Current Photo Editor James Singer finally gets to meet his predecessor Alan Green, as the two ate lunch at International Pockets Cafe. PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Green
When I met The Good Five Cent Cigar’s first ever photo editor, it was over a Zoom call to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the paper’s creation. I don’t remember how many people joined, but I remember there were a ton of faces –– all of whom have shaped the five decades the University of Rhode Island student newspaper has been around for.
Being in the midst of URI alumni and Cigar news people, it was the perfect opportunity to network, and low and behold, Alan Green ’74, was in attendance. Mr. Green was the very first photo editor for The Cigar. It wasn’t until URI’s Alumni & Family Weekend a few weeks later that we scheduled time to meet in person.
On Wednesday, Oct. 6, at approximately 12 p.m outside of International Pocket Cafe, I called out to an older man with a cane. In Alan’s email, he said he used a cane to get around. The biggest clue of all was a camera strapped around his neck.
So, what are my initial impressions of the fella? From the get-go, he had this swagger to him. I may have been the one to lead us into the restaurant, but being around him, you got the sense he was returning home after spending years in the real world.
Once we got our food and sat down, the first thing out of Alan’s mouth was his dislike for the term, “fine arts.” He believed it to be foolish. He thought of himself as a craftsman. Essentially, he talked about how nearly everyone nowadays has phones with cameras built into them. He emphasized that it’s not the technology in our phones or having the newest camera model that matters, rather it’s the person behind the shot and their eye for composition.
The conversation shifted to the historical differences between our two generations. During his college years, the Vietnam War stirred up anti-war protests. Being an undergraduate now, we’re at our own kind of war with the COVID-19 pandemic. As opposed to taking pictures of people wearing masks, Alan took pictures of people holding anti-war signs that commented about the dangers posed towards children’s health.
By the time I was almost finished chowing down on my crispy chicken sub, I received a history lesson about developing film and working in a darkroom as opposed to Adobe’s Lightroom Classic which I’ve become accustomed to. After listening from the horse’s mouth as one might say, I now have an even better appreciation for digital cameras. Unlike the digital format’s forgiving nature, every shot on film counts.
We finished our lunch date in style, with a walk to class and a photo of us taken with his camera –– which has since gone digital. As we said our goodbyes, and now as I’m enclosing this, I ask myself: what will it be like when I’m Alan’s age, and I’m in this exact scenario where I’m talking with the photo editor during the year 2071?