The quote is only one of many memorable ones from the film Scarface (1983) said by Tony Montana (Al Pacino). But photographically speaking and not as a gangster the point is well taken. I have said this many times in past reporting, and I agree when it is said that the eyes are the window to the soul. I find it particularly painful to see stress in the eyes of a child. A recent photo of a young boy saved from fighting in Aleppo, Syria touched Western viewers deeply.

The lead photo in this blog was taken of a young boy wearing a coal sack for a jacket during the Great Depression. Taken in coal country, the sack was from the Independent Coke & Coal Company of Ely, Virginia. We have called this photo “Boy in a Coal Sack”. The connection, for us, to Walker Evans’ photo of a lady with her children dressed in rags and in a burlap feed sack in 1936 was clear.

We are most fortunate to have A. Michael Uhlmann as a contributing photojournalist. He is based in Texas, and his sensitive photos of people in their environment have made a fine addition to our collection. The digital age focuses on the same issues as represented in film from the past. Below is Uhlmann”s “At The Convenience Store“; Austin, Texas (2014). All of his images have this Western flavor about them, and his work has become recognizable for its style. There is no greater compliment for photographers than to have their photos instantly recognizable such as that would be for Ansel Adams or for Frederick Remington in the world of painting and sculpture. “At The Convenience Store” is part of Uhlmann’s “Daily Life” collection. We refer you to view his collection as it is continually updated.

Mommy needs some smokes – standing in line at the convenience store.