Making Boys Cry

In my latest series, I wanted to bring up a topic of what makes us boys cry when it comes to relationships. Girls have been making boys cry since the dawn of time. What is it about them that leads an otherwise strong man to quibble and wither up?

When it comes to the opposite sex, guys will take all kinds of risks to impress a girl that he is smitten with. If you ask me, like in the animal kingdom, this is ingrained in our DNA, it's instinctual but unlike the animal kingdom, it's tethered with emotion.

Later on in life, our approach becomes more refined, yet still maintains some of the child like characteristics. We'll pretend to be someone we are not and in some cases, a person we wished we had become. In our arsenal, we have our wits, looks, material things, confidence and sometimes our shyness. It doesn't take much at this stage to get us guys to do what you girls want us to do. That sexy look over the shoulder, the deep passionate stares from a beautiful set of eyes, to that sly smile and a come and get me grin! We are putty in your hands even if we don't show it on the outside!

It doesn’t take much to get us to our knees, even if it is to propose a lifelong commitment.

As we grow older together, ideally we become more intimately connected. Most of our dreams have been accomplished, we raised a family, paid off our house and enjoy our “golden years” until that one line in our vows is fulfilled, ‘til death us do part’.

I created this series in response to a contest that Canon and Hollywood Director Ron Howard was conducting. There were several categories and one of them was “relationship”. The premise of the contest was that few photographs would be selected to help inspire Ron Howard’s next movie utilizing Canon equipment. I came up with the movie idea of “Making Boys Cry”. My series was to showcase how over time, women have always made us boys cry. From when we crashed on our bike as a child to try and impress you, to our break ups and make ups, to our first born child and finally when we have to part ways on this world. I hope you enjoy each lasting moment from our tears to our happiness and share with our loved ones.

Dreams to reality.

We all have dreams. Some are lofty and reach high into the sky. While others are not quite so far reaching. Some of our dreams are easily attainable while others we have to struggle. Some of our dreams are born out of our childhood fantasies and thoughts that accompany us throughout life. Some dreams come to us in a flash of a moment. Some of our dreams are life-long ambitions, while others are only a mere thought in time that like an old friend, return to visit us at several points in our lifetime. We wonder how to achieve our dreams and often times think our dreams are out of reach. And then we are amazed when our dreams turn into reality. Whatever our dreams are, that's what makes each of us who we are. It defines our limitations or conversely, shows us that sometimes there are no limits but those that are placed upon us by ourselves. Our dreams can carry on to future generations and for the benefit of all mankind. But until we take a chance and throw our dreams into the wind, they will never become a reality and we'll never know our potential.

Convergence of cultures

A Convergence of Cultures

I recently attended my nephews wedding in New York. The interesting thing about this event was the meeting of several cultures. For the most part, this was a traditional Jewish wedding with the brides family having a modern Jewish background. The best man is a Palestinian muslim, and the groom? He comes from a Catholic background. Here are three cultures who at times have stark contrasts in beliefs, come together for such a loving and wonderful event where politics, religion and beliefs are not considered. A wedding filled with love, warmth, friendship, laughter and most of all, family whether or not blood related. Nonetheless, everyone was family.

A traditional wedding takes place under a canopy that is called a Chuppah. The canopy is symbolic of where the bride and groom will live under as husband and wife. During the wedding the seven blessings, or the Sheva Brachot, are recited by the Rabbi or individually select members of the family which is considered a great honor when bestowed upon.

The breaking of the glass by the groom follows the ceremony. Although this tradition has largely unknown origins, one thought, despite joyfulness, Jews still mourn the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The broken glass symbolizes the fragileness of life and the need of spiritual repair of the world. At this time, guests enthusiastically shout "Mozel tov!" Which means good luck!

The bride and groom now emerge as husband and wife but quickly retreat some place private for a short time which is known as Yichud or Hebrew for "seclusion" or "togetherness". During the reception, there are many dances including one where the bride and groom hold opposite corners of a handkerchief while they are lifted up on chairs by guests!

These are just a few sample pictures that I took while at the wedding, enjoy!

Yours truly and his beautiful wife

This is the library within each of our minds. It consists of a variety of assorted books arranged on shelves, sometimes in the most illogical order. The books neatly stacked one after another each with their own stories chapters within our lives. These stories contain the elements of who we are and what makes us up. Each book holds the different chapters within each of us, from humor, sadness, loneliness, thought provoking ideas, to our own internal conflicts as we struggle for balance and stability finally trailing off to the darkest reaches of our mind.

