june 12, 2015

posted in: photography | 2

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal.
Walk out of your house like a shepherd.”
~ Rumi

 

HRB strikes again
HRB strikes again

 

Confession time. It has been a week of Mondays. Not a single thing I planned to get done at work even so much as got looked at, let alone done. It’s been a while since that happened, but actually, I had a great week. Now, here’s the capper on the great week, and the confession part: I bought a new camera; a Canon 6D. I was so taken with Crystal’s 6D that when I got the outrageous estimate for the yard’s fence, I used the money I had saved instead for the camera. I didn’t have enough for the fence. I didn’t have enough for a Sony or Lumix (I’d have to buy lenses or adaptors to make my lenses work making them even more expensive). But I really, really needed to step up my game for the sacred space series, and I really, really liked Crystal’s 6D.

 

one happy camper (by Crystal Heis)
one happy camper (by Crystal Heis)

 

I’m pretty doggone happy. The camera arrived today, four to six days ahead of schedule. There’s not one ounce of buyer’s remorse! I named the camera Jerry, after the fearless, compassionate, funny-as-all-get-out Jerry Dale Fanning. Crystal and Stacy Yelton were as excited about Jerry’s arrival as I was. It was all hands/cameras on deck. Stacy caught my not well articulated reason for why I named the camera Jerry.

 

 

 

I didn’t realize until much, much later that today marks eleven months since Jerry’s accident. That makes getting the camera on this particular day even more poignant. My first shot had to be Crystal since she’s my camera guru, my HRB, the whole reason I bought Jerry in the first place. But if Crys hadn’t been around, and we’d been in the middle of a thunderstorm, you can bet the first shot would have been a bolt of lightning because Jerry Fanning would have been right there cheering me on, laughing, and enjoying the wonder and power of nature as much as any one human can. Jerry is a great camera, just like Jerry Fanning was a great man. And that is how you end a great week!

 

first and draw!
first and draw!

 

Related Images:

2 Responses

  1. Ben Sim

    Hi,

    I am from Singapore and I just discovered your website and a lovely picture of Jerry Dale Fanning and his wife… I used to work with Jerry, and extensively when he visit Asia for work… we work together and had all our meals together day-in/day-out for almost 7 weeks on separate occasions….

    I did not realized he had left us for more than a year… just want to comment that he is one of the loveliest guy I ever work with and one I gladly called my friend….. The world’s a sadder place without him… and the night sky is 1 star brighter…… A wonderful man…. a great man…. one who I will always remember…. He is as you had described and so much more….

    • Kopana

      Dear Ben, I will make sure his wife receives your words of kindness. Thank you for writing, and thank you for being Jerry’s friend.

Leave a Reply to Kopana Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *