Larry's Vietnam, A Moment

I am excited to have "Larry's Vietnam, a moment" included in The Atlanta Photography Group Directors Cut Exhibition 2020

I created this image on one of my early mornings roams around North Georgia. While shooting it, a four-wheel cart pulled up driven by Larry, rifle across his lap. He was curious and, I suspect, was happy to be having an adventure, albeit a suspicious intrusion.

Once it was established that I was not a threat, we had one of those conversations I often seem to stumble into with total strangers. We talked for over an hour on this spot. It was words, but it was more than words; about Vietnam, about his family, about an upcoming medical procedure. When we parted ways, most likely permanently, I understood that I had been given yet another lens with which to view the world. One based on experiences I was grateful that I did not have to encounter. To Larry, I confessed that I still have my draft card, with the lottery number, in a safe deposit box. The draft ended the month I became eligible.

This image is about the lesson I learned: that Larry and I stood on the same ground, admiring the same panorama, uniquely. That what was "out there" came from "in here."