I’ve wanted to do this series for awhile, and I finally decided to make it happen. I’ll give you a little background on Joe and my relationship with him first.

Joe has been an employee of the Texas House of Representatives for 25 years. He started a few months before I was born, in 1980. He turned 45 this year. When I started working in the Photography Department a little over a year ago, Joe had been the runner for our department specifically for 11 years. We became friends, and within a few months I could tell (along with everyone else) that his memory was failing, and at a fairly rapid rate. It’s been sad to witness, because he’s always had such a great sense of humor, and even that is now slipping away. I’m not sure if it’s Alzheimer’s or not, but I heard about a study awhile back that claimed people Downs Syndrome often get it in their 40s, if they live that long.

Joe lives in a duplex in a very wealthy part of downtown Austin. His parents, who are both in their 80s (and his dad is in failing health) live in the other side of the house. Joe lived with his grandmother on his side for years, and it has remained decorated in a style I would describe as a 1950s family style. When she passed away, Joe obviously did not redecorate. So it’s like stepping back in time when I visit him at home.

Now my inspiration for the series was originally just shooting interiors, and maybe a portrait or two of Joe at home. This was several months ago, before I knew that he would be forced to retire at the end of 2005. Keep in mind, this was a decision made by his family for his well-being. It’s not like the State was kicking him out or anything. Another sad part of this story is that Joe loves to go to work every day. But because his job would have him walking all over the Capitol grounds, it’s simply not safe for him to be up there anymore.

So a few weeks ago, I decided to shoot Joe’s house, and made the call to actually concentrate on him, and use the interiors as backdrops, rather than the subject. I took my 4×5 over to his house, and we spent an afternoon shooting, then went for dinner at Mr. Gatti’s. It was an all-around fun day for both of us.

The following week, I had been borrowing my boss’ Hasselblad to see if I wanted to buy it from him. So I took the camera up to the Capitol and followed Joe around for a couple of hours. Granted, most of the shots were staged, but we tried to mimic a route he would normally take.

SO, this is the first of the images I’ll be posting in the series. I really would appreciate your feedback, because this body of work is something that’s actually important to me. That doesn’t mean you should hold back your negative comments. My degree is in photography, so I’ve dealt with my share of harsh critiques.

This image in particular was shot in the waiting area for the Governor’s office in the Capitol. Joe has met many Governors and Speakers over the years, including President Bush, when he was still Governor of Texas. How many people do you know that can say that? So I think Joe officially qualifies as someone who has lived a truly interesting life.