Yes on the Waffle Shop. Don’t remember exactly how I stumbled across the Stevens, I suppose it was the old school Mom and Pop architecture. Stayed across the street once but the Stevens is a go too and those folks recommended the place right next door for breakfast. We even appreciate the distance to Saints as the walk lessens our guilt over the extravagant but oh so excellent breakfast. We will certainly give you a shout when we happen through State College?

You were a student a few years before I arrived in 1972. Much has changed. College and Beaver were still two-way streets back then. and there were no high rise buildings yet. And no Saint’s Cafe. The Corner Room, College Diner, Campus Restaurant, Tavern and another diner I can’t remember at the other end of town. But no coffee shops yet.

I love the energy of a college town and the young people who go with it. Having worked on campus so long I’m used to the age difference. I know it’s startling for some though. But most alumni I’ve spoken to who come to visit get pretty wistful about their time here.

Perhaps you, Steve and I will cross paths at some point in the future.

Did you have breakfast at the Waffle Shop since the Stevens is right next door? Another local institution.

Let me know next time you and Shirley will be in town and I’ll buy your espresso.

As far as photos go — I’m neither famous or important enough to have any museum or collector take them when I’m gone. Like so many other bodies of work, I fear they’ll find their way eventually to a landfill. Those images living on the web may ultimately be longer lived…

Hah. Paul hasn’t suggested that but I have another friend who has offered something along those lines.

I’ve never felt any competition with Paul, or with any other photographers. It might have something to do with the fact that I’m not competitive myself. And when you’re in a staff photography position you’re often immune to the kinds of pressures that other independent photographers face. I could be oblivious to the competition though. I’m oblivious to a lot of human interactions…

With Paul, and with Gordon when he was still here, we look at prints and images and give our opinions — what’s working, what’s not, what we see and feel. It’s not unlike critiques when I was in the MFA workshop in the School of Visual Arts at Penn State.

A culture of criticism isn’t for everyone. There are a lot of artists and photographers who only want to hear positive things. Who believe if you don’t have something good to say you shouldn’t say anything. That may work in a lot of situations between people, but if you genuinely want to improve or expand your work, it really helps to have people who you trust to be honest. Doesn’t mean they’re right, but you want input. Not sure how you would make rules out of it other than you don’t want to belittle anyone or make personal criticism.

It’s not about who’s the best photographer. It’s about the work.

I need to find a “Paul” and a cafe too. How do you guys deal with the competitive streak that resides in all photographers? Do you have an agreement about that? Do you comment on each others images or just allow the maker to talk about them? How does the conversation typically go? Sorry if this seems nosey…genuinely interested in doing something similar but trying to anticipate what “rules” might need to apply.