Shifting Gears Publications

13/05/2020

It has been an incredible honor to capture the life-changing moments that Himalayan Cataract Project: CureBlindness.org
has provided for countless lives across the world. We'll be sharing in book form in the coming months. In the meantime, thank you to the Mail Tribune for highlighting the incredible work being done. https://mailtribune.com/news/top-stories/medford-eye-doctors-restore-eyesight-to-100-people-a-day-in-africa?fbclid=IwAR34oOmK022BxAVtaI-3X7xcpVIGMaK5Q0ovxoIwWcdPflExSwQQpLBQMS0

Eye surgeon Matt Oliva of Medford says he loves to restore vision for blind people in Africa, which he does 100 times a day with a 10-minute cataract operation that costs $50 in materials and leaves patients bandaged overnight. In the morning comes the big, life-changing moment, a seeming miracle as...

24/04/2020

If our eyes are the window into the complicated inner passages of our mind and soul, our hands are the point of exit, a reflection of realized purpose, of intentions, history, and identity.

Our hands and brain co-evolve as a system, and provide the avenue for our intellect. To grasp things fully, such as in a handshake, fingers and thumb work together in harmony. As our eyes perceive, our hands are the tools to test that perception... they are faithful servants anticipating our every request, even before we know what we need them for. Read more at https://bit.ly/sacredhands.

21/04/2020

On Wednesday mornings in Ashland, Oregon's Railroad District, there are two things that waft out of the front door of the Hardware Cafe: the smell of oven-baked baguettes and the sound of fresh-baked blues... The owner, Merrill Smith, can usually be spotted thump'n his upright bass, surrounded by whatever musical talent wandered in through the door. All chairs turn toward the rhythm and the beat that's as unique as Ashland itself. He has crafted his life with ingredients as basic as the ones he mixes in the oven-fresh dough that rises every morning.

"When I turned 50, I was into my sixth decade of being alive. My life was three-quarters over. I'd been waiting to arrive at someplace, waiting for my life to happen. I realized that I had to start taking it and owning it by saying "yes" to things. It was an incredibly empowering realization." Read Merrill's story at https://bit.ly/BreadnJam

14/04/2020

For a number of decades, Ashland, Oregon is where I have resided. Though through the years, I've split my time between southern Oregon and southern California, I am forever rooted in this small town, nestled into the side of the Siskiyous, by the great people who make it feel like home. For a bit, while I continue to stay in place farther south, I'd like to introduce you to a few of the many wonderful folks who make Ashland unique. Here's my friend, Dennis de Bey: Blacksmith. Welder. Philosopher:

"Variety is important. That's what I think keeps people in Ashland. It's so stimulating. You don't get bored doing the same thing all the time. It's sort of a soft place, too. I like to think that I'm walking lightly. I'm hoping to inspire people to do the same. I can keep lowering the ante for life, making it easier for people by fixing things rather than buying new." Read more of Denny's story at https://bit.ly/BlacksmithWizard

10/04/2020

The Princess of Gesture is there, teasing me, testing me, somewhere in the streets of Manhattan. Almost out of breath, I round a corner, about to give up and hail another cab. Right in front of me, mere steps away, is the ballerina... Then, suddenly, as if channeled by Jay himself, she arches her back, ever so slowly, in front of a wall of colorful posted signs. With my small camera in hand, I press the shutter button. Just hold it down and pray. She looks up at me, almost startled. I smile, then mouth the words "THANK YOU." I jump into a cab and am gone. Jay Maisel's voice comes into my head again. "The three words of advice on how to become a better photographer are: MOVE YOUR ASS!"

07/04/2020

"All you have to do is share a moment with people and it seems that you are friends for life. One time on the trail, I gave my last Snickers bar to a couple of guys. They had to split it in half to share it. The simplicity, the pure essence of life, is boiled down and distilled into a basic recipe of concern for your neighbor. And connecting to another human being." --Will, Pacific Crest Trail hiker

Read his story at https://bit.ly/PCTWill

01/04/2020

This is an excerpt from my book "Connections". With all that is happening in the world right now, this reflection on missed connections with a dear friend struck me deeply.

