Over the last couple of weeks I have had the great opportunity to meet and photograph with some of the most academically influential people at Texas A&M. The reason for this is because we decided at the Aggieland Yearbook to showcase all the different deans and colleges and organize the academic section in that way. Well, each Dean of every college has been awesome. Some are very busy and the shots have been quick and others I got to spend a few minutes with them. One of the Deans that I got to talk life with was the Bush School Dean, Ryan Crocker.
President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush applaud as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker acknowledges the audience after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, during a ceremony to commemorate foreign policy achievements at the U.S. Department of State. Photo Credit: White House
His secretary met me at the front area of the “Office of the Dean” and took me to a meeting room where I was able to photograph Mr. Crocker. I set up my lighting which was a 580 flash on 2/3 power and a shoot through umbrella that I placed to the left of him and triggered with alien bees. I waited a few minutes after I set up and in walked Mr. Crocker. I took his portrait and after a while we started talking about our overall disgust with the cold and wet weather outside.
After we took the shot in their meeting room we traveled through a secretive side looking door into his office and I took a quick portrait there. I liked this one better because you can see the outside through his window. He explained to me that he hadn’t been in the office long and that was the reason there his walls were not yet decorated. We talked about what my plans were after college. I told him the general answer I usually give saying “I would love to do photography. I feel like God has blessed with me with a good eye for photography and creative mind to produce photographs. So I really think I am going to try at least after college and see if I can get that going”. He replied telling me I should try photojournalism and then he looked at me and encouraged me. It was awesome just being able to talk life with him just for a few minutes. We talked real quick about Texas A&M Qatar and how he was just over there. Except what he meant about just being over was that he was America’s ambassador to Iraq. Before that he was the ambassador to Kuwait and Syria under Clinton’s term and before that he was Bush Sr.’s ambassador to Lebanon. I was blown away by the moment.
For the Aggies who are reading this, how awesome is it that we have people like this pouring into us at different departments. For future Aggies, check out what opportunities await you here. If you have motivation and good foundation, you will exceed here. To non-Aggies, I am sorry you didn’t go here and experience this but use this piece of A&M to understand why we are so crazy about this school.
Everyone, thank you so much for all your support, prayers and encouragement. Photography is a huge passion of mine and I thank you so much for following me and reading about my experiences. This year is bringing a lot of positive growth to “Doug Klembara Photography”. We are creating a flash website, that should be up soon, I have launched a lot of the social media, including twitter, vimeo and a facebook fan page that has more than a 1,000 people following me. There is a lot of change happening but one thing I am so happy to tell you that is not changing is my heart behind photography. I am here to serve God and bring him glory. I love Him so much and my prayer is that I can show you some of His beauty, His people, His greatness through my photography.
Soli Deo Gloria
{Photography. Witness. Passion} 