AN HOUR WITH DENNIS WALTERS / A DAY WITH WOUNDED WARRIORS

Last week had me out shooting the 2011 Rosner Pro-Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament at Cannon Ridge Golf Club. It was an exceptional day. First, meeting the Warriors was an honor. This group was full of energy and spunk and while I was out shooting the team foursomes, they were having a great time playing with pros, sponsors and juniors. The Warriors are part of SMGA (The Salute Military Golf Association).

Wounded Warriors

But before meeting the Warriors, the tournament hosted a golf clinic by Dennis Walters. Now, I don't know golf. Oh, I know enough about golf to know what a club and ball is. I know the difference between an eagle and bogey. And I even know what a mulligan is. But I didn't know who Dennis Walters was and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet this inspirational man.

Dennis Walters is a golfer who in 1974 suffered an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. That meant he could no longer pursue his dream of successfully playing on the PGA tour. But Dennis didn't give up. He did pursue his passion for golf and determined to continue, learned to hit balls from his wheelchair, then a specially made golf cart. He now tours the country presenting The Dennis Walters Golf Show. And what a show it is. Dennis is inspirational in so many ways. He has a wonderful sense of humor and a drive (not in golf terms - though I'm sure that's just as good) that would inspire anyone to follow their dreams no matter what. And to top it all off, he's an animal lover and rescuer who travels with his companion dog Bucky.

Dennis and Bucky

Bucky was rescued by Dennis from Canine Castaways in Arcadia, FL. But Bucky is more than Dennis' companion; Bucky is part of the show. Dennis trained Bucky to do all the tricks of the trade and this little pooch is a hit with the audience.
 

 

And once Bucky's schtick is done, the show goes on. We're talking golf here. Dennis gives tips - and some interesting tips they are. While any golfer would get the gist of all of this, okay, I'll admit, not being a golfer (remember - eagle, bogey, mulligan) I didn't get all the golf stuff, but the show was fantastic with Dennis presenting his "special" clubs and actually hitting the ball with them. I'm not talking they just puttered across the grass, I'm talking they went out onto the range with a bang. And you're wondering, "special" clubs?
 

He had a club made out of a fishing pole. One made out of a radiator hose. One that was all bent and jointed. Not to mention his Judge Judy gavel club, his cell phone club and his 3 iron that hits three balls at once, and I'm assuming this is a "special" club, because I seriously don't know what a 3 iron is, but I do know you can only hit one ball at a time in tournament play.

All bent and jointed

Really, it's a radiator hose

The 3 iron

The 3 iron in action

So if you're ever out at a tournament or you see The Dennis Walters Golf Show advertised, don't miss it. You don't have to be golfer to enjoy the fun. It's an inspirational, enjoyable hour you won't forget.

 

DR. JEKYLL & MS. HYDE MEET TWEAK

So, now that I've taken the studio to a new level, went completely business and all, well, business and art, but mostly business while the art stays ever present in the background, I'm having conflicts. Kind of feel like a I have a split personality. There's Kerri the artist/photographer (we'll call that one Ms. Hyde) and Kerri the business woman (and we'll call that one Dr. Jekyll). And while Kerri the business woman was always there, Kerri the artist/photographer was the presence behind the business. Thing is, it's more than fine art these days. It's commercial with an art twang. Transferring things to the business side, let's just say Dr. Jekyll's been busy, but Ms. Hyde wants to come out and play.

And with that, I want to introduce you to Tweak and discuss the etiquette of common courtesy. Yeah, that's right, common courtesy.

MEET TWEAK

As I said, Dr. Jelyll's been busy and a lot of that busy has been networking. I attached my camera to my side on the last networking outing because it took place by the water, docks and boats and all that, along with the occasional passing Amtrak train across the railroad bridge. And if you've every looked at my shots, you know I love shooting railroad bridges.

OCCASIONAL PASSING AMTRAK

I was lingering on one of the docks taking this shot of the red and blue boats...

RED & BLUE BOATS

...when I spotted this guy walking around with a small dog in a front pack carrier (okay, I really don't know what they're called - but according to the label, Outward Hound). So I made my way across the dock, keeping my eye on his movement, cause I wanted to get a shot of this twosome. When I came upon him, I introduced myself, handed him a business card (it was a business event) and asked him if I could take a picture of the two of them. I mean, you have to understand - here's this cute little chihuahua with goggles over his dark brown eyes so patiently hanging out with dad. Dad was very obliging and I kindly asked him if he could lean up against the rail so I could get the angle I wanted.

TWEAK & DAD

Quick notes on Tweak: He actually did ride in on a motorcycle (and I thought my dog was spoiled). He was fine with the goggles and never had any problems with them once he realized they protected his eyes. This is the kind of information you get when  you take the time to talk to someone when you want to get their photo. Oh, and according to dad, Tweak got his name because he's always "tweaking".

Continue reading...

Now, this is where the courtesy (or lack thereof) comes into play. At that moment, I swear three to five camera phones swooped in and took over. Cut right in front of the shot. Dr. Jekyll was not happy (and Ms. Hyde wasn't too thrilled either). So I stepped back and waited for these inconsiderate phone photographers to finish their "gonna post this on Facebook" snaps (and who never once considered asking the twosome if they could take the shot) and started working with dad again. Patience paid off as I got the whole Tweak family. It's a Life (family) Portrait.

THE FAMILY TWEAK

This is where the conflict plays out. You see, Dr. Jekyll, as a professional business woman, would never complain about the inconsiderate behavior of others. But you know, Ms. Hyde, the artist/photographer, has no gripes about it at all. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Jekyll will always be the professional on every level of business (as in asking a complete stranger if you can take their photograph), but Ms. Hyde must always capture the art (and complain about the process).

And a big thanks to Tweak and his humans for allowing me to capture these great shots.