
One unexpected highlight of this Thunderdome was collaborating with my friend's dad, a retired photographer who'd never once pointed a lens at a boot in his life. I'd only ever shot mine casually. Together we figured it out as the months went on — learning how light hits waxed flesh differently as it ages, how to capture and tell the story of this pair. Two amateurs in the best possible sense, getting better at something neither of us expected to care about.
Taken on April 4, 2026
Open Thunderdome 2025-2026, April submission