The Power of Photography

A few years ago I sold a Herb Ritts print that I have owned for some 20-plus years.  I put it up for auction in the hopes of maybe doubling my initial investment. Surprisingly I hit it big. I did so well, that I was able to parlay that cash to re-do my leaky basement.

For years my basement would leak every time it rained. Each and every rain season we would spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up the mess and worrying about how in the hell we were ever going to sell the house with such a problem? The cost to dig out the perimeter of the basement and install a drain system was unthinkable without the infusion of cash from the Ritts print.

Last night we had the biggest rain in over 80 years in the Detroit area.  People were drifting around in Kayaks around my neighborhood, with stalled cars littering the streets at every turn.  You see that kind of imagery on the news, but in my lifetime it's never been even thinkable where I live.  When I logged on to Facebook last night, I was shocked to find out that basements were also flooded in and around my town. Friends who lived blocks away had one to two feet of water in their basement. My basement was dry as a bone though. Not a drop.

It just goes to show you the power of photography. Thank you Herb Ritts.

©herb ritts