Kay Yow- Hopes 4 Hope

Today at 5pm, the 7th annual Hoops 4 Hope basketball game will take place at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. The legendary coach of NC State's women's basketball program for 34 years passed away in 2009 after a long battle with breast cancer. I had the privilege of knowing Kay and photographing her at some significant moments in her life. The photograph on the left was shot around 1987, only two weeks after Kay had radical surgery...her first battle with the disease. The photograph on the right was taken in 2008, one of her last portraits to be made.

My own mother had a radical mastectomy in 1975. At 83 years old, she is still here and although dealing with the ravages of getting older...she is still independant and in better shape than many her age. One can beat this disease and live a full life. It's important that those attending the game tonight remember that. Hope lives.

Followup- Ian

Ian was a precocious 10 year old in 2001. Today he's 6'-3" and 200 pounds trying to land a spot on the Reinhardt University varsity basketball team. I played one on one with Ian every time we went to visit his family in Atlanta. I'd like to think that our competitive games in the driveway fueled his desire to get better at the game. I wasn't shy about blocking his shots when he was two feet shorter than me....and he's not shy about blocking mine now. It's what I get. This year I didn't get a chance to play against him, but we did find some time to get a quick follow up image. What is amazing about this image is that I didn't tell him what I was doing and to show up with a basketball jersey. Instead, he showed up with a jacket that suggests his tastes haven't changed much in 10 years.

Christmas Card 2011! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

It seems that the "Occupy" movement was the theme for many cards that went out this year. Our card this year went along with that theme as well. Gillian contributed the funky Santa and his sleigh and I pulled an image out from last years Christmas snow storm. From conception to mailing took all of 4 days, so it was a mad dash this year to get the cards out before Christmas. My mother-in-law pointed out that we had in fact misspelled Christmas on one of the signs...my sign... of course. Oh well... corrected on some....not all. Here is hoping that all of you have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year! Be safe.

Nicki - Followup

At 16 years old, Nicki has been a faithful companion for me ever since we moved into the studio on St. Mary's street. Her name Lady Nicola of St. Mary's was her official AKC title. Sadly, Nicki will be moving on tomorrow as her body finally gave out this week. Believe it or not, only two weeks ago she was still chasing a tennis ball and frisbee. Not with the vigor of two years ago, but still excited enough to bark in anticipation when I bounced the ball. I wanted to include her in my followup series, and although she doesn't look well (she wasn't) she stood long enough to get an image out by her favorite fire hydrant. This is another of the series that due to the setting really emphasizes the change in Nicki's appearance in the two years since the first picture was taken. Obviously she will be missed. I imagine over the next few weeks, I will still be cautious about where I stand up, as she was always at my feet. Maybe tomorrow morning she will get that piece of chocolate that she has always wanted.

Hanna 2001-2011

Part of the problem of revisiting photographs that I did 10 years ago or more is scheduling a session with a subject living in another state. I was finally able to get Hanna to Raleigh to recreate a shot I did when she was 12 years old.

As I continue shooting, I realize that there are others doing similar projects and hope that by the time I've completed 20 or more images, that it won't have become passe'. It's fun though and obviously ideas are rarely unique.

I do believe though that photography's most important virtue is it's ability to document the passage of time. After 20 years, most of us don't look at images and assess how good a photograph it is...we look at it as to what things or people looked like. It's why most commercial photographs tend to be shelved once they become dated. It's only when they become "retro" and "cool" do we see them used again.

People change...they age...but often there are undeniable qualities that always stay the same. I hope that these images will show not only the obvious changes which are fascinating, but also the little idiosyncrasies that stay very much the same over time.

Hanna...a rambunctious 12 year old in 2001...much like my own daughter...has now almost graduated from college with 2 degrees. She has traveled and lived in Europe, Africa, and South America...and for a short time in Manhattan. She is about ready to take on the world. Ten years from now, we will be doing this image again I hope. Will she be married...have kids...a thriving career? Time will tell.

EZ Riders & The Purple Hayes!

After a nice conversation with Dave MacMillan of CapStrat about whether or not I have ever or will ever shoot video...the answer being probably not...I find myself engrossed in iMovie for the first time. Definitely fun to play with and reminds me of some of the slide shows I put together with music back in college. This video was produced with the original GoPro (non HD) camera that I attached to my wrist. I borrowed it from a friend on Friday last week and didn't get a chance to do any testing at all before New Bern...the site of the 2011 Bike MS 150. Basically I committed the cardinal sin of shooting with an untested camera. Wait a minute...this was a test... Typical results...first few video's didn't even work...and then it turns out the lens is pointed upward somewhat so although I was shooting straight...I was shooting the sky in many shots. Oh well. Got enough to show some footage to our next year sponsor Nexsen Pruet. My plan was to possibly buy the latest GoPro HD camera...but not sure now. I guess you can't really beat the price.

Yes...I did ride 200 miles this weekend. Thank you to all my sponsors who helped me raise over $2000 with a team total of over $20,000 this year. If you are still interested in sponsoring me...it's not too late. Go to my quicklink: http://www.simong.com/ms

And if you are wondering if I misspelled the word "haze"...it is a reference to original team member Hayes Hyman who went down hard in the last 5 miles and has purple bruises this week.

MS Tour Raffle Photograph

This is the 8th year I've participated in the Multiple Sclerosis Bike Tour in New Bern, NC sponsored by the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National MS Society. For the last 7 of those years I have ridden with Team EZ Riders, a great group of people with varying degrees of ability on the bike... and that's what makes EZ Riders such fun to be a part of.

Last year I raised $2700.00 for the tour. This year I am trying to match that by offering the image shown as a 24"x36" fine art canvas print. A similar copy of this image was recently acquired by the NC Credit Union League. The image was taken on a brisk fall morning in November of 2010 in Fallon Park not far from my home. Any one that sponsors me is entered into the drawing for the photograph...

a $500.00 value!! To sponsor me just click here: http://www.simong.com/ms

Also...the first person to sponsor me on any given day, will receive a free fine art card...worth $5.00. Ooooooo.....Ahhhhhh..... :)

I ride not just because it's fun...but because I see a neighbor on a regular basis that can't do any more than ride a motorized wheel chair. She has MS. Wouldn't it be great to see a cure allow her to get out of that chair!? This is event is the largest fundraiser for MS in North Carolina. Please participate by sponsoring me...or better yet...join our team and ride with us. We'd love to have you on EZ Riders! Thanks again.

http://www.simong.com/ms