"Dear Uncle Lionel, the news of your passing brought not one but two levels of pain to me. The first was the shock and sorrow of having to say good-bye to such a kind, beautiful soul who had touched so many. The deeper pain was the guilt I felt upon realizing that I had taken something from you without returning the favor. I had been perfecting my book, Bathtub Blues, for two years, always planning to send you a copy once it was complete. I had written the "thank you" letter so many times in my head but never mailed it. You never saw any of the photographs I took of you that day. So many others have: my friends, clients, and my family. I promised you that I would send you a photograph and the book. I failed. I failed because of my habit of letting work pile up. I failed because of the way I procrastinate.

Thank you, Lionel, for your kindness and for allowing me to capture your beautiful grace. Uncle Lionel, please forgive me."

To learn more about Lionel and other connections from around the globe at bit.ly/SGPConnections.

27/03/2020

Along the edge of the Siskiyou Mountains in Southern Oregon runs the Green Springs Highway. It links Ashland and Klamath Falls with a ribbon of a road that's been meandering through tall pines since 1846. Officially known as Oregon Route 66, it was originally blazed by Oregon Trail pioneers and later used as a stagecoach route.

Across the lonely highway, up a dusty drive, lives a 70-year-old cowboy, Terry, and his lap-dog, Maggie. Their home is a small trailer jam-packed with a lifetime of--some might say--junk.

University degrees are not important on this section of the Green Springs Highway. Nor are bank accounts, sun tans, or hedge funds.

Having the opportunity to photograph a special character like Terry was an honor. More important, the grace and gratitude he brought to our time together was humbling. Read more about the "English Cowboy" at adobe.ly/EnglishCowboy.

25/03/2020

Connection is about love, collaboration and giving purpose to our lives. Our DNA has wired us to seek relationships. It is the genius of nature's nectar--her design to ensure the survival of our species. For me, my connection with others often occurs when I take their portraits. My camera gives me access to a unique intimacy... I don't shoot landscapes. People don't carry pictures of landscapes in their wallets. Faces are my landscapes to celebrate. A portrait draws us in and gives us permission to stare much closer, past the boundaries in real life.

Now, more than ever, we are discovering what it truly means to connect. With "social distancing", "quarantine" and "stay-at-home" defining our new normal, our humanness becomes all the more evident as we use our creativity and ingenuity to hang on to the thread that weaves us together.

While we isolate the physical to protect the common good, may we celebrate the connections of the human spirit and story that bind us now more than ever.

08/03/2020

Over the past three weeks, I have been on a journey with the Himalayan Cataract Project watching lives be changed--as well as my own. My task as a photographer with HCP has been deeply rewarding; shooting in the operating room, then doing post-op portraits and interviews - often times in the patient’s mud and straw hut, sitting on a dirt floor with children and chickens. We've traveled into remote villages, untouched by time or social influence, that has added to the depth of my understanding of humanity. I'm in continual awe of the selfless work and care of each and every doctor on this team. But even more so, I am always shocked to see how a 10-minute surgical procedure can completely change a life.

As I make my way state-side, I'll be continuing to sort through my time and experience with this incredible organization, cataloguing the thousands of images and stories of the people being served. I hope to soon share the culmination of this work with you. But in the meantime, I'll continue to give privileged insight, here and there, of moments when lives were changed forever.

07/03/2020

In some cultures, it’s understood that once a photo is snapped of you, part of your soul goes with it. Although I’ve been a professional photographer for 38 years, I often wonder if that may be true...

Ten years ago, I was in a Thailand city dump, photographing refugees from Myanmar, who had escaped across a river to a tenuous freedom, making their home among hills of garbage. In my camera bag, was a small battery powered HP inkjet photo printer - about the size of a shoebox. Walking down a trail of ash, I asked a family sitting in front of a hut roofed with plastic and an old sleeping bag, if I could take a photo. Not sure what I was asking, the father nodded. When I handed him a small print of his wife, I was surrounded by new friends who wanted their turn. [To understand the focus of my work, it first starts with a story. Read my short story to learn more at bit.ly/IDontTakePhotos].

28/02/2020

BB St. Roman: New Orleans continues to have one of the highest murder rates in the country. I asked B B what was the worst thing that has happened to her during the 10 years she has worked for the police department. She looked away and thought before responding. "The worst times? Those are the times in my police van when I've got a homeless person sitting in the back seat who needs my help and there is no service available for what they need. I have to put them back on the street." B B looks into my eyes and smiles. But most of the time, I find some way to help. Miracles show up every day in my job. [Please consider donating to B B's charity at at www.crescentcityoutreach.org.]