“When I’m in St. Paul in July, I’ll bring you a copy.”
When my phone rang, I was taken a little by surprise. Steven Malikowski was standing outside our studio door waiting with a present. Unfortunately, I wasn’t downtown at the studio that particular day. We set up a time and a couple days later I was face to face with Steven.
Steven wrote a book and was looking for an image for the cover design. He had found this image on Capture Minnesota that I had shared quite a while ago. He had contacted me and asked for permission to use the image and I was happy to let him. Now, in my studio, he presented two copies of the book to me as a thank you. Then we chatted about the journey that is writing a book and bringing it to publication. Steven was kind and sincere. He was an open book (pun absolutely intended) with the knowledge he acquired over the past years while completing this project and I learned a lot.
In the age of same day, next day, overnight, etc, it was an almost fresh perspective to hear of a work that took several years. It was a reminder that slowing down and creating something that takes time, thought and planning gives rich rewards.
To finish up our visit Steven agreed to let me photograph him. I love photographing anyone, especially those I find particularly interesting, and I suppose anyone who uses an image of mine for their book cover falls in that category.
Here are Steven and his book.
Thanks so much for stopping by for a few moments!
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the kind words in your blog entry. I also liked what you wrote about appreciating parts of life that resist the trend of same day, next day, or over night. The relaxed hours we spent talking, before you took my portrait, also resisted that recent and rapid trend. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.
Your comment about resisting the rapid trends in today’s world also reminds me of something I heard a few years ago. It’s the phrase, “Dream long dreams.” I’ve always liked how that phrase has some clear characteristics and some that you have to figure out. Herman Wells said it, while he was president of Indiana University. I did my graduate work there. Herman’s legacy is almost as strong as Hoosier basketball and more fulfilling to me.
Anyway, writing my book has been a long dream, and the picture you let me use for the cover has been a highpoint of the journey. I suspect your portrait photography project will also be something that will have the benefits and wonderful surprises of a long dream. Thanks again for the picture on the cover of my book, the kind words in your blog post, and especially for the portrait. I’m very happy with how the pictures turned out.
All the best,
Steven