Ethan walks into the photography lab where Jake sits at a workbench, running a slide show on the large wall mounted flat screen.
It is a series of high contrast macro shots of really surprising things. Ethan’s not sure what many of the images actually might be, but all are clean and sharp, yet with a pervasive aura of decay.
Not for the first time Ethan is overawed by young Jake’s skill. Talent. genius. Whatever it is, Jake is good.
Ethan slips quietly into a chair by the door so as not to disturb Jake’s series of photographs. Now it looks to be shots of some kind of fabric, nicotine yellow with a loose weave, maybe antique lace because it looks like it’s crumbling to dust. Then there are images of some kind of fungal growth on what might be tree bark with an almost luminescent undertone to the lighting.
But the images that speak to Ethan are a series of metal connectors, ball bearings, and what he thinks might be the links of a bicycle chain. His favorite is a low angle shot of a rusted out bolt protruding from some kind of sheet metal.
What makes the image so interesting to Ethan is the refracted halo of light from above. Ethan’s not sure if the light is the sun or a clever lighting effect.
The screen goes black and Ethan asks, “Are they natural or have you been dipping into Photoshop?”
“Straight up, Ethan. I’m a purist. I don’t do Photoshop.”
“That’s cool. They’re really good Jake.” Jake looks a little uncomfortable under the praise, so Ethan continues, “You’re probably wondering why I’ve called you here today.”
Jake nods, “What’s on the agenda?”
“Professor Mol wants a slide show that can run during the Christmas party. You know, kind of a year book effect.”
“Taking portraits of everybody? Not my kind of thing.”
“That’s not what she’s looking for, Jake, she specifically said she doesn’t want formal portraits. She wants a vérité kind of look and she liked my idea of a mix of sources. You know, web cam shots, cell pics, black and white, out of focus, blurry stuff, whatever. She said we should be canvassing the whole student population for contributions of their favorite candid shots of their friends.”
Jake smiles as he thinks about it. “Sounds like a monster amount of work. But you know, it might be fun, but we’ll need heaps of storage. More hands too.”
Ethan flips open his laptop and logs into the Christie Photography Student wiki. Logging in under his Teaching Assistant account he starts a new page called ‘Candid Submissions,’ and says,
“How about this, then. People can upload their candids here then we can go though and pull the cream and assemble it all into a mammoth slide show. That’s gonna be the grueling part.”
“Well, yeah, but first you’ve gotta get everybody’s attention. Paper the campus with flyers, maybe make a Facebook fan page?”
Jake asks, “So what do we wanna say in our flyer?”
“How about ‘We Want Your Pictures’.”
“Too boring, Ethan. How about: ‘Star Quality’ ”
“Okay.” Ethan nods, “Better. You have any ideas about people we can dragoon into helping? How about Q?”
Jake rolls his eyes. “I know he’s your friend and all, but Q doesn’t seem to be straight very often. We’d be a lot better off with Boris.”
“Okay, yeah. And Natasha.”
Jake watches for Ethan’s reaction as he adds, “And Liz too.”
“Um.” Noncommittal, Ethan looks away. “I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean, you don’t think so?” Jake says, “She’s got a good eye.”
“Maybe she does. But maybe I’d be happier without her.”
“I don’t get it. What’s your problem with Liz?”
“You’re too young to understand.”
Jake closes his laptop forcefully. “Don’t give me that crap. Ethan, you’re not my dad, you’re only a few years older than I am. Funny how I’m not too young to do a bunch of work on your extracurriculars but suddenly I’m too young? You know Liz is a friend of mine.”
“Okay, okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Chastened, Ethan rubs his eyebrow, staring at the table, the floor, anywhere but at Jake.
“Look, it’s, well …” he shakes his head. “Even though it’s an extra-curricular I’m expected to work it. I can’t afford to blow this T.A. gig, Jake, I need the cash. But it’s just that Liz … whenever she’s around it’s like I can’t open my mouth. I look at her and it’s game over. I like her, okay. I really like her. But if she’s on this crew I’m not gonna get diddly done. She … distracts me.”
“That is just too weird.” Jake asks, incredulous. “You don’t want her on the team because you like her?”
Ethan nods sheepishly.
“Don’t be a goof, it would be a great chance to get to know her better,” Jake says. “Why don’t you ask her out?”
“I just can’t, man.”
Ethan swivels in his chair.
“She’s a nice girl, Jake. She doesn’t even drink. More than that she’s a star. What’s her average, in the nineties? Probably almost as good as yours. And me? I’m faking it. What am I, some goofball drinks too much, smokes up and parties. I’m just barely making the grade. She’s sure as shit too good for me, Jake.”
