Friday, December 13, 2013

Just a couple of guys with a vision for Elm Street...

As is turns out, 1993 was a year that everything changed.

The landmark institution that is Rube's Steakhouse here in Montour was sold that year to Gary Anderson and his just recently married son, Matt.   The two men began the task of replacing the founder of the franchise, Glen Rubenbauer.

Next door a young man was in the process of planning HIS wedding to his bride by having his engagement portraits taken that fall by Fotos by Foley owner, and fellow Montour legend, John Foley.

To those of you that don't know, that young fiance' is now authoring this blog as owner of Montour's Stewart Photography... and Mr. Matt Anderson has successfully navigated through the restaurant business' waters for two decades.   And for anyone who thinks replacing a legend is easy, I've got some swampland in The Sunshine State to sell ya.

Next door to one another for 20 years, Rubes and Stewarts have been giving people a reason to visit this tiny town of 250 inhabitants.   I can't tell you how many take advantage of both places in the same night, but Elm Street in Montour is lined with cars almost every night, and I've watched for years as my clients go out my front door and immediately take a sharp left turn and follow their noses towards the best steak in all the land.

So what in the world does all of this have to do with a senior blog?

As it turns out, Matt and his bride, Michele, were blessed with a son five years later.   Taylen was born January 18, 1998... and all these years later, you guessed it... it's time for senior pictures.

Not surprisingly, the Anderson's son is multi-talented and an engaging personality.   Taylen and his mom were just a few minutes late arriving that day back in November because they were cutting a few ads to air on KIX-101 touting their legendary steakhouse.   Who cuts their own ads for radio in their own home?

The Anderson's do... that's who.

An audio/video prodigy with a keen eye for photography and a musical gift than spans several instruments, Taylen Anderson is more stuffed with talent that your tummy is after plowing through Rube's 54 ounce Belly Buster sirloin.   My job was to capture it and somehow do it justice to this future University of Iowa Cinematography major.

So with Michele putting her First Lady of Steak duties aside for an afternoon and trying her Photographer's Assistant hat on for size... we were off to Marshalltown to get Taylen some urban images.   Armed with a couple guitars and his sax, we bounced north and south between Church and State Streets in town as Team Anderson and I fought the chill in the air with some red hot images of our talented senior.

It always seems that when paired together with aspiring photographers is when we get our very best stuff.  Maybe I'm pushing myself out of my normal boxes?  Maybe a couple of visions together create unique angles?  I can't be for sure.   All I know is I dig what we did.

It might have been 20 years between the occurrences, but once again I found myself in the presence of a Mr. Anderson with a vision... trying to do something that has been done for a long time... but to put an Anderson spin on it that lets you know that you've been some place special.

Thanks for the business, Anderson family.   We both know the challenges and rewards of ownership.  We've both served clients that have come from far and wide... but it doesn't get much better than serving your neighbors.


 












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