Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Bucket List: A list of things to do before you die. Derived from the term “kicking the bucket.”
So what’s on your photographic bucket list? Here’s mine, although to be fair, it’s subject to change and it gets updated from time to time:
- Space Vehicle Launch: NASA’s Shuttle program ran from 1981 to 2011. With some help from friends, I got a press pass to photograph a launch during that time but NASA issues press passes based on a specific launch. That particular mission was constantly being rescheduled and finally scrubbed so I never made it, although I did get to the Kennedy Space Center for a tour once.
- America’s Cup: In the past I tried tp photograph this event but press passes are/were impossible to get for a financially challenged and socially unconnected photographer like myself. The 37th America’s Cup will be raced in Barcelona in October 2024 and my chances of making it to Spain are slim and none.
Easter Island: This one was influenced by the late Fred Picker’s book Rapa Nui: Easter Island I’ve wanted to photograph the moai on Easter Island for a long time. I keep thinking about how amazing the heads would look when photographed in infrared. Easter Island is 2000 miles from anywhere in any direction making it not easily accessible. My wife thinks I’m crazy to want to go there, just to photograph “the heads.” Maybe I am.- Antarctica: This was a big one on my list for a long time but it seems that affluent tourists are damaging the ecosystem there with all of their visits, so this one has been temporarily (?) removed from my list.
- Indianapolis 500: Never made it to that race but did get to photograph the penultimate US Grand Prix at Indy, thanks to the previous incarnation of Olympus.
- Daytona 500: Never made it to this race either but did get to photograph some driver’s school events at Daytona International Speedway. This was also thanks to Olympus.
- The Bridges of Madison County: Yes, there really are bridges there/ And while I’m not exactly Clint Eastwood, I do own a Domke photo vest like the one he wore in the movie.
- Photograph some Famous Internet Models: One of the models that I always wanted to photograph was Maria Ceder and I was able to photograph four times before she retired. But I would also like to photograph Toronto’s Miss Candy DuVerre. Michigan’s Sarah Hamilton and San Diego’s Model T before I, you know…
- The Classic Cars of Cuba. I live in constant desire and hope of making it Cuba before all those classic cars—or me—fall apart.
- Carhenge: This bizarre sculpture site is located in Alliance Nebraska, which is just 260 miles from Daisy Hill, and it’s been my dream to photograph the site in infrared, even more would be to photograph a beautiful model in a wispy gown at the site. I’m hoping that someday I will I get to do both of those things.
- Monument Valley: It is located on the Arizona–Utah border near the Four Corners area and lies within the territory of the Navajo Nation Reservation. It is one my dreams to photograph it in infrared, like John Ford did for his film Fort Apache. Monument Valley is only 525 miles from Daisy Hill, so maybe some day…
What’s on my personal bucket list? For a long time I was saving money to buy a used baby grand piano and start playing music again.That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for two reasons: first, I don’t have much money to save these days and second my hand surgery may have made the whole concept moot.
As you can see all of my bucket list items have so far eluded me so far and while I may never make it to Easter Island, I hope to someday achieve one or more of these goals.
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You can pick up a hardback copy of Fred Picker’s book Rapa Nui: Easter Island and get inspired too. Used copies used to be inexpensive but now are all over the place. I saw a copy on eBay for 12 bucks. Pick up a copy and maybe Easter Island will be on your bucket list. I hope you make it.