne into grabbing his wife (I'll call her "Aunt Sam") and meeting me in the corral--which housed the "new mom's and calves" curiously watching the photographic-antics in the pasture. The corral was where I wanted to capture my version of American Gothic.
Small cattle ranches are a family operation: Husband, wife, children, and a dog (usually)...thing about teenage girls, though...they ARE NOT going out on a cold December evening..warm evening for that matter, to have pictures taken in a corral with bunch of cows--they love their cousin-Drew; but, there are limits (and "images" to be kept)...luckily dogs are always game for something mischievous!
The work is hard, and while the intensity can wane, the work is year round. The cows must be tended, feed, and watered. The work is dirty...and if you think you have to put up with a lot of "shit" at work...I challenge you to clean a corral--then you will, indeed, be shoveling shit.
Cows, cows...and more f-ing cows...did I mention that the little bastards like to rub...
The American gothic: Moo-Moo style.
Stay tuned!
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