The Story Of Nate

The Story Of Nate I met Nate on a busy sidewalk in Glenwood Springs. As I was walking he saw my camera and stopped me to ask, “Is that film?” He told me he used to work in a darkroom, experimenting with prints, spraying developer and fixing them before the image could fully appear. He asked if I’d photograph him. I said yes. While I was shooting, a man named Ollie walked up. Nate told me he’d been helping him get clean. Ollie said he hadn’t used in a week. Another man, Ryan, joined us. Nate checked in on him too. At one point, Nate picked up a ukulele with no strings and pretended to play. He asked if I could bring him some. I told him I’d come back. The next day, I couldn’t find him. His dog was tied up nearby, alone. I walked around for a while, then left the strings and kept looking. When I came back, he was there, stringing the ukulele. I showed him the photos from the day before. He looked at them quietly, then started to cry. After a while, someone rode up on a bike and thanked Nate for fixing it. Ollie came back, and Nate offered him food and water. A woman stopped to feed his dog. People kept arriving, and Nate kept giving. Before I left, he told me he wanted to collaborate someday. He said he’d be leaving soon. I only knew him for a short time, but it was enough. Even with very little, he was still taking care of the people around him.