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Bruce Caines: Our Common Ground
Bruce Caines (upper left corner); author of Our Common Ground,
“Portraits of Blacks Changing the Face of America" shown with The
books cover illustration. Publication Date: November 16, 1994.
Photo Credit: Lisa R. Bernad, 1993
Bruce Caines was bom in Ja
maica, New York, in 1959, the oldest
o f three sons. Caines’ interest in pho
tography began while he was grow
ing up in Flushing, Queens. Although
he was always taking pictures with
his mother’s Instamatic, Caines want
ed to be an illustrator, and he attend
ed the H igh School o f Art and Design
in Manhattan with that intention.
“Art and Design is unique be
cause the curriculum is a lot like
college,” says Caines. “They make
you spend time in different depart
ments during your first year; because
of this, I was exposed to several
different things 1 wanted to pursue.
First it was illustration, then anima
tion, then cinematography.” While
in the cinema department Caines in
terned with a fashion photographer
because “it just seemed interesting.”
That experience changed his career.
After graduating from Art and
Design as a photo major, Caines at
tended college at the highly regarded
School of Visual Arts in New York
City, where he continued his studies
in photography. To help pay his tu
ition, he worked six to eight hours a
night at New York’s main post office
during the holiday season. “I could
barely stay awake in class, so I was
forced to quit,” During his junior
year, Caines began working part-
time for dance and theater photogra
pher Lois Greenfield. “Lois was just
establishing herself and looking for
someone with a strong lighting knowl
edge to enhance her skills,” says
Caines. "I was looking for a different
experience from the commercial work
I had already been exposed to.”
On weekends, Caines pursued
his interest in music - writing songs,
playing lead guitar, and singing in a
band with some high school friends.
“ I realized I was a better photogra
pher than musician, so the odds
against starving would be in my fa
vor if I gave up music and pursued a
career in photography. Itwasatough
decision because I love music.”
While at SV A, Caines joined
the school’s Public Advertising Sys
tem, which was run by two advertis
ing professionals and staffed by ten
select students. They created print
and television advertising campaigns
for nonprofit organizations.
Caines graduated from SV A with
a Bachelor o f Fine Arts in Photogra
phy and then worked in a catalog
house for a summer, shooting every
thing from blenders to shoes. Fash
ion photographer Palma Kolansky,
an instructor he had studied with and
befriended at SVA, asked ifhe would
be interested in working as her assis
tant. Caines jumped at the chance.
For the next several years Caines
worked as a freelance assistant to
Kolansky and several other top fash
ion, still-life, and illustration pho
tographers, including Jim Salzano,
Rebecca Blake and Jim Barber. As a
freelance assistant, he not only pho
tographed food and celebrities in the
studio, but also shot from a hot air
balloon and the top o f the Verrazano
Narrows Bridge in New York.
In 1989, Caines went out on his
own with clients ranging from Es
sence magazine, Newsweek, Emerge,
and LA Style, to fashion designer
Rose M arie W oulfe, C olum bia
Records, and Merrill Lynch. In re
cent years he has been concentrating
less on fashion and more on person
alitie s, both c e le b ritie s and
noncelebrities. “There’s a difference
when you shoot people as opposed to
models. Models are nice, but they are
pretending to be somebody for the
shot. When I do portraits of people,
I get a real personality on film. I like
to shoot informally because then peo
ple seem more real, more accessi
ble.”
Although he is a workaholic,
Caines makes time to volunteer his
services as a photographer for the
American Cancer Society’s” Look
Good, Feel Better” program. He also
donates much of his time to New Y ork
Cares, where he makes himself avail
able to inner-city children for week
end outings and other recreation.
Co-Anchor
Hired For
Newscasts
Cam Johnson has been hired as
co-anchor for the weekend editions
of Newscenter 6. Johnson will team
with current anchor Ken Boddie. In
addition, she will anchor the Fox
Newsat lOweekend newscasts which
KOIN produces for KPDX.
Johnson comes to KOIN from
KDRV-TV in M edford, Oregon
where she anchored their 5, 6 &
11pm weekly newscasts. Prior to that,
she was anchor, reporter and pro
ducer for the weekend news at
KAMC-TV in Lubbock, Texas.
Johnson, originally from Belle
vue, Washington, is a graduate of
Texas Christian University, where
she majored in Broadcast Journal
& ({//
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featuring Louisiana style
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104 NE Russel
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A d vertise In
15900 Boones Ferry Road
in Lake Grove, Oregon
636-0017
Gullah Gullah Island, a new
participatory, multicultural show
from Perez Minton Productions.
