USS Oklahoma City, 1983

I far prefer photos of people over places and things, but I'm shy about photographing my friends and family members for fear of being too intrusive. This admission may surprise the many people aggravated by my lens over the years, but it's true; the only reason I have so many pictures of people is because I force myself to be a little annoying about it. I value the people in my life tremendously, and I enjoy having photos of them. Sometimes I wonder if that's a little creepy, but I cling to my frozen photons tenaciously.

My early photos are far more likely to feature landscapes and objects than people. That's why I'm so pleased when I run across images like this. It's not a great photo, just a standard shot of the USS Oklahoma City on a visit to Seattle in 1983. But on the right, I captured my parents and brother walking along the dock, Sean looking up to ask Mom a question. I wonder what he was asking, and how she replied. I'll never know, unless Sean or Mom happen to miraculously remember, but I take comfort in knowing the question was asked. Sometimes that's enough.