max s. gerber(the latest shot)

every so often i get to photograph someone who surprises me with their graciousness. this could be because most people, when confronted with a camera, are not terribly gracious. but john had researched me, seem to know who i was (strangely), and seemed excited to be photographed.

he is the managing director of galen, a healthcare investment firm. i can only imagine this has given him the kind of life that is very far out of reach for most photographers. but like many people who do lucrative things at high levels, john is fascinated with taking pictures and seemed to have no limit to his curiosity. when you take pictures for a living it’s very common to come across people who say “man, i’d love to do that”. even though being an advanced hobbyist is fundamentally different (in mindset and approach) to being a professional photographer, i try to be encouraging when i hear people say that. i do my best not to think of all the things about the job i could grumble about. every job, no matter how glamorous or exciting it seems from the outside has its drudgeries and its difficulties. the truth is, of course, that’s it’s pretty damn great being able to take pictures for a living. sure, it’s not the best way to get rich, but sometimes you get to do really amazing things, meet really amazing people and every long once in a while you get to feel like you’ve done something important. well, i hope so, at least.

john and his wife, barbara, are rabid collectors of aboriginal art. this picture was taken inside the fowler museum at UCLA before the opening of an exhibit of their collection. you can see some of the paintings here. currently the paintings are being exhibited in new york through the end of the year.

john is one dapper guy. i make it no secret that my personal goal is to have grey hair, a white beard and a custom-tailored suit. that is just plain classy.

a couple months after our shoot i got this card in the mail from john. it’s so rare that i hear anything from subjects once the shoot is done, once the magazine is published. it’s rarer still to hear positive things – most people are uncomfortable with how they look, and i’m sure i don’t  hear from half of the people who actually hate their pictures. (to them, of course, i say: yes, your head really is that big and oddly shaped. sorry. blame your parents.)

anyway, thanks, john. i really appreciate it. you’re welcome to follow me around any time, of course, but maybe we should both aim higher in the personal-goal department?