To say this was one that kept me on my toes is an understatement.
A colossal understatement.
Keegan Drury is an interesting cat. And I'm not sure there's enough words in the realm of this blog to explain the complexity that is this young man, but I'll do my best... if not with the words... then the images themselves will have to suffice.
I guess if we were to break this down to brass tacks, the son of Mark and Nancy Drury THRIVES on going against the grain... he'll be the first one to admit it.
A quick glance at his images may send many traditionalists running for the hills. Probably thinking the worst before giving the book a chance to be read. Let me be clear. Don't judge this one by the cover.
I photographed the completely adorable and admirable sister Harlee a couple years back, so I was familiar with the fam. And while Harlee's one-in-a-million status may have prepped me a LITTLE for what was to come... I don't think I could EVER be totally prepared for what the Keegan Storm was gonna bring.
As the crew walked in with a couple snakes... lizards... 9 millimeters and all the bravado that that comes with a kid that has gauged ears, knives and the nicest 1982 El Camino on the planet... I KNEW i was gonna be challenged.... and I was.
We plowed through all the tall orders Keegan put in front of me. The slithering snakes... the blue tongued skank (ok... it's a SKINK lizard... but the family seemed to enjoy calling it something close... but far more fun to say)... the 9mm gun and then I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Keeg's tribute to his musical hero, Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence who tragically died in a motorcycle accident just over a year ago in Huntington Beach, California.
After 20 years in this business, sometimes I feel it seems like I've seen and done it all. I'm not gonna lie... it's certainly refreshing when a young soul shows me that I'm wrong... and helps me jump out of the box... one more time.
One thing that I HAVE done regularly... is to do tributes to loved ones. One of Keegan's outfits was dominated with a rarely seen pink shirt on a senior guy. Was it more shock value for our anti-establishment senior? Actually... the answer was no this time. Keeg's Aunt Ginny is a 5 year survivor of breast cancer... and as a tip of the cap to her, he felt compelled to honor her. Respectable... for sure.
After all of our crazy-cray images in the studio, we still had to bust out to Casa de Drury southeast of LeGrand for pictures with a killer white 1982 Chevy El Camino. After we got that put in our hip pocket... not surprisingly... we had to break some laws by getting an image or two on Union Pacific property... (let's hope that the UP police {Barney Fife} don't show up at my door again). After dodging the UP truck just a few hundred feet from the Drury home... we did some gravel travel until we found our opening. In the end.. we were chased off the tracks by UP workers doing their job... and as we scurried off the tracks... I couldn't help but think it was a fitting way for this session to end... breaking rules and not being ashamed of it.
As I drove back to the studio with Mama Nancy riding shotty, she unnecessarily felt compelled to defend her son to me. Explaining that while he might seem kinda crazy to some... she KNOWS in her heart that he's got a wonderful heart. Do snakes, lizards, guns and screamo music back most into a corner that few reside? Sure. But when you break it all down... it's all just window dressing. Is the kid into some non-traditional stuff? Yep. Does that make him any less of a gift of a human soul than the rest of us?
I say no.
Thanks Team Drury for two truly enlightening sessions from your wonderful children. They both broadened my horizons... and I'll never forget them.
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