AUTHOR: CAROL HYMAN, PHOTOGRAPHER, LAS VEGAS, USA
http://www.hy-tec-training.com/
http://500px.com/cahyman
Survival: Anytime
Times are difficult, and ...
recently it dawned on me that for far more years then I have lived on this planet, most folks have toiled long hours, working at mundane jobs. We have spent our working years exerting ourselves as farmers, tailors, clerks, lab assistants, and short-order cooks. (And along the same lines, even, the majority of folks who have been fortunate enough to follow educational paths persuing higher degrees, do not become famous Directors, Professors, Doctors, Writers, or Lawyers.)
Over the years as we've tread our individual paths, we've gone to school and many of us have acquired advanced degrees and landed professional jobs. Have we given much thought to those of our numbers who were less fortunate? Have we spent much time thinking about all of the support jobs that it takes to make a society run? I don't think so! Am I cynical? doubt it. Perhaps those who followed other paths lacked the funds, the fortitude, or even the familial encouragement to go on and learn and advance.
Earlier this year, I began to contemplate this conundrum that exists in our lives; I began to think about the types of jobs that we do to earn a dollar or two ...My first idea was to create a series of photographs portraying everyday people working in everyday jobs. I intended calling the series, Survival: 2012, and as I mentioned, I realized that it's not just 2012, it's a lifestyle that has typified our country since it's inception. I have one Grandfather who was a Tailor and another Grandfather who worked in a steel mill.
This is an unfinished series. To date there are only a handful of photographs and as time goes on, I have ideas for other photographs, and as you view this series, some of you may have have thoughts and ideas for others images that I have not dreamed of. Where is this project going? I don't know; I only hope it has a future.
The Car Wash
This series had it's birth at a car wash this past Spring. I had acquired a certificate for a few bucks off of a full service car wash not far from where I lived and, camera in hand, I settled down to watch the progress of the car as it went through the car wash.
The attendant who was working in the pre-wash line seemed to be amused at my license plate, and I in turn was fascinated as his mop swirled around, suds flying. The car was moving; the car washer was moving, and I wanted to capture the flying water drops and soapsuds. Yes, '666-TRY' is actually my license plate. Assigned when I first registered my car in the state of Nevada; it's not a vanity plate.
The Smile
The second image taken in this series really made me realize that the job we do doesn't matter. What does matter is how we hold that job. What is our attitude toward our work? Is it important? Absolutely. In this example, the man in question took exceptional pride in his work.
This medium shot is of the Wiper--the person who applies the finishing touches to the car and in this case, the gentleman who worked hard to restore my 6-year-old car to its showroom glory.
Seems that if you carry a camera, folks are more than willing to open up and talk about themselves, their jobs, the weather ... The gentleman who is the subject of this image had the most engaing grin and spoke about the difficulty of maintaining a car when the kids jump all over it. His car fits into his garage but his car AND his wife's car, together, do not! He left me to guess which car was garaged. He shared, with great pride, that he was the top money-maker at the car wash, and having watched him work, I believe him! I recall adding extra money to the tip that I gave him.
Lurker in the Shadows
The life of a business receptionist is a job exposed to the whims of the public. She or he enures it all. Everything ranging from people asking a myriad of questions to the unhappy customer, irate and irrational because of a bill. And in this scene, we even encounter the ogling stock boy.
I think this particular image may have a hidden meaning. For example, the story might be this: "Admiration takes many forms. Sometimes the admirer stands so quietly waiting for a smile, a wink, some small gesture of notice. In this scene, the receptionist does her best to do her job and ignore the 'lurker.' Who knows? In her heart, she may welcome the attentions of the young man, or on the other hand, he may be close to harassing her every move. and there's no way to know."
Ironically, the joke was on me. Approximately a month later, I went back to the Hair Salon in which this scene was captured and lo', I discovered that my 'Lurker' was not real; he was a photograph of a model, very carefully cut out from a life-sized poster image for the salon, and I still had fun making up my version of the story.
Anything--To Survive!
Back to a car wash and yet another Wiper. The sex and the story change.
