Thanks Dad!

Old story;  My late Dad, Joseph Small Jr., was a photographer in Westbrook back in the late 1930s. He shot commercially in that area and then when he went to Europe during WW-2 he continued to document his surroundings which included the liberation of the concentration camps including Buchenwald going into the camps along with General Omar Bradley which gave him the opportunity to shoot some gruesome, but memorable shots. A few years later I came along. Then about ten years after that he saw in me a talent. Something that has followed me throughout my life. Photography. Using my Mom’s Kodak Instamatic I was cranking out some sweet images, at least I thought so. Trying to be like Dad. Well, one summer he had me take all my hard earned lawn mowing money from the past 3 years or so out of the bank and off we went to Bangor to Dakin’s Sporting goods. Of course he did not tell me why other than I needed something to keep me busy during the summer vacation and something to keep me out of my Mom’s hair! Well I walked out with a Yashica-D twin lens reflex camera and three rolls of Verichrome B&W film and no idea what I was holding. Off I went, with about two hours of tutoring by dad, scuttling about downtown Ellsworth I shot up a roll of film. He gave me strict instructions to keep track of each frame and what f-stop and shutter-speed combination I had used. When I came back he just shook his head after looking at my notes saying that developing it would be a waste, but it was how I was going to learn. They came back great! Dad said it was beginners luck…but never let up on the lessons and I am grateful. Thanks Dad!