edith

It’s funny how St. Louis works. You know someone who knows someone who knows someone… It’s that very same phenomena that made my phone ring earlier in the week.

It was Hardees. (Carl’s Jr. for you west-coast folks). I know they’re California based, but they have a large office here which I assume takes care of this part of the country.

Nonetheless – they were looking to get some photos of their newest location in the out-out-OUT skirts of St. Louis which features a new floor plan / interior design for their restaurants for a tradeshow. The deadline was psychotically tight which pretty much ruled out film-based photography.

Since I worked for years for Alise – so the assignment wasn’t terribly daunting.

Quick, dirty and competent. Document shots. Available light (mostly) – exterior and interior views…. Try not to get people in the shots.

Wet it… Wipe it… Goodnight.

I tweaked my schedule around and made the hour trek to the hinterlands to document the burger palace.

The town was waaaaaaaaay out there, but the inhabitants were down to earth. NRA bumperstickers and big thick shirtless country boys driving back hoes. One actually pulled up and parked in the parking lot in my shot. (I’d never seen anyone parallel park heavy machinery before.)

After I got my shots I was a bit peckish but the “Thickburger™” just didn’t sound appealing. I had a big-as-my-ass chicken sandwich instead.

Fast food chains are apparently in the habit of hiring senior citizens to serve as “hosts” these days. These folks wander around the dining area and offer to get you soda refills, take your tray and generally keep the place tidy.

My host for the afternoon was Edith. A germanicly-thick older woman who could pass for Chad’s Grandmother’s sister.

She was delightful and talked my ear off about The St. Louis World’s Fair.

I put my sandwich down and told her to smile and snagged a photo of her. I assured her the photo was for me and not for corporate… – but the folks at corporate should know about her… There’s something about a sweet older lady chatting you up during lunch and brining you refills that make the whole fast-food-experience feel… well… less icky.

I had the shots PhotoShoped, printed, burned to disc and delivered by day’s end. The corporate folks were thrilled with the quality and speed. Maybe they’ll call on me again.

Maybe I’ll blog about this.

nahhhh..