Thursday, October 28, 2010

I knew I belonged to the public and to the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.
Marilyn Monroe


Monroe’s quote is currently after my granddaughter’s photo in her facebook page. When I found out that today was going to be her first high school dance (a Halloween themed dance) I knew it was going to be special and that I should attempt to take some pictures.



When I was contacted by Evelyn Lau’s editor back in 1988 to take a cover photograph for her book Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid I knew exactly how I was going to photograph her. She was 17 and teenagers of her age did everything in bed. The editor was shocked as she thought, considering Lau’s past on the streets this was going to give the wrong message. I persuaded the editor that Lau would probably have a nice bedspread and that to photograph her on it would be just fine. That picture was used on the cover.

I knew exactly how I was going to photograph my Rebecca and that was going to be in the bathroom where she would put on her wig and her makeup.



There was one wrinkle and that was that her false eyelashes had a faulty adhesive. After much stuff like, “This sucks!” and “I don’t need this right now,” Rebecca simply drew some longer eyelashes on the side of her eyes.


The afternoon had begun badly in that a friend did not come through with a promised red dress. So at 6:30 Rebecca asked her mother if she could go through her dress wardrobe. She came down with a couple and both her mother and I had the same opinion, “Too conservative.” I went as far as saying, “You could go to school dance in Abbotsford in that one!”




Finally Rebecca picked the white dress and decided to go as Marilyn Monroe.
For the final picture Rebecca looked at me and said, “Here is my Seven Year Itch pose."



I feel so lucky and so privileged to have the opportunity to record an important day in her growing up.