Today marks the 9th anniversary of my Stepfather’s death. He was diagnosed with leukemia and within 6 weeks he was gone. I will never get over the loss, he taught me so much about what it means to be a man, and I feel cheated that he missed my graduation from Brooks, my wedding, and he will miss the birth of my son. He would have been so proud that his son Domingo Jr is part of the NYPD with a son of his own, and how well his daughters are doing. So much has been lost and missed.
Photographs can mean so much. They have the power to move us, to inspire us, to change things. Before I left Santa Barbara to fly out for Domingo’s funeral. I printed this photograph for my mother. I had taken it only a few months before, when Mom and Domingo were out for my Brooks LP Show. It was just a quick shot I grabbed of them while they were sitting outside of the Santa Barbara Mission. It wasn’t until he died, and I went through my negatives that I found this shot, to me it showed their love, and how happy my mom was with him.
Giving this photograph to her was one of the toughest things I have ever done, because I knew it would make her cry, and no son wants to make his mom cry. She placed it on top of the casket at the wake. The photo may not mean a lot to anyone else, but it is one of the most powerful photographs that I have ever taken.
As photographers we have a privilege and a responsibility. We are honored to be a part of peoples important life moments, their weddings, christenings, bar mitzvahs. To us it is our business, to our clients it is their lives, we can have no idea how important some of our photos may be to them. If I had been careless in my processing, archiving and storage of my work. I would not have this photo. In fact the original print was destroyed, but I was able to replace it.
I hear too many photographers talk about not having a reliable backup and storage system. There is nothing to wait for. Preservation is part of what being a professional means. Now is the time.
“Time it was, and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories; They’re all that’s left you ”
Bookends – Simon and Garfunkel
Rest In Peace Domingo
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