Danny

My great friend Danny Shivakumar died suddenly this day three years ago, when he was only 34. Here's an excerpt from his obit in the Washington Post:

He was born in Coimbatore, India, and came to the Washington area with his family in the late 1970s when his father accepted a position at the World Bank.

Mr. Shivakumar was raised in McLean and Vienna. He graduated from St. Albans School in 1989 and Harvard University in 1993. He received a law degree from Yale University, where he was the 1996 class secretary.

That of course doesn't say anything about who Danny was. Nothing about his humor and grace. His generosity. His enormous and multiple gifts.

Words won't do.

It's not a coincidence that I started photographing right after Danny died. The pictures would not exist without him.

It is nearly impossible to accept that Danny never saw any of them. I hope that he would have liked at least some. I suspect he would have -- if only because I took them.

We all lost when Danny died. My loss doesn't compare to that of his parents, wife or children. It was enormous, nonetheless. What I would give to see his face again; to listen to music with him; to hear even his smallest sentiment on any of these pictures. (They'd be a lot better if I had the benefit of his counsel).

We owe the dead at least our remembrance. So here's to Danny, who will not be forgotten as long as there is stuff to see, and pictures to be made.