Age

As human beings, we struggle. Some of us struggle daily and have great difficulties in the challenges we face. While others seem to conquer insurmountable odds with great ease while we all try to put life into some kind of comprehensible idea of how we are affected. We seek comfort through interpretations in music, art, theater and pictures. We seek to express our gratitude, our sorrow, our happiness and our thoughts. Our emotions are delicately intertwined in the very fabric of our lives as we transgress through the various stages. They are part of what gives us inspiration, direction and meaning. William Shakespeare in the Human Odyssey gave us a good outline with his illumination of the progress of man from childhood to old age and death. “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages” Whether it is one idea that identifies stages from conception, birth, sprouting, growth, flowering, fruiting, renewal, transcendence to the Hindu belief in a simplistic four main stages of life from student, to householder, to retired person, to ascetic, it is rarely that simple.
Age series is a collection of portraits designed to show the different stages in our lives, how we ponder them, conceive within our mind, visualize the ups, ride the downs and ultimately how we grow as a human being and affect the people and events around us. It’s how we can envision a better human race through provocative thoughts, deeds and ultimately our actions. This is my project to capture those moments, this is “Project Envision”.
Life Age One, Childhood; as a child, we think differently. Reality is radically different. Our imagination is pure and unadulterated joy. A child is naturally curious and equally playful. We take in the world around us with utter amazement. We begin to learn about the family and build strong foundations that will help us through the various stages in life. As adults, we forget that a child recovers from negative emotions and events in a way that amazes us. The innocence seen through the eyes of a child reminds us that every once in awhile it is good to detach ourselves from our own reality. The boundaries set are only limited to their physical capabilities. Life Age Two, Adolescent; in the adolescent years we begin to deal with the cards that life has given us. This is where we begin to question and identify ourselves, our passions, our morals. Life is still an exciting quest and adventure as we build upon our earlier foundations. As an adolescent, we begin to formulate the ideas and lifestyle that will take us into the next stage of our life. Life Age Three, Young Adult / Lover;Shakespeare said that as you enter the young adult age, you take on the role of both lover and worker. If you have chosen and prepared well, you love your work and you are ready to begin making your childhood dreams a reality. Even in our modern times, this philosophy is the same at its very core. The young teenager enters the workforce, begins to discover the opposite sex and put what we have learned to the test. Our morals and thoughts begin to come into question. We begin to push and at times, grow beyond our boundaries.
Life Age Four, Adult;In the fourth Age, as a young adult, we start to put down roots and create a place and a family of our own. Sometimes we take on the role as a householder, spouse or parent. Our values, thoughts and questions have been tested by time although rarely answered satisfactorily. Our thoughts begin to reflect inward and we ponder what we have accomplished so far and what the future may hold for us. Life Age Five, Mature Adult;As we transgress into mature adult life, our values have been cemented in time. We may take on new roles and responsibilities that have been directly affected by our youthful actions and indiscretions. We may have turned left at the crossroads in our life when we should have turned right sending us into some kind of mid life crisis. Change at this point can come with great difficulty and costs. Life Age Six, Elder;As an elder, this is the stage in our life where we you serve as a guiding light to family, friends and those that have had the opportunity to learn from our knowledge. We impart that which we have learned and pass our legacy on to our children as we enter the twilight years of our life. This is where we no longer ponder who we are, but give provocative thoughts and wisdom on life and the world around us. With retirement comes the option of doing what we love or better yet, returning to the pursuits of childhood that we put on hold in our earlier and formidable years. At this point, the circle is at near completion. Life Age Seven, Death & Transitions;life is winding down and we enter the final stage of life. This is where we face your own mortality and what lies ahead. We stand at the threshold of what befalls us and look back at the that legacy we have created. Our life has been fulfilled and yet we still question what our purpose and calling were. Welcome this experience of being ready for what is next if you can. A new stage begins, as the actor exits this scene. When the final scene on the human drama ends, three characters will be standing, love, hope and faith.
You can only hope that this play will be instilled on the hearts and minds of those who surrounded you past and present. I close with a thought from Henry David Thoreau, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”