Justin and I Meet Steph and Chelsea

After work, Justin and I decide on having drinks. We get off at the Damen stop, and decide on the Pontiac – since we can sit outside, and it’s a gorgeous day still. We walk over there, and happen across Steph and Chelsea, hanging out. We chat for a while, and join them at their table.

This morning, Chelsea sent me an e-mail saying that her cat Oliver had died. :(

Apparently, he got loose in the night, got hit by a car, and she had to put him to sleep at about 5 AM this morning. When we talked at the Pontiac, it turns out Olie and jumped from the third story, and somehow impaled himself on a fence. When Chelsea found him, he was too far gone to save.

Olie was such a cool cat, sleek, svelte, and always affectionate. I knew him for over a year, and lived with him for almost eight months. Even though Chelsea and I have been distant in this time, hearing about Oliver’s passing makes me incredibly sad.

We chatted a while, and it was good to hang with Chelsea for a bit. Of course, it made me slightly sad. But not in a depressing, crippling way. More in a nostalgic way. And Steph and Justin talked a bit – and I got the sense that Justin made Steph laugh a bit more. Initially, there was a tension between them – but I’m hoping Justin’s charm and wit worked its way through a bit.

Steph told me more about two potential apartments, and we set up a time to meet tomorrow, to view them. She also gave Justin a card, since he’s looking to buy property (serious stuff – buying a house) nearby. Steph was so professional and businesslike and cute.

After Chelsea and Steph left (to meet Liz), Justin and I had another drink and shot the shit some more. There was a couple nearby, and he wanted to take a picture of their baby. He tried, but couldn’t get the camera to focus, so I stepped in and snapped a few shots:

After this (the parents were really cool about letting us take pics), Justin and I talked at length about relationships. And about how love isn’t just love – it’s a lot of fucking work. Justin noticed that, right when that couple arrived, they seemed listless, sad, beaten down. But after we made a point to take pictures of their kid (Jeff is his name I believe), they perked up and seemed to be happier.

Go figure.

I left to go to the bathroom, and when I get back I see Justin talking to the dad in the pictures (above). I shake his hand (he’s also named Jeff), and give him a URL where I plan to upload these images (hi-res versions). I now figure I have a good incentive/reason to take photos of people. It’s sorta creepy to ask someone permission, and then ask for their phone number or e-mail immediately afterwards. It’s slightly less strange if someone asks permission to take a pic, and then offers their own URL where you can download a nice big copy of the image they took.

In my mind, this is a good, equal give and trade. This may help me get the courage to take more photos of people that I don’t know. If I can offer them the chance to download a hi-res version, they’re getting something in return. That seems really important to me, and strikes me as a necessary component in getting someone’s permission to use their image in a piece.