Three amigos

I'm on spring break visiting family and friends in the motherland, Texas. While Iowa is where I live, I can't help it, the Lone Star State will always be home. I'm actually wearing shorts today because it's blessedly warm and I don't care how much the natives wince at my fishbelly-white but still shapely legs.

On my first night, I was a special guest last night at a hastily-called meeting of a group I don't want to be in because they're perfect just as they are. It's like Woody Allen said, "I'd never join a club that would allow me as a member." And, judging by the exclusivity of this group, I'm not going to be invited and neither are you. 

Brian Harkin, Allison V. Smith and Brandon Thibodeaux are the wonderfully exclusive trio of visual kindreds who have dubbed themselves the Dalphos (shorthand for Dallas photographers, not Greek for anything). They commiserate regularly over beers at the Libertine to discuss, strategize and celebrate the photo life. (If you're lucky enough to get to the Libertine, I recommend the fantastic grilled cheese sandwich to soak up the beer).

Brandon regaled with his recent adventures from his Mexico trip. It seems the journey was ostensibly for photography but, thru the magic of a 1972 VW bus, turned into what should be the next Wes Anderson movie, "The Tequila Limited", perhaps. 

For tax purposes, we discussed the stock photo biz and the power of positive thinking. My longtime friend Allison and I gave a short history of our time working together at the little paper that couldn't, the Denton Record-Chronicle. In retrospect, the blissful analog innocence of our lives in Denton - shooting on bulk-loaded film, making prints - looks downright antique. Brian and Brandon, young bucks, listened respectfully.

Rock on, Dalphos.