Today is Bree’s 26th birthday, and she’s down at Homer’s Auto Service with a broken down van she had to have towed in. I’m here doing some exploratory work for my Everywhere but the Bathroom photo project. I’m looking for the good light and thinking about where to put people when we get to that part of the shoot. It’s a multi-part adventure, with multiple visits over multiple days, spread out over a month or longer. I noticed her pink cowgirl hat and wanted to get some shots, but I didn’t want to ask her. She left, then she came back and asked if I’d take some pictures of her, “it’s my birthday, and I had to have my van towed in.” I had my car towed off a mountain on my 21st birthday. That’s when I used to run up in the mountains. I didn’t mention this shared experience, but I did say I’d be happy to take some pictures. It’s the sort of thing that happens when you throw yourself into your work, not knowing where the work might go. I was here at Homer’s to explore the light, to warm up for the main act, yet to come. Yet here comes Bree bursting onto the scene with her broken down birthday van and that pink birthday cowgirl hat. All right, let’s get some shots over by the van, then let’s move you inside and have you sit in that big massage chair amongst the carnival of mismatched objects. And you’ve only got five minutes, so let’s do this. She’s a pro, this Bree, 26 years old, sitting in the chair, arranging her hat and her hands. Okay, that’s good, go celebrate your birthday now. Your broken down van means a birthday book, the opening page of the Homer’s shoot, to be continued on another day.