A 3 Month Challenge

On set with Gitgo Prodcutions upcoming short "2020"

I am taking on a challenge. Part social experiment, part medical necessity. As of yesterday, I am unable to drive for 3 months.

Would you be able to do that? This is something that may be much easier for some than others. If I lived in New York City then not driving for 3 months would not phase me in the least. But I live in Maine, and not near any public transportation lines and not walking distance to any grocery stores or conveniences (though there is a farm stand about half a mile away). But I do live in an area where I can bike as needed, I have family members close by, no kids to cart around, and friends who have said they will help if I need it. I am self-employed and work from home.

Except when I don't.

Crew reflection in the side of a 1969 El Camino.

Crew setting up the next shot.

I do believe that will be my biggest challenge during the next 3 months. When the phone rings for work saying "I can't drive for 3 months" is not likely to be an answer that works in my favor. Though I do believe in an honest approach to how I live my life and run my business, and so sharing this info with people is what I plan to do. Sure, my mom might have to drive me to a photo shoot, and I may have to sit around and wait for a ride home. But this is a temporary situation. The end reward will be no longer taking medicine that I have been on since I was 11. I can stand a little humbling to get that to happen.




This is going to be an exercise in resourcefulness. I am going to have to swallow my pride and ask for help. Then I'll have to plan accordingly and be flexible. And be creative in finding solutions. I'm betting this will help me really think about how I do things and will therefore make me a better problem solver. And isn't that the kind of photographer you would want to hire?

So, if all goes well I will no longer be medicated for epilepsy 3 months from now(!!!). I will have saved some money, lessened my carbon footprint, and learned a thing or two about myself. Plus, I will be free of a medicine I have been taking for far too long. And that will be an unbelievable freedom for me. Of course, in order to get there I have to have a freedom taken away. The state will not allow me to drive while I go through this process.

I tell you this not to scare you away from hiring me, but instead to share this piece of my life with you, and invite you to share any stories or helpful tips if you have them. For the next 3 months I am the photographer who can't drive herself ANYWHERE (and might drive those around her a little crazy). But I know without a doubt this will not stop me from doing what I love.

I love being on set!

Director Kate Kaminski chatting with Kate Davis between takes.

Almost ready.

The actors in action.

More tests. A lot goes into film-making, in case you didn't already know that.

More fabulous actors during their scene.

Honk if you see me walking down the road lugging my camera gear on my back. Or stop and chat with me. Or cheer me on. Maybe offer me some water. I will gladly share my tales with those who wish to know. And if I know you I may even accept the offer of a ride when needed.

Me on set with my trusted Sound Blimp protecting my camera from the damp weather.

All photos above were taken on set with Gitgo Productions and their upcoming short film 2020, which will premiere in October 2010 in Portland, Maine.


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Hip To Be Square

Ferry Beach - Scarborough, Maine. My favorite beach in the whole wide world.

Recent jaunts around town with my dusty Hasselblad have served me well. Using a medium format film camera forces you to slow down, something I think we all should do every once in awhile. Plus, it got me out exploring some of the jewels Maine has to offer us all. A solitary walk along Ferry Beach and a trek around Macworth Island with another photographer were both good ways to feed the soul and work on the craft.

There are more rolls of film waiting to be shot and places waiting to be explored. More chances to shift gears and slow down. More reasons to love photography.

Thank you Victor Hasselblad and Carl Zeiss. I owe you one!

Missing the Grain

Avocado Party, Bowdoinham ME

I miss film. I miss it like you might miss an old friend. An old friend who lives far away and always makes you smile. Maybe you've forgotten that you miss this person and suddenly a memory triggers something, you laugh, then smile, then wish you could hang out together. You remember how many good days (and nights) you've had with this old friend. That's how I feel about film right now.

I miss seeing grain. I miss the surprise when you get a roll of film back. I miss the feel of a sturdy camera in my hands. I love you digital, but you still don't hold a candle to my love for a technology that may have passed us by.

Matrix Ben, NYC subway

Why this sudden sentimental overload? I think it has been building slowly. When I look at some images shot in a square format I remember that I own a Hasselblad and that I can also go out make cool square images . Then I sigh and go do something on my computer. The final kicker was Friday night when I went to see a show at the Portland Museum of Art called 'Backstage Pass'. Brightly painted walls covered with Rock & Roll photography, grainy and gritty and sometimes candid but all amazing. I stared at image after image shot on film, often in low light, sometimes even exposed somewhat poorly and ached for my old equipment and a roll of film. I wanted to take my Pentax K1000 and stand on a street corner, camera dangling at my waist and shoot an entire roll of Tri-x 'from the hip'.

The Naked Cowboy, NYC

So, I have pulled out the rugged Hassy today and realized there is still an unfinished roll in it that has been in there at least a year. I searched for more 120 film at home and was sad to discover there was none. I'm not sure why that was a surprise to me, especially since I have always been much more of a 35mm shooter, but it was. I could take the ancient Pentax for a walk, but the battery is dead and the battery compartment seems to be sealed shut. Guess it's been awhile since that camera has been put to use! So, I am dusting off the medium format beauty (ashamed that I let it get dusty in the first place) and heading out the door to get some film, find some inspiration, and remember what it feels like to shoot film. Then I will wait impatiently for the results.

A couple of Average Joes

How much do we know about someone just by looking at a photo? If I were to ask you what this Average Jane did, what would you guess?

OR, is it better to know nothing about the subject and therefore make your own conclusions?

Would you ever have guessed this smiling face belongs to a lawyer? Hanna the Happy Lawyer. I love this image because I think it is so very Hanna. She smiles this easily roughly 90% of the time. It's refreshing.

How about this guy?

Just another day of apple picking with Chris the UPS guy. Next time maybe I should photograph him wearing the famous uniform!

Nah. That would be too easy.


How much do you like to know about a subject when looking at a photograph? Does knowing the context and history make you enjoy the photo more or less? I don't think there is a wrong answer. A chance to draw your own conclusion or have the story spelled out for you.

At times, I do enjoy hearing people's immediate reactions to my work, as those are often the most honest. I have realized some images just don't work, where others might be stronger than I realized, just by getting that initial reaction from someone. However, as photographers we must learn to edit our own work. Feedback is important, and so is being true to your work, to yourself.


These three images are a few in a series of portraits I have of friends and family. Something I hope will be a more complete body of work someday. Images of people I share my life with, that say something about each person's individual personality. Wanna know more about them? I'll gladly answer questions...



And, sometimes it's just a simple moment between friends, snapped quickly with my camera.

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