patrickbennettphoto

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40 Years in the making: 1984-2000-2024: My sister Susan. August, 1984. I was an intern at Pictorial in Indianapolis working for Carter Allen. He was generous to allow me to stay late at the studio and use their equipment so I photographed my sister, Susan, in various wardrobes all consisting of her clothing, either purchased or made by her. Using a Hasselblad 500cm camera, Balcar strobes and Chimera soft boxes I created this image on B&W 2&1/4 film. Printed on Ilford Galerie paper and finished in Selenium toning to bring out a slight cool blueish cast that I love so much. We re-created this once in May, 2000 when I had just purchased a Contax 645 film camera that I would later use a Kodak digital back on. Now, 40 years later in September, 2024: Same hat. My experience comes through as this was shot in her bedroom against a simple painted wall. This time I used my Canon R5 and three tiny Profoto A1 strobes with various light shaping tools to create a nearly identical lighting scheme to that grand studio shoot all those years ago. 

Added are a few other images from our photoshoot. It doesn’t take much to get her to act, that’s for certain. 😘

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Karma. 20 years ago we took in our first international student, Elena. We did so as volunteers, no payment at all. We treated her as one of our own for the 10 months she spent with us, traveling to family in Indianapolis and to the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica. Not once in 20 years did we ever expect anything more than the relationship we’ve kept with her. We can’t express the gratitude we felt from her parents when we finally visited them in October. First thing Elena said was, “My dad has waited 20 years to thank you for what you did.” I tear up as I write this. Good karma. They didn’t just say we were family, they demonstrated it. Over and over. I know we are welcome in their home as long as we live, as they are in ours. Muchas gracias Delfin y Clemen.

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A Tale of a Stay at Home Grandfather

Babysitting a 2.5 year old for several days really shows your age…

With Sookie (the dog) standing and staring at me for some time I finally decide to get her a treat, peanut butter and snack stuffed red rubber thingy. I ask Margot (2.5 yr old grand daughter) if she’d be interested in helping me create this tasty treat for Sookie. The ensuing screaming lasts for maybe an hour (1-2 min) jabbering out some sort of word salad that it seems only she knows the meaning of. Throwing herself on the floor, stretching out like a kitten in belly rub mode, though not quiet as one, I ask her over and over, “What is it that you want?” I make out the word “blankie” I think. She calms briefly until I inquire, “Do you want me to go get your blankie?” The screaming resumes post haste. Finally she seems to figure out that mere words, as she seems to think they are, will not make her dreams come true with me so she makes the universal “pick me up” gesture and I obey, still inquiring, incorrectly, about the blankie thing which reinvigorates the screaming. Now, at least, that is accompanied with pointing so I assume she wants to help get the peanut butter for Sookie. Another misstep in communication as she screams when I go to open the door concealing the snacks Sookie can only dream of having the ability to point at. With fingers pointed in the opposite direction, and a nearly undecipherable “in there” coming from her quivering lips I open a drawer revealing the little plastic tops that go on those squeezie plastic pouches I’ve often seen her devour. Noooo, she screams pointing slightly to the right. As I open that drawer revealing this time all of the silverware and a spattering of plastic ware in smaller dimensions I decipher a distinct “that one” and as I pick up a blue plastic baby spoon she sputters, “and that one.” 

You want two spoons? 

Yeah.

One blue and one red?

Yeah.

If I’d collected the tears she’d shed to this point I could’ve thrown back a shot by now.

She grabs both spoons with one hand and now she’s pointing, with her empty fingers, toward the cabinets at the opposite end of the kitchen. I move across the floor, babe in arms, opening the doors and there lies the peanut butter that I know is not fit for the dog. I take it out and she now, in very decipherable English, “two spoons” and I fill, mostly, first the red then the blue with peanut butter wondering where she learned that these were Sookie spoons and not Margot spoons. I’m soon made aware that all of this commotion had little, or nothing, to do with Sookie and her little red rubber chewy toy with a pb & snack hidey hole and everything to do with a late afternoon toddler snack of two peanut butters and a delivery dude. Back on the couch she licks the red spoon like a lollipop as I head back to the task that I originally surmised she’d want to give assistance to. By the time I’ve filled the red rubber snack toy of joy for Sookie and set myself into the chair she mutters, “more” without taking her eyes off the pups of Paw Patrol.

You want more?

Yeah.

You still have some on the red spoon.

Blank stare at Paw Patrol.

I make the journey to the far end of the kitchen to fill the red spoon returning to see the blue spoon still fully loaded.

Interrupted yet again with “more” as I make the journey from her snuggled space on the couch to the far end of the kitchen to fill the spoon yet again with her elixir of the afternoon, peanut butter, alternating between the blue spoon and the red spoon wondering if she’ll ever get her fill. I’ve left the peanut butter open on the counter top at the far end of the kitchen as this may be the only meaningful exercise I get all day.

The nose of Sookie again pokes around my computer screen as I attempt to type out this prose still alternating trips between red, then blue. After some 7-33 trips I finally am asked for more with this time needing to fill two at the same time. Upon returning with the goodies I asker if she wants the blue spoon or the red spoon.

Both.

I know that but do you want the red spoon first or the blue spoon?

Yeah.

Ok, here’s the red spoon, I’ll put the blue spoon in the bowl. Later I would be alerted to her helping me out by returning the blue spoon to the kitchen, back to the drawer of its’ origins. Complete with Sookie hair stuck to it.

We seem to be on the same page. For now… 

In her own world, on her own street.

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3-Flares Fam-AmazonV1-HD 1080p AmazonReady from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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4-ScrapeAmazonV1-HD 1080p AmazonReady from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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2-Lip Family-AmazonV3-HD 1080p AmazonReady from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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5-Skirts Fam-AmazonV1-HD 1080p AmazonReady from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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2-Lip Family-AmazonV1 from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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MSC-Regulus_TL - 4K from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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15-Hero Brand Video-FINAL from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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AWWAWINE-30sec-Final.mov from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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Anacortes-Clips.mov from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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40 Belvedere Drive-music from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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20140307_Obelisco-Bud-Break_TL_4K_23.976 from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

Obelisco vineyards timelapse of bare vines.

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Seattle-Moonrise-Tugboat from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

TimeLapse of the full moonrise over Seattle as the waterfront traffic moves through the scene.

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Container Ship TimeLapse from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.

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Tires & Wheels from Patrick Bennett on Vimeo.