Gwendolyn had been born with the prominent overbite and in spite of big bucks at the orthodontist for braces, she still had to live with it. Otherwise she was a beauty, but the cyber bullies as school just wouldn’t let up, some new Facebook post or Tweet every day, sometimes more than once. Often they cruelly Photoshopped her picture taken from a cell phone and layered on a horse upper jaw, or an elephant trunk, always cruel. The school officials tried but couldn’t catch the perpetrators, but Gwendolyn was pretty sure it was those snooty Coot chicks with their oh-so-cute little white beaks; being bigger, maybe she could get them out in back of the school one afternoon, get out the duct (duck?) tape and show them how bullying was done. . . . . . David, Sf.G.
I'm David Mortenson. I've traveled widely in my business and frequently photo-documented various business projects. I have been fortunate in being able to photograph nature, culture, interesting architecture and the like while abroad in Europe and Asia and across the Americas. As you'll see in looking at Another Good Reason, nature is my favorite subject, be it flowers, bees, birds, spiders, snakes, or bears. I'm also fascinated by patterns, man-made or natural, and doors. You will see all of these subjects in these photo-cartoons, as well as interesting and beautiful architecture and landscapes. While beautiful is also interesting, some interesting things may not always be beautiful, while still being photo-worthy.
The basic concept for Another Good Reason is a photograph--beautiful and/or interesting--with a short, 2 or 3 line story with quirky humor not unlike Gary Larsen's "The Far Side". Often the flower, bird, or other subject of the photo will have a funny story to tell or a problem to solve. The goal is to entertain without negatively targeting any ethnic group, religion, political party, or nationality. Public figures, however, are fair game. Lady GaGa, Al Gore, or anyone in the headlines has or will have a story about them.
There's a wide variety of excellent photography equipment out there, but I've been a Nikon photographer for years because of their sharp, crisp lenses and "bulletproof" gear.