(PMP) will premiered
on Nickelodeon on Monday,
October 24, at 11:30 a m. The half-
hour series is part of Nick Jr.’s
preschool program ming block,
which airs weekdays from 9:00 a m.
- 2:00 p.m.
The show centered around a
real-life African-American family:
Ron and Natalie Daise and their
three children Natalie and Ron drew
preschoolers into their nurturing,
stable family setting, and also use
their skills as artists, writers and
performers to entertain and educate
through stories, music and crafts.
Gullah Gullah Island was ex
ecutive produced by PMP co
founders Maria Perez and Kathleen
Minton. Kit Layboume, creative
director, created the show with
Perez and Minton.
“Gullah Gullah Island is em
blematic of Perez Minton Produc
tions” approach - programming that
entertains and that reflects the com
plex, multicultural experience in
America from a child’s perspec
tive,” said Perez, who is also exec
utive producer o f Mama Day a fea
ture film based on the Gloria Nay lor
novel, currently in pre-production.
“ W e’re g ratified by N ick
elo d eo n ’s vote o f confidence in
Gullah Gullah Island. This show
represented a unique o p p ortu
nity for preschoolers to view
and p articipate with a warm and
loving family who have a gift
for her work as senior producer
o f th e p r e s c h o o l s e r ie s
E ureeka’s C astle.
Gullah Gullah island was an
imaginary place that was tucked
among the real Sea Islands along
the South Carolina and Georgia
W onderful sm ells o f home
cooking will fill the theatre on
N ovem ber 11th and 12th, 18th,
and 19th. Just call it another one
o f Mr. C ’s (E rnie C a sc ia to ’s)
ways to keep his audiences en
tertain ed . “ The Art o f D ining” is
a play about Cal and Ellen, ow n
ers o f a sm all, elegant gourm et
restaurant. C a l's main p reo ccu
pation is paying back the $75,000
it cost to start it up - and that
m eans packing in the custom ers.
C h ef Ellen is preo ccu p ied with
Œlje
3|hirt lauft
(Ohscrucr
( all 503-288-0033
presents
Hollywood
Pictures
(The ^ o rtla n h
(Dhscvucr
jm
PINIHI
A
LOW
DOWN
n iR T Y
S hame
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^»nw iM H iK
Ron and Natalie Daise (top left and second from right) invite
preschoolers to their home on Gullah Gullah Island for songs,
stories, games and laughter with daughter Shaina (Shaina
Freeman, bottom left), son James (James Coleman II, right), baby
Simeon (The Daises' real life son, held by Ron) and Binyah Binyah
Pollywong, a bright yellow tree frog (bottom center), weekdays from
11:30 a.m. - 12 noon, ET/PT on Niclelodeon.
coasts. Based loosely on Gullah, the
unique culture that richly blends Af
rican and American customs and in
cludes its own distinct language, the
show welcomed young viewers into
a wonderful world where learning is
playing and playing is learning.
The work of Natalie and Ron
Daise celebrates the culture of the
Sea Islands off the Southern Atlantic
coast. Their careers create natural
opportunities for a rich and diverse
world to pass through their home,
which includes theirchildren James,
Sara and baby Simeon. With the
Daise family as the heart o f the
show, friends, relatives, neighbors
and colleagues from an extended
family - one that will, by design,
included the viewer as well.
La Salic To Present “ Nutritious” Entertainment
SU U
RICHARDSON
■anai
Wednesday
Jam Session
3415 NE B roadw ay
Portland, O R 97212
From Perez Minton Productions Premiered On Nickelodeon October 24, 11:30 A.M.
K U M IN IVORY
WAYAMS
ism.
Live Mesic
"fi’orruvi
Gullah Gullah Island,” New Children’ s Show
a s ili ih |W
S
F ifty C omplimentary T ickets
A vailable F rom
T he P ortland O bserver .
4747 NE MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD..
FOR A THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 17TH
SHOWING'
TICKETS GIVEN ON A FIRST-COME.
FIRST-SERVED BASIS. LIMITED QUANTITY.
f.
the quality o f the food - and sto p
ping Cal from sam pling the in
gredients. This h ilarious com edy
is sure to be a favorite. P erfor
m ances are scheduled for 8 p.m.
and tickets are $4 for students
an d s e n io rs c itiz e n s ; $5 for
adults. T ickets may be purchased
at La Salle High School p rio r to
curtain. La Salle is located at
1 1 9 9 9 SE F u lle r R o ad in
M ilw aukie, ju s t two blocks w est
o f the C lackam as Town C enter
betw een Harm ony and C ausey.