In this image, taken at a car wash in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Kyra who is bright, ambitious, and a strong young woman is the subject. She appears willing to do the most medial job in order to earn a living. Kyra is a Wiper at a local car wash. She is quick to smile and equally prone to frown as she focuses on her assigned tasks. It was my pleasure to watch this young woman as she scurried from one job to the next; she was easily the most enthusiastic worker at the car washing facility. She literally danced with glee when she received a tip from a customer. Too bad I didn't capture that scene!
As Patient as Job
When I was 19, I spent the summer working at a family and young adult camp as the Arts and Crafts Instructor. Fun, lots of prestige. All of the staff was invited to come back during Labor Day weekend just to relax and have fun. When I arrived, I saw the Camp Director who asked me to volunteer to work over the weekend with the cheerful words that I would be paid. So I was "volunteered" to work as a waitress. In one fell swoop, I lost my "professional" position and quickly learned that waiting on tables had far less status than teaching campers how to make lanyards or carve leather. It was not for me but I did learn to respect folks who made a living by serving food and waiting on tables. I also remember I was strongly motivated to return to college and finish my Bachelor's degree.
The Iron Skillet is a popular truck stop and restaurant in North Las Vegas, Nevada, quite near the Speedway. This particular afternoon, one waitress was serving all of the afternoon stragglers who were deciding between breakfast, lunch, dinner, or perhaps just a cup of coffee and a glass of ice-cold water....
This waitress, obviously world weary and probably on her feet since the crack of dawn, definitely deserves high marks as a member of the working class who is surviving our present economy. And most likely she has spent a lifetime earning her living in this fashion. My hat goes off to Mary.
Sixteen Tons
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go ...
I owe my soul to the company store.
Long ago, I spent one dusty afternoon driving around areas of construction in Las Vegas. I finally spied a hot, dusty lot filled with giant rocks, boulders, and heavy equipment. I was new to the business of shooting people and felt very self-conscious; however, be that as it may, I couldn't resist grabbing a candid shot of this heavy equipment operator climbing into the cab of his vehicle. He and his coworker were covered with dust and sweat and I'm sure they were none to pleased to be the target of an invasive photographer.
S-T-O-P !!!
No matter where we drive, it appears that the roads are under construction. Stop and Wait. That's the name of the game. Especially in the summer time when folks are traveling and the days are long and hot.
I know that I would not want to work for the Department of Transportation in any state in any location. I have a thought that some driver just might take his road rage out on me.
This image of the UDOT worker was taken one August when I was at the head of the long line of traffic. Zion National Park has tunnels and policies regarding large vehicles going through the tunnels. Permits may be required and rangers at either end of the tunnel may be stopping traffic so that over sized vehicles can proceed safely. This particular summer, a Department of Transportation worker was holding up BOTH traffic and STOP sign in Zion National Park. All I could think as I stole the shot was, "What would a holiday outing be without waiting?"
Trimmed to Perfection
We take for granted those folks who work for Lawn Service companies. They mow, trim, water, rake, and generally take excellent care of lawns, leaving neatly trimmed greenery for us to admire.
Back in June before it got too darned hot, I did some meandering around Mesquite to see if I could find some interesting sights. I stopped at one of the local hotels to shoot the Canadian Geese and instead found Juan. With a few passing pedestrians and a handful of ducks and a couple of geese for an audience, Juan trimmed the grass surrounding the water pond to absolute perfection.
I'll Be Back
I'm taking liberties as I borrow the catchphrase used by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Will there be other photos in this series? I hope so. I keep thinking of the man who works at a local gas station and sweeps up the store each evening about 9:30 or so. I'd love to capture him with his broom. I would like to find some willing hair stylist so I could take a close-up of the hands as he or she works trimming hair. And a shoe maker. Oh, yes, someone using a mangle iron on flat sheets surrounded clouds of steam. Maybe a farmer or a person operating a cash register. Lots of ideas and hopefully they will be turned into photographs for this ongoing series.
Carol Hyman (cahyman)
HY-TEC IMAGES
All photos and texts are copyright by Carol Hyman
PS : Carol Hyman is a BPPROJECT contributor ands she offers her articles to BPP for free and for the shake of our audience.
No comments:
Post a Comment