This is my friend Frank. Before there were IBM PCs, or MACs, let alone the Internet, Frank wrote the email system for the computer I designed for Epson. We called Frank “Conan”, as in “Conan the Barbarian” because he was a force to be reckoned with – larger than life – but always ready with a smile, a helping hand, and his great knowledge and skill. He’s one of that handfull of people who helped buid the foundations of today’s information age.
Frank has stage 4 pancreatic cancer; he’s 2+ years in – beat the original prognosis by a year and a half so far – doing another round of chemo now… very rough stuff. I am amazed and inspired by his courage in the face of insurmountable odds, his fortitude in the presence of ceaseless pain, and his complete refusal to give up living while there’s life to be lived.
I recently heard it said that a friend is someone who knows your faults and loves you anyway. I’m proud to call Frank my friend.
Making the photo
This is one time I won’t say much. My first inclination as a photographer was to record the pain – to try and capture his endurance in the face of suffering. But, I just couldn’t do it. Frank is about life, not death, he very graciously gave me this smile – and it is that I chose to record. Pain is all around us, we all experience it. Love makes it endurable.
Technically; hand held, 1/20th or something like that. simplistic processing in Photoshop; burn some of the background to shift emphasis, balance out the contrast with curves, and finally noise reduction and a touch of sharpening.
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