Modern Model August 2014 | Page 34

Model:  Sydney  Ballans   Missing  Sydney   By  Brian  Thornton       The   photographer   that   I   studied   under   when   I   lived   in   California   was   one   of   the   most   skilled  photographers  I  have  known   to   this   day   –   unfortunately,   he   was   also   a   camera-­‐flinging   psychopath.   If   anything   set   off   his   tempter   –   a   wrong   pose,   a   strobe   misfire,   the   look   just   wasn’t   right,   a   Nikon   or   Hasselblad   would   take   to   the   air.   Part   of   my   job   as   his   assistant   was   to   an\cipate   these   moments   of   camera  flight  (usually  announced  by   the   catch   phrase,   “This   just   isn’t   working   for   me”,   and   catch   each   thrown   camera.   I   think   the   only   reason   he   is   not   in   the   Guinness   Book   of   World’s   Records   for   farthest  camera  thrown  is  that  I  was   too   busy   catching   cameras   to   call   Modern Model Page 34 34 them   or   document   these   not   rare   considered   launching   the   camera   enough  moments.  I  vowed  to  never   into   the   air.   Instead,   I   put   the   be   like   him,   and   have   never   come   camera   back   onto   the   desk,   close  to  throwing  ONE  camera,  un\l   cancelled   all   of   the   appointments   my   plans   to   shoot   with   Sydney   and   mee\ng   I   had   for   the   rest   of   Ballans  fell  through.   the  day,  and  the  following  two  days,     Aner   working   to   schedule   a   a n d   r e t r e a t e d   a w a y   f r o m   workshop   with   Sydney,   I   secured   a   photography  to  pout  for  a  while.   date  and  \me,  and  one  by  one,  the     I   am   not   normally