Some years ago, while working at a graduation of the school where I taught for 30 years, I chanced to meet a photographer. She was taking pictures for one of the local papers and took a break while some of the speeches were going on. We had a casual conversation about school and students until the topic of people doing their art came up.
Maggie, my new friend was a serious photographer. She often sold photos of her work at openings and art/craft fairs. Sometimes her photos were framed or tinted to add dimension and intrigue. Sometimes both.
Then an idea hit me. I was writing for Bloodhorse magazine at the time and had an idea for a story. Bloodhorse is one of the key publications of the thoroughbred horse industry and is funded by the Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners of America. It's a beautiful magazine with lots of color photographs of the even more colorful world of thoroughbred horse racing.
I told Maggie I was going to pitch an idea to my editor about a winery in Sonoma County that also bred horses and stood a stallion aptly named Napa Valley. As the Northern California correspondent for this magazine, this was an ideal piece. My editor liked the idea and I got the go-ahead. I subsequently asked Maggie if she would like to accompany me to this facility and take some photos for my article. It would be a chance to give her work some national exposure. She agreed and we drove up to Rustridge Farm and Winery.
I think I submitted about half a dozen photos with the piece but when it came out the following week they only used one picture and cut my story down to one page. That happens. I don't know how sophisticated they are about wine in Kentucky, but I do know that with so many breeding farms in Lexington, they weren't going to give one small Northern California outfit much ink.
I gave Maggie a couple of copies of the magazine and we spoke on the phone a few times after that. I think she may have thought I was interested in dating her, as she told me early on she'd recently broken off from a long relationship and knew I was single at the time. But there was a sadness about Maggie that resonated with me and I assured her that I had no agenda and that I really liked her photography. I've often thought that her relationship must have been abusive and that what she needed most was some alone time.
Out of the blue one afternoon, she called me and asked if I would accompany her to a shoot that evening. She knew I loved the Blues and Blues legends Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were doing a gig in North Oakland that night. Maggie had press credentials and I could get in along with her as her assistant. No way I could refuse that. The performance was in a rather dicey area, so I think she wanted some company because of that too. I was certain the tape deck in my car would be taken while I was inside the venue, but I tried not to awfulize too much and enjoy the concert.
As expected, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells did not disappoint. Neither did Maggie's photos. A couple of weeks later, she gave me a couple and that was probably the last time I saw her.
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I do hope she's still taking beautiful photographs and that she has people in her life that appreciate her to the fullest.
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