Sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Circa 1995. Back when sitting was allowed.

 

Never stand when you can sit. Never sit when you can lay down and take a nap. Never pass up a restroom. 

Those were my old rules to live by....

Below are new ones I'm adding.

New adaptation for the Gen Z readers: Three things! Floss everyday. Use sunscreen every time you go out in the sun. Learn about the good and bad aspects of compound interest. 

For all photographers: Always check to make sure your camera has a memory card loaded and ready to go....before you get in the car and drive hours to your destination. 

Check your camera's battery. Even if it shows a full charge go ahead and grab an extra battery. 

The image above was from a shooting trip I made together with a fellow Austin photographer, back in 1995. We were at loose ends. He was changing direction in his domestic situation and we both wanted to get out of town. We both used some frequent flier miles to head to Rome where we spent ten days walking around, photographing stuff with Mamiya 6 and Mamiya 7 cameras. We didn't roam the streets together but every evening, mostly over dinner, we'd fill each other in on the best places we'd gone to during that day and how to get there. 

I was hanging out over by the Spanish Steps when I saw this young woman just chilling on the steps. I shot some frames. Some turned out.

When we got back to Austin we both printed up a mess of 24x24 inch black and white prints and had a show at our favorite Italian restaurant here (favorite...at the time...). Several hundred people showed up for the open. Not that the show was spectacular but my friend and I were both very good at marketing...