Category Archives: family

family, photography, random thought, travel, writing

the old country

as i’ve been preparing for my trip to spain and lebanon, i’ve been thinking a lot about my grandfather, Casey Cohlmia.

papa passed away in 2004 unexpectedly. i felt it was too early. we always had many passions and gifts in common, but i felt like we were just starting to connect on a deeper, more mature level. but who am i to question the One who gives and takes?

one passion we shared was for “the old country”, as he used to call it – lebanon. he and nana visited back in the ’70’s, but as far as i know, no one in our immediate family has been back since.

so… off i go. i don’t know what i expect to see, or experience. maybe understanding. of where humanity evolved. where hatred grew, and continues to grow. where Love incarnate transfigured, and walked this cursed soil, and died. appropriate meditations on Easter.

papa used to have some awesome letterhead that he printed everything on; business correspondence, graduation letters, birthday notes, etc. it was a caricature of his enormous bald head, smiling, with an unlit cigar protruding from the side of his mouth… in front of a typewriter (as he often was in real life… after all, he was a journalist, author, and marketing genius).

family members have always said that i favor his looks. so i had the thought the other day to compose a portrait of myself as Kenneth (Casey) Cohlmia.

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i must say, i really like the result. but i’m pretty sure papa would not approve. he was way too clean shaven to ever look that raggedy…

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2009

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family, music, photography, random thought, writing

flat people?

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flat people is bob guittard.  bob guittard is my brother-in-law.

a few weeks ago i was contacted by a photo editor to shoot a band in the area.  he said he liked my work, and thought i’d be good for this project.  and then came the kicker;  he said, “i’d like you to shoot a band called ‘flat people’.”

i laughed, thinking this was a joke put on by a family member.  “yes,” i said.  “flat people is my brother-in-law.”

“good,” he said.  ” then you probably work well together, eh.”

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in line with the name of the band, i came up with the concept for this shot.  and thanks to my friend, master retoucher, and coincidentally flat people band member, warren barry, the photo-illustration would be my favorite of the shoot.

enjoy a track from their debut album…

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from left to right: warren barry, zech lumpkin, bob guittard, graham cathey, rich williams

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all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2009

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family, random thought, writing

less is More

 

 

 

there will be less someday


there will be less someday —

much less,

and there will be More;

less to distract and amuse;

More to adore

less to burden and confuse

More to undo

the cluttering of centuries,

that we might view again,

That which star and angels pointed to;

we shall be poorer —

and richer;

stripped–and free:

for always there will be a Gift

always a Tree.

 

— ruth bell graham

 

 

 

my friend, miss jessica dean… thank you for this magnificent poem.  merry Christmas to everyone!


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family, photography, random thought, writing

post spring-chicken fashion

my friend, Amy, works at an upscale retirement home as an event coordinator.  she loves her job.

i’ve always been fond of wiser folks than myself (which happens to include approximately 87% of the general world population), so naturally those whom have double, triple, or even quadruple as many years as i do often capture my attention.

so when Amy asked me to come shoot her “annual senior fashion show”, i saw a great opportunity.

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the faces lacked no character.  their hearts were still warm and beating.  and their dignity seemed larger than mine.  i guess it grows with age.

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they really enjoyed themselves, but they weren’t aloof to the fact that there was an element of novelty to those of us younger folks in the audience.  and i don’t think they cared.  they know what it’s like to be young and ignorant.  they’ve earned confidence and self assurance.

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surprise, surprise.  so i got a little sentimental and reflective at the old-folks home.

my last-remaining biological grandmother passed away two weeks ago, and though it was expected and in many ways a blessing, it’s sad see another sojourner leave us.  but the flip-side of that is that she made the summit.  and it makes me happy to know that she had a pretty good time doing so.

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so i left the retirement community with a full cup.  and i get the feeling that we are missing out on something that you can only learn when you’re time’s almost up.  unfortunately, and fortunately, i don’t know what that is.

i think i’ll try to hang around the elderly a little bit more, and maybe they’ll give me a heads-up.

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2008

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family, photography, random thought

unclehood

my brother down in austin bought his kids a trampoline a few weeks ago.  i had been hearing about how awesome this thing was, but had not yet experienced the bouncy goodness it had to offer.  well, i went to austin this past weekend.  enough said.

elise and i had a blast.  she practiced form, and shouted “girl power!”, as i jumped and tried to focus my camera simultaneously.  i really love being an uncle.  it doesn’t get much better.

sam, my nephew, and boaz (the neighborhood bruiser and best friend of sam), are all boy.  when they spot their “crazy” uncle andrew, they go into attack mode.  i learned that this game, in particular, became more fun on the trampoline.  less chance of injury.  for the boys and their aging uncle.

  

elise, sam, and little andrew have all grown up with a camera in their face, thanks to their uncle andrew.  as a result of this, they are perfect little mini-models.  smiling on cue, mixing it up like true professionals, and absolute comfort in front of the lens.

a few months ago, i had the opportunity to hang with the little dudes for a whole day.  i was commissioned to watch over and entertain sam and elise for five or six hours.  i have to admit, i was really nervous.

i’m a bachelor.  and if you’ve ever read this blog before, you’d know that i’m quite impatient as well.  patience is a true commodity for those dealing with kids.  but i love these little guys more than life itself.  so i guess now’s as good a time as any to test my “parenting” skills.

okay, so i got a little help too.  my sister allowed me to bring them over to her place to set up a pool in the front yard.  it was a big hit.

  

miles, my third and newest nephew (my sister’s), came out to watch.  he’s a pretty serious little guy.  probably going to be a brilliant physicist or jazz musician.  or both.  even he managed to laugh at the three of us playing in a tiny pool in the front yard.

what a great gift i’ve been given to experience being an uncle, before being thrust into the throws of fatherhood.  i love getting to have fun and party with my little buddies, and then quietly escape when all of the tantrums begin, or the diapers need changing.  i’m enjoying this while i can.

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2008

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