A week ago on Friday I moderated a panel of several Monalog’s members as part of the opening for our current show. One of the of the questions I asked my colleagues had to do with recounting one of their most exciting or satisfying photographic experiences. As moderator with privileges I decided to also answer my own question and talked about an experience I had during a trip to Israel with my family.

We were part of a tour and my wife and kids were going to go shopping for the afternoon. I had been making a lot of photographs during the trip and was asked if I would like to go to a refugee camp on the West Bank. I love my family but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity! A young rabbi with contacts on the West Bank took me and a couple others. I ended up spending the afternoon walking around and chatting with those that could speak English and communicating with smiles and a gesture or two with others. You’d be surprised how far a smile can take you … in photography … and in life!

It was truly one of the great photographic experiences of my life. Ansel Adams once said “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” All I can say is that I was in a zone that afternoon as I ended up with a handful of special images. One of the pictures I chose for this show was made that afternoon and it’s one I care about the most … and think about often.

I saw all these kids playing, smiled and showed them my camera. Then I gestured to see if I could make a picture. It was like they knew exactly what to do as they gathered together. Most of them smiled or made silly faces, but one did not.  It wasn’t an easy life they lived and I was an American after all. Nevertheless they stopped what they were doing to let me peek into their lives for just a moment and capture something special.  They were about the same age as my kids but their lives were very different.

Years have gone by and much has happened there, and so I’ve often wondered how life treated them.  I’ll never be able to find that out, but I will always have my memories of that wonderful afternoon and a special moment in time I was lucky enough to capture.

Stay well,

Michael