The upside-down figure on
the ground glass was carefully composed and focused. I withdrew from under the
dark focusing cloth of the 4 x 5 large format camera and put in a film holder,
set the shutter and waited. I asked the subject to hold very still and waited
longer. Finally, the smoke from a nearby barbecue smoker cleared and I made two
quick exposures before again being engulfed. I was taking photographs, but I
was making a human connection.
My daily driving routine for
the past three months takes me past a small country church. On most days there
is no activity. But, on Thursdays, when I drive back home around 10 a.m., a man
wearing an apron and baseball cap tends two large smokers sitting in front of
the church under huge live oak trees.
Smoke billows out from the
smokers and handmade signs near the road beckon drivers to stop for barbecue
pork, chicken and ribs. Around 11, the dirt parking lot starts filling up with
cars.
I am too early on most
Thursdays to stop in for lunch. But, curiosity got the best of me recently so I
decided to stop for a chat. Meeting strangers is never easy. Asking if they
mind if I make a photograph or two is even harder. But, that’s what curiosity
does. It gets me uncomfortable. But, the desire to understand people and find out
what they have to say is a bit of an adventure and far outweighs the risks of
being too timid to discover and share stories. And, everyone has a story.
Pastor Scotty Clark of the
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church greeted me with a hearty handshake and
told me about barbecue and the church.
“The barbecue has supported this church for
over 30 years,” Pastor Scotty said. “My mother is the one who came up with the
idea as we needed money. So, instead of asking people for donations, they
decided to get out and provide a service to the community as a means to raise
funds. Barbecue was the answer.”
Pastor Scotty and The New Hope Missionary Baptist Church seem to know
a thing or two about marketing.
“Most people that live in the area, they know
we're out here, and a lot of them will come out and buy barbecue because they
know it’s to support the church. You've got a lot of good people here. They
know that the church has a vital role in the community.”
When I drove by, hand-painted signs for PORK,
RIBS, and CHICKEN got my attention. I didn’t have to cut through industry
jargon on a website to learn about the barbecue. Authenticity is a trending
industry buzzword and they have plenty of it.
It’s also a sensory overload; the smell of the
smoke, the sound the fire, the taste the ribs, the sight of people licking
their fingers — all leading to referral and repeat business. Using multiple
sensory sources drew me in as it does quite a few other people.
And,
it all starts with curiosity.
###
Eric
Dusenbery (B.A. Cinema & Photography, Southern Illinois University) is
founder, executive director and photographer for Cinderic Documentaries Inc., a
nonprofit organization based in DeLand, FL. He utilizes the power of the still
photograph for documentary work and frequently uses the traditions of the large
format film camera for storytelling. His documentary photography has been
widely exhibited and his work has appeared in numerous national publications.
He is also a speaker and award-winning journalist.
No comments:
Post a Comment