Telling stories with pictures ~ that is what I like most about being a photographer ~ people, places and the unexpected moments I encounter. I had the honor of photographing a World War II veteran, Fred Butler, 92, of Greenville, SC. The editors of Lehigh University’s Alumni Bulletin magazine (an elegantly designed publication with great writing, photography and design) assigned me to photograph Fred Butler and any memorabilia he may have that would help tell the story. They were commemorating the 70th anniversary of America’s entry into WWII with stories by their alumni. Butler, a 1941 grad of Lehigh University, served in the Navy and recounts the firebombing of his ship, the USS Hazleton in the Pacific. He was featured in this story along with several of his fellow Lehigh alumni. I photographed Fred with his scrapbooks, clippings and also focused on his face & eyes which had seen so much. He also showed me a black and white photo of his high school basketball team, from Honesdale, Pa., which had been perfectly preserved. I brought my 12 year old son along to be my “assistant,” but also so that he could meet Fred and learn about his history and service to our country. It was a precious afternoon ~ capturing moments with Fred and also with my son on our afternoon journey to Greenville. To see the article, please click this link. (Fred is featured on page 36) ~ And here are some of my favorite portraits from our afternoon together:
