Here and Gone

I'm typing this after a wee nap and a load of dishes done and a load of whites washed and hung to dry. Carole and David are headed back to Virginia. It was such a whirlwind visit.

They arrived on Friday morning at 6:30. That's right. They drove. All night. From Virginia. They were the photographers at Niles Eastman's wedding yesterday and did not trust TSA or any baggage handler to not break or otherwise confiscate their photographic equipment. While there is no way on this planet I could drive 13 hours to get to one place, with two of them, they did it.

After a nap on Friday, we had lunch and they trundled off to see friends. Friday night, we had time for a home cooked dinner and some Trivial Pursuit.

Saturday, they met more friends and then started their photographic odyssey by shooting the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Sunday was the big day.  This blurry image is from the church as Carole was waiting for the processional to start. Carole is a landscape photographer. You can see some of her work at www.buckwalterphotography.com. She has a unique perspective on scenery. David's vision can be found on www.buckscorner.com. He's been involved in photography longer than Carole but they share the same kind of energy and passion for the medium.

We have known Niles since he was in 8th grade, I think. Ironically, the church where Niles married and where his mother is the senior pastor was the church where Carole was baptised, St. Paul Lutheran, in Wheaton. It's too long of a story to explain why we aren't there anymore. When Niles and Jenn were looking for photographers, Carole and David became the only choice, never mind that their involvement meant a drive back to Wheaton. A friendship going on 10 years means you come to a wedding, wherever you are. (Once some of the photos get processed and up on the web site, you know I'll share a link.)

If you look at David's web site, you'll see a lot of interesting images, close ups and stills, which require a "studio" of sorts. It was this equipment they were concerned about as a photographer comes with his full arsenal. They did have to rent a couple pieces they didn't own to make sure they had all options covered. It's quite a lot of material, in large and small bags, to haul around.

Thirty-odd years ago, when I married Carole's dad, the photographer had a bag filled with film. The idea of the photographer as a mobile person within the wedding was not fully developed. If you had a formal reception, say, at the country club, there could be a spot reserved for everyone who attended the wedding to go be photographed.

Today, Carole and David wandered about the wedding and reception taking photos all the time. Here they are, as we wait for the meal to be served, looking through the digital cameras at what they had already taken. Multiple images on film was unheard of. That would cost too much money. Now, you can squeeze off 4-10 in a row and pretty much capture movement and the perfect photo. A lot has changed.

They were offered a hotel room last night and gratefully took it. They were exhausted. I heard nothing but compliments on how they handled things, the photos they took and their willingness to "Can you shoot x?" I think she personally shot over 1600 photos. That will be a lot to process and upload over the next week.

This morning, they loaded up the car and left. The girls are happy they are gone. Mija and Pilchard are just not at all used to more than me or Pam in the house. Pilchard was more willing to be petted and I'm pleased that Mija did come out and say, "Hi" a few times. A couple more days and maybe she wouldn't growl when Carole and David came into the house.

It was a too short visit, of course. Something like this generally is. I have such a small house without a guest bedroom that it can be an inconvenience for all around to co-exist. But, we made it work. It's quiet again.

I miss them.

Beverage:  Grape Juice

Deb