I recently came across some old photos I shot over the last twenty years or so.
Rather than let them sit on a CD for the rest of my life I figured I’d save them to my desktop, dust them off, and share them with you guys one image at a time.
Hope you enjoy them.
Jamie in the Closet
I shot this image of Jamie Coulson, my girlfriend at the time, standing in a large empty closet at a bed and breakfast we were staying at somewhere in the Amish country of northeastern Ohio. It was taken sometime in the fall of 2000.
Jamie and I started dating in 1996. When this shot was taken, our relationship was on the rocks, so Jamie planned a weekend-long retreat for us to reconnect. The weekend was a nice escape from Columbus and the bed and breakfast we stayed in was fantastic. I seriously had the best scrambled eggs there I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Unfortunately, it did little to save our relationship. We broke up a couple months after this image was shot.
Before I continue you should know that it was for the best. Not only did Jamie end up finding the love of her life in a great and wonderful man named Dave (she is now Jamie Bowers), but once the usual end-of-relationship dust settled we were able to remain great friends. Jamie and Dave even came to our wedding in 2011.
I shot a few rolls of 120 color film with my Mamiya RB67 that weekend, and took a few frames of Jamie standing in our bedroom closet because it was such a bizarre space. In addition to it being enormous, it had no doors, hooks, or rods. Essentially, it was just a little room off the bedroom that went nowhere and served no purpose.
There was a lightbulb hanging in the closet just above Jamie’s head. She’s holding the string in her right hand in the shot.
I feel extremely fortunate that I’ve been able to stay close friends with Jamie, and am grateful that I have old images (and memories) like these to remind me of those great times.
You’ll probably be seeing more of her,
6 comments
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July 24, 2013 at 3:10 pm
MOM
I love it when you can maintain the friendship even after the relationship has changed. You both done good
July 25, 2013 at 9:24 am
kate c.
So that closet was a metaphor for your relationship at the time? The string to the bulb represents the path to the light you were able to keep as friends…and your current closets are overflowing, right? Your photos are causing me to reflect on past years and relationships come and gone and those that remain. Thank you! I only wish I had more photographs. However, mine are only pictures–yours are art and all things magical! :-)
July 25, 2013 at 4:37 pm
jshady
Awww, thanks! I’ve never been one to make art with meaning. I know that sounds horrible, and I’ll probably get some shit from my artist friends for saying that, but whatever. I’m just concerned with making pretty pictures.
July 25, 2013 at 10:43 am
Bob Steib
You seem to do a great job of staying friends with many of your old girl friends. You are truly magical, as Kate said. Most people just learn to
hate each other.
July 25, 2013 at 4:38 pm
jshady
I know, but life’s too short for that!
September 20, 2013 at 11:57 am
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