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Buddhist Monk A serene and tranquil presence radiated from this holy
man. An aura of peacefulness and tranquility flowed
from within him. Unfamiliar with Buddhist rituals, I felt awkward at first. Deeply sensing my feelings, he offered a kind and gentle
smile that soon put me at ease. I was quickly drawn to this soft-spoken wise man who
selflessly offered an ethereal dose of timeless wisdom.
While in poor health, his peaceful acceptance
transformed each moment into a valuable lesson. I learned that a fundamental concept of Buddhism is Anicca or Impermanence, an undeniable and inescapable foundation of human existence. It was inscribed on the face of this disciple. |
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SINGER/STORYTELLER She was so shy it took several patient attempts to convince her not to be afraid of the camera. It was an uphill task but with the help of her friends, she eventually made her way toward my lens. Obviously unaware of what I saw, she couldn’t
imagine herself through this photographer’s eye. Nellie was an exquisite person — fl awless beauty
endowed with perfect skin. A few years after I photographed her, she sent a beautiful turtle necklace she made for me. She explained that Native Americans from the plains placed a piece of a girl’s umbilical cord in a beaded or quilted turtle to signal fertility and long life. |
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DOORMAN The honored veteran of the
Galle Face Hotel, Kuttan, now in his 80s,
dedicated 62 years of his life to greeting locals, tourists and heads of state at the prestigious hotel that
dates to the bygone colonial era. During a short holiday to Sri Lanka, I decided to meet the man who
is loved and respected by his peers and supervisors. Arriving at the An hour later when he arrived, I immediately noticed a distinguished air about him. After a brief discussion about his tenure at the hotel, he seemed pleased to pose for the camera. Honored once again to be of service, Kuttan had truly continued his remarkable work that earned him an inspirational place in history. |
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HURRICANE KATRINA SURVIVOR Rosetta was a courageous lady. I visited her at her daughter-in–law’s home in Cincinnati. It was clear
during our conversation that it was a matter of time before she would
return to the place she loved. Her house had been destroyed by the hurricane. She described the
many other times her home suffered damages by hurricanes. Yet there
seemed to be an acceptance of these challenges and the way of life
she had learned to experience. |
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GENTLE WISDOM His sense of humor, brilliance and spirituality Through my work in aging and his as a rabbi,
we quickly became friends with much in common.
Michael and his wife, Karen, were both warm and
caring. I continue to marvel at his command of the Michael’s sense of doing right is reflected in a lifetime of dedicated work. |
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ALWAYS A SMILE
At first wincing with severe back pain, she later transformed herself with a presence that reflected no sign of physical ailment or limitation. Determined to look her best, she insisted on being photographed after visiting her hair-dresser. The day I arrived was not one of her “good days.” I offered to reschedule but she insisted I take her photo rather than inconveniencing me. I was struck by her incredible ability to move beyond extreme pain into timeless beauty. |
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HOMELESS MAN It was an unexpected meeting at a train station. I took a walk in the town that was my birth place and spotted him
walking nearby. With the help of strangers, I was able to get his After asking permission for the session, I peered through the lens as
he began to tell me his story. He was from a middle-class family and
held a responsible position in the past. He explained that his family I sensed considerable pain and regret in his voice as he spoke about his loss. |