Do 1 Thing.

My life is so different than it was even three months ago.

Then, I had regular assignments, a schedule, a routine, and as you have well noticed, a lot more material about which to blog.

That doesn’t mean my life was necessarily better — it’s just different now.

Like they say, though, change is relative. My life changes are nothing compared to those of a young man named Dennis Molino. But more about him later.

The past few weeks of my post-newspaper life have been busy negotiating contracts and taking meetings with different possible clients. I’d like to write more, especially about the contract negotiation, since I think the business part of photography is so often overlooked. Maybe after everything shakes out, I will be able to share my thoughts on the process.

Until then, I’ve had this general unsettledness about me. Couldn’t put my finger on it really, until my wife and I decided it might be from my, for lack of a better phrase, “lack of creating” (that’s my awkward phrase — she’s much more eloquent).

As she so correctly pointed out, I’d spent the last couple of decades producing and creating content every day. Now, as I embark on Career 2.0, I spend more time setting up the back end of my business so that someday soon I can spend more time creating once again.

That’s why I was thankful when the opportunity to help when I came across the opportunity to become involved with the “Do 1 Thing” project.

The goal of the project is to join photographers, videographers, editor and other multimedia storytellers to illustrate the challenges facing homeless youth across America.

Organizers chose Valentine’s Day, February 14, to spotlight the issue and to urge people do “do one thing” for the cause.

Visual journalists all across the country produced multimedia pieces, photo stories and portraits, some in advance of the day, while some blogged from shelters on Saturday.

I only had two days to find a subject in Seattle, and thought I had everything set up with one organization who found youth willing to participate. However, the morning of the shoot, they called back and said their leadership had a change of mind and were withdrawing their cooperation.

Left with little over a day until organizers wanted my project, I called the local office of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, and by the next morning, they had scheduled me time with a 20-year old named Dennis Molino.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 3200, 1/80th sec., f5.6)

I met Dennis at the United Indians Youth home. Quiet and reserved, Dennis was at the same time not afraid to tell his story. We did an audio interview, then we hung out and photographed him for an hour or so.

Growing up in a home filled with drugs and violence…moving from foster home to foster home until he “aged out” (reached age 18)…living on the streets, moving from couch to car, and even breaking into schools to sleep. His is a familiar story, and maybe one we’ve heard so often we don’t pay it the attention we should.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 24-70mm/f2.8 lens @ 48mm, ISO 250, 1/400th sec., f4.0)

Now, thanks to the United Indians, Dennis has in his words, “a bed, three square meals a day…a roof over my head”. He’s living in the home now for just over a month. About the same time I left my job and began my own life changes.

Like I said, it’s all relative, isn’t it?

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 175mm, ISO 250, 1/640th sec., f5.0)

Dennis works at a fast-food restaurant, which has piqued his interest in pursuing a career in culinary arts. He wants to get his G.E.D., and says he’s happy to have lived his former life behind.

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 130mm, ISO 250, 1/320th sec., f3.5)

When we parted, I asked him about the changes in his life. He replied, “Now I see that there’s hope, that it doesn’t have to be bad anymore….I see light, you know?”

(Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 lens @ 170mm, ISO 250, 1/400th sec., f3.5)

In the end, I produced a quick little audio slideshow, which while light on the visuals, lets viewers see the face and hear the voice of one of the many youths trying to conquer their challenges right here in our own cities.

The organization’s website is www.Do1Thing.org but you have to hunt in the multimedia section to find the piece on Dennis.

Here’s a direct link to the multimedia piece, which is a very quickly done Soundslides converted to video using the Soundslides Video Export plug-in, and then uploaded to www.blip.tv.