BJ Starr – September 22 2013

So Randy, BJ, and I wanted to take some pictures outside. We were at BJ’s pink house. He owns the empty lot next to his house. His plan was to build his dream house on the empty lot, then raise the pink house. He felt like he could get the city of Phoenix to change the zoning enough so that he could have a helicopter landing pad behind his house. All of the neighbors were on board with this plan. He had just purchased his Canon 5D Mark II. I shot this image with my Canon 30D, you can see South Mountain behind Billy. I re-added the image into the lens on his camera. BJ really liked this image. Its one of my favorites of him from the last 5-6 years of our friedship. I’m sure there are pictures of him in his police uniform, and in his helicopter. This is how I want to remember BJ, vibrant, and so full of life. I spent an hour with BJ and Mike today after work. Billy is on a different medication, and was tired, and not too coherent while I was there. He had been up earlier when the hospice nurse came by to see him. I let him know I would stop by again tomorrow after work. I always tell him I’m thinking about him, and praying for him. He always answers I appreciate that.

Date taken 3/20/2009 Canon 30D, ISO-100, F8, 100mm, 1/100 sec. The Canon EF 100mm F2.8 lens is a “macro” lens for taking close up pictures. Its wide aperture, F2.8 is good for a shallow depth of field, and a blown out background, so its also a good portrait lens.