23.50 West Haven.

Imagine the look on my face when I discovered Janet Padvaganian thru Classmates.com - then imagine the joy I felt when her sister Claudia found me via Facebook.

Janet and Claudia - and their brother Michael, along with upstairs neighbors Lori, Susan, and John Memolo are the folks who got me through my youth.

Why??

Well, partly because they were my neighbors - and while spending my summers on 85th street back in the mid 1970's, seeing Janet, Lori, and especially Susan going barefoot everywhere all summer long was a real treat. Susan and Lori's soles would be as black as coal, while Janet would be running everywhere all summer long - pounding her bare feet over the broken pavement in their common backyard. While I do not recall if Claudia went barefoot, she was someone I still liked very much. In fact, in a way Janet and Claudia were my favorite girls when coming of age. And Michael, bless him - was my boy - because he was the one who turned me into the deviant I am today...

Me and Claudia share something of great importance - we are both widow/ers - although I have recently found a love in a wolf named Julia... so, therefore me and Claudia are now brother and sister because we share the tragic loss of a loved one - which is something you never forget... Ever.

00.03

The first thing I wondered when I saw Janet's profile picture on Classmates.com is f she still goes barefoot everywhere.

Now, the thing I love about dg2001 is he gets right to the point: He knows that I am married to a woman who goes barefoot everywhere - but I ain't photographing her. Not yet anyway... because she is special, she is mine, and I'm not willing to share just yet...

But on the other hand - I would love to photograph Janet or Claudia - or perhaps the two of them together - barefoot in N.Y.C - over next summer if either or both were up for it...

I'm funny about who get's and who dosen't get photographed. My portfolio speaks for itself. Too bad its all print film images - nothing has been done in the digital domain yet, emphisis on yet.

00.08

On finding Janet and Claudia bring's me back to 1975, 76, and maybe 77 or 78. By 1979, I was hanging out with a new crowd - but I never forgot about those hot dirty summers spent on 85th street in Bay Ridge with the Padvaganians and the Memolo's... Incidently, it was John who straightened me out on a few thing's about life, and his lessons to me are still in practice.

~Hans... xoxo

P.S. I did hear from Annette, who I posted about last time. She is very happy to know that her feet are forever on display in my studio / gallery. Everything old really is new again...