A few months ago we received a phone call from T. Edward Nickens, a freelance writer. He was writing an article on the top hunting and fishing guides in the south for Garden and Gun Magazine and wanted to feature my wife, Lori, as one of them. I would like to point out that this is not Lori’s first rodeo. Several years ago she was featured on the television show Adventure Guides on the Outdoor Life Network. A year or so later she was featured in Living Well, a local publication. I wondered aloud why she would be chosen over me. My fishing buddy and business partner, Dennis Schule, casually pointed out that Lori was an attractive blond and was way more photogenic than I am. In addition, she is a darn good fly fishing guide. Isn’t it enough that she regularly out fishes me?
The interview was conducted over the telephone and went well. Lori is articulate and quick on her feet. She talked about the quality of fishing here, her corporate background and her love of teaching. To take the accompanying photo, the magazine flew in Peter Frank Edwards, a free lance photographer from South Carolina. He arrived here in Cotter mid-morning, on a fine day in late summer. I was brought into the conversation to suggest suitable spots on the river for the shoot. I suggested two spots, one in Cotter below the historic Ruthven Bridge and another behind my friend, Hunter Ryan’s home at Wildcat Shoals. I thought that the bridge or the cliffs at Wildcat would provide a dramatic back drop for the photos. I loaned Peter a pair of waders and wading boots so that he could move around in the river to get the best shots of Lori.
I stayed at home because I was involved with yet another home improvement project and did not want to interfere with the shoot. Our neighbor, Betsy Czeschin, tagged along to see how things went. They started off in Cotter and took a lot of pictures. They then drove over to Hunter’s house and waded out in the river there. Hunter, his wife, Barbara and Betsy sat out on his deck and watched the shoot in comfort. I hear that a bottle of wine may have been involved. Lori had a bit tougher time. Trying to catch trout on command is always challenging and presenting the expression that the photographer wanted was difficult. After hundreds of shots it was finally over. Peter headed out and life returned to normal.
Last week Lori got a phone call from our friend, Paula Flippin. She wanted to let Lori know that the December/January 2014/2015 issue of Garden and Gun was out and she had her copy, which featured the article and photo of Lori. We scrambled to acquire a copy of the magazine to see how it came out. We finally got one and devoured it. The magazine itself is very nice and definitely high tone. The article read well and Lori came off as very professional.
The problem was the photo. It is the least flattering picture that I have ever seen of her. I have taken hundreds of pictures in the fourteen years that we have been together and they all look better than that. The only thing that I can figure is that they wanted to get a picture of a steely eyed guide and not another pretty girl.
I suggest that you take a look at the article. Let me know what you think.
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