I was recently reminded of the date I photographed him while standing in his office personally delivering a copy of “Identity” when he called to his assistant, “What day did Stewart photograph me?” Within about twelve seconds, someone came in and said, “May 5th, 2004.” Talk about keeping a calendar. I was impressed. Here is a guy that is 83 and still going strong. His office remains a constant buzz of people and activity. What a role model. Anyone who thinks that one’s life work is finished at 65 or 70 needs to visit Boone. He is still in the press regularly; did you read that John Kerry called him recently to try to mend their words of yesteryear? A testament that if you live long enough, all things come around so be nice to people.
OK, this is about photography right? I chose to include Boone because of his renown and proximity to me. In creating Identity, I wanted to capture as many of the legends in my own backyard as possible. Who knows how long I will live in Dallas, Texas with its towering personalities? I remember first hearing Boone’s name, back before I knew anything about business, when he had some feud going with his Mesa Oil company in Amarillo. He’s been larger than life ever since, so I decided to call him up. His people were nice enough to accommodate me and allow me to photograph him for my project.
We shot at his office, as they didn’t want us at his home, and it was the right location. There was a flurry of activity, I mean a real buzz–people running around everywhere with multiple meetings going on in his office. He was at a little meeting table in his office, which I have duplicated in my own, his oasis amid the madness. My philosophy as a photographer is if you can’t command center stage, then try to blend in as much as possible. We set up a light or two by his table and asked him to sit. He was still going a million miles a minute, which was cool, but I wanted a quiet, introspective look into the man. So as I shot, I got closer and closer, trying to get inside his head. Shot it, thanked him and left. When I looked at the contact sheets, my select was the one and only great frame. No contest.
Fast forward to April 8th, 2010 as I stood in his much quieter office, answering his queries about everyone in the book while he thumbed through its pages. I was still impressed with the man for his keen mind. As I turned to leave, he called out to someone around the corner, “Hey, bring me a copy of my new book.” He motioned for me to wait as he inscribed a copy of it to me. It is called “The First Billion Is The Hardest.” I looked at the cover and back to him and all I could mutter was, “You’re telling me?”
T. Boone looks on as I sign Brad Oldham’s hip at the Identity book launch.
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