My Passion for Photography

"It's A Long Way Home, Dear..."

My dear friend and fellow photographer, Brenda, who resides in Florida purchased a mounted print of my photo illustrated here. Brenda asked me when I first realized my passion for photography. I hesitated. Then I thought long and hard and realized it happened during my Alameda Summers of 1972-1973. I had one of those little Instamatic point and shoot cameras. I saved up money and bought a Bell & Howell movie camera, too. I loved taking candid shots of mom, dad and my brothers. They didn't always appreciated it but I loved capturing 'real life' candid moments. The photographic masterpieces--in my humble opinion--are those where the human subject has no clue a camera is there. It creates an image of pure reality.


The photo illustrated above ("It's A Long Way Home, Dear...") was randomly taken while I was walking over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. He had no clue. It is a typical candid that tells a story. Photographs leave a lasting "mark" in life. www.redbubble.com/products/configure/4373349"

During the summer of 1973 I had a girlfriend named Bonni Jayne. She came over to visit at my home. I had a brainstorm idea to photo shoot her, using my backyard as the setting. I know I still own those photos in some old photo albums. I should go back and dig them up. "Whatever Happened to Bonni Jayne" sounds a bit like that Bette Davis classic movie, "Whatever Happened to Babe Jane". www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ck-Uo52MOg

A year or so after our high school graduation in June 1977, Bonni Jayne moved to New York. She had a brief stint as a stripper in a night club. She was a bit on the wildside. She had rampant hormones. She taught me how to kiss. While in New York she met an Italian chap with the "Ludovicy" surname. She got pregnant and had Crystal Joy Ludovicy. I'm 99% positive that was her name because I recall teasing Bonni about how it sounded like a new dishwashing liquid or detergent (Crystal Joy).
The marriage did not last long and Bonni moved back to California. She told me how horrible she felt because Mr. Ludovicy and his parents would not allow her to take her baby. She always felt that her Crystal would think she didn't love her when it was far from the truth. The last I heard Bonni had married again and had two or three children and was living somewhere in the Redding, CA area.

In the early 1980's my passion turned to writing in journals. On November 1, 1999 I saw the CEO of Amazon.com (Jeff Bezos) in a guest appearance of the Oprah Winfrey Show. I was in an auto service waiting area in Palm Desert, CA. Mr. Bezos had recently had a baby girl and thought up the idea of a photo-a-day from the day she was born to document his life. He photographed Oprah on that show as a sort of photo journal. The concept of how a picture is worth one-thousand words meant more to me after watching this show. I began taking a photo-a-day on that exact date. I still take a minimum of one photo per day. My passion is still there as I continue to enhance my photographic works with new photo editing techniques. I sometimes upload photos at this site for a daily sort of chronology (if you click here and then click on the ARCHIVES tab you can see a month at a glance of daily photos): www.fotolog.com/michaelarm

Twenty-five years ago

December 23, 1983
I worked until 4 o'clock but it was really a freebie sort of work day. Salima loved the earrings I gifted her. Barbara Reynolds loved me for thinking of her during this festive time with the 'imported bath oil' gift. I kissed Salima and Barbara with Merry Christmas wishes at the end of the day.

While driving home on the freeway I thought I heard a rattling noise from my car. I chose to think nothing of it. Later...after a short holiday nap at mom and dad's house I noticed I had a flat tire. This unfortunate incident blew the date plans for the evening of dancing with Tammy Duhr. She was not thrilled to hear the news...but it was just as well.

My brother, Tony, introduced me to his friend, Ramona. She was very nice.

I walked to my house on Soloman Lane and decided to call Frank Vasconcellos. I invited him over but he had no form of transportation (just like Tammy). It was just as well. I stayed home and watched '79 Park Avenue', a made for TV movie starring Lesley Ann Warren as a high class call girl in New York City in the role of 'Marja' Morgan. She won a Golden Globe in 1977 for her part in this film based on the Harold Robbins best-seller. www.imdb.com/title/tt0075515/

December 24, 1983

I watched the ending of '79 Park Avenue' in the morning. My dad stopped over to pick me up and we went to Mervyn's at South Shore Shopping Center. I bought my brother, John, another gift (a beach towel). My dad and I picked up mom and drove out to Grandma's house for a Christmas Eve visit. I played with my little cousins, Shawn & Shonette West and Jason Lucero for a while. Mom and Dad did some holiday chitchat with Grandma and we left soon afterward.

I read a few articles in my ESQUIRE Magazine. I watched 'An Uncommon Love' and 'Looker' on television with mom and dad.

My brother, John, arrived from work at Noon. My brother, Tony arrived at 12:30pm and we proceeded to open our Christmas presents in the living room. We shared a lot of cutlery this year. I got a new bike shirt from John. A VCR case from mom and 'drinking glasses and placemats' from Tony. All in all I was happy with my gifts. I love the sense of family. We had a great Christmas Eve evening together even if I still had an unrepaired 'flat tire'. Tomorrow is Christmas Day.

December 25, 1983

John and I woke up and got semi-dressed up for the holiday occasion. We went over to our parents' house. We ate. We slept. We watched television. It was an all-around lounging kind of Christmas Day. I felt like I ate all day and evening. Christmas Day is meant to be a lazy sort of day, isn't it? It was fun. The evening dinner brought about the real shocker of the day. John announced that Sherri Lewis was 4 1/2 months along in her pregnancy. He said that I was going to be an uncle before my 25th Birthday. Now that really was one heck of a shocker. I should say so.

I returned to my pad later that night...thinking, dreaming and wondering. Will I ever reach or feel that fatherhood stage in my life?

Oh yes, Suzy Miller came by for Christmas Eve and gave me the coolest gift of a colorful scarf.