I'm no David Copperfield, but I have met some people that I wouldn't mind sawing in half, or at least seeing the illusion. I don't know the first thing about pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and if you locked me up in chains and put me in an air-tight box I'd be at your mercy if I was going to live to tell about it.
<
Yet I do have one magic secret, or at least a magic tool that can make people act in crazy and mysterious ways. I'm not really sure how it came to be or when I first noticed this special power of mine, but it's truly powerful and most would be impressed at how easily it works.
<
Without hardly any effort at all on my part, I can get an otherwise sane man to jump off a 40-foot cliff that he's never done before. His buddies can yell and insult him all day, but he'll only jump when I show up. By just mentioning this tool I can persuade a woman with perfectly manicured hair and nails to go head-first into the lake. As for rope swings, I've watched as parents have forced their kids to continue to swing over and over into the water in hopes of catching my attention.
<
So what's this magic tool of mine? It's actually quite simple-it's just my trusty digital camera. What makes it so special? I guess it's the thought of being in PDB magazine that brings this power to life.
<
It's amazing how fast I can go from being the weird guy with the telephoto zoom lens at a party cove to being the most popular guy without beads. But not every situation is as good as it sounds. I've still never figured out why guys who find out I'm with a magazine think I want to be mooned. They seemed genuinely hurt that I have no interest in taking a photo of their backside, but I just smile and wave and let them know that, "it's not that kind of a magazine" as I pass by.
<
But for all the people that will belly flop or do a back flip from the sundeck, there are still plenty that are not affected by my powers. In fact, my Nikon has a reverse effect on them. They run and hide when they see me coming. They go out of their way to make sure their faces never find their way into the pages of our magazine. I think it's the part about not having control over the photo that I'm taking, or at least getting to see it before it runs in a national publication, that can scare some people and really, I can't say that I can blame them.
<
But I still like to see these fun photos, and this is why I've encouraged readers in the past to send me their boating pics. I would get to see those artistic, humorous or candid moments from boaters from all over, without having to use any of my magic powers.
<
It's been a few years since I've really seen a lot of photos from the readers of PDB magazine, so I'm asking that 2009 be different. Start planning today to either set up a humorous photo, or at least make it a priority to keep a camera on board with you at all times. You never know when you'll get a chance to capture that truly candid moment that may come your way. Fishing, humorous, candid and scenic shots are just a few of the different types of photos that I'm looking for. I'd like to run these photos in upcoming issues for other boaters to enjoy as well.
<
Hopefully I'll start seeing some photos in my inbox at blk@harrispublsihing.com. If not, I guess I'll just have to come to you.
<
