Simon Barnard Has Left the Building...

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
Drew Chalker

by Skip Cohen

As usual with Sunday Morning Reflections, I rarely write about business and marketing. Most of the time, I don't know what to write about until I sit at the computer. But this morning, I knew exactly what the topic was going to be - the challenge of losing friends as we get older.

I got word yesterday that the industry lost one of its very best, Simon Barnard, past president of Hasselblad UK and later Hasselblad Europe. We didn't see each other very often, but that didn't change the quality of our friendship or the conversation on each video call.

Reading the quote above, Simon came into my life for a lifetime. He retired many years ago, but we stayed in touch through Skype and Facebook. We talked for an hour just before this past Christmas. Hearing Simon died was so unexpected that it sent me into a tailspin. I went through all five stages of grief in the first hour, then started the cycle all over again.

Technology always comes through when I need it most. I didn't have an updated number for Simon and his wife, Anna, because we always connected via social media. But thanks to Facebook working the way it should, she and I connected for a long call. While it was filled with incredible sadness and disbelief, I shared The Adventures of Skip and Simon, and at one point, with both of us crying, we started laughing. Hollywood can't write stuff like the adventures we had!

Simon and I first met at a worldwide Hasselblad distributor/subsidiary meeting in 1987. As an icebreaker, they gave us Viking costumes and took us on a Viking Blut. The beer and Aquavit flowed, and within an hour, close to hundred people became "best friends." That's Simon in the picture on the right, and it's the night our friendship kicked off.

My favorite back-story is the shot of me, Colin Buck, and Simon in tuxedos. Having worked in the US many years before, Colin knew Simon and I were good friends and he was the chairman for an upcoming industry dinner. He called me and, in confidence, let me know Simon was receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 awards dinner for the Professional Photographers Association in the UK. He asked me to come over to help present Simon's award without him knowing. That meant that on arriving in England, I'd have to hide in my hotel room until dinner that evening.

Off I went to the UK, and the way they did the presentation made it one of the most memorable events of my career. Simon's award/recognition was announced at the beginning of the dinner, and he was brought on stage. Colin announced, "Simon, one of your good friends from America, wants to congratulate you on this very special recognition." He and Simon turned to look at the big screen behind them, which had sound but nothing but static for the image. Supposedly, we were hooking up via Skype, but we had a few technical challenges.

Colin said, "Skip, we've got Simon Barnard here, and I'm hoping, even though we can't seem to get a good image, we at least have audio!"  Just off stage in the hallway with a microphone, I started talking to Simon. I congratulated him and added, "You might look more intelligent if you'd stop staring at a blank screen and just turn around."

At that point, I was in the room, standing right behind him. We both teared up a little over the pure surprise of the moment.

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.
Eric Hoffer

Death ends a life, not a relationship.
Dan McCullough

Here's my point - we can't slow down our own aging process, let alone the aging of our friends and loved ones. Dealing with the death of a great friend, you find yourself running through the Memory Lane time warp. It's our memories that keep those special relationships alive, and our photographs have become proof of our ability to stop time and even turn back the clock, if only for minutes.

Wishing everybody time today to appreciate those people you're closest to in your life. Take nothing for granted because we've got no control over when life can change. Whether shooting with a real camera or memory-based "neurochromes" - cherish every moment. All those special moments combined become the story of your life.

And to Simon, who was my BFF long before the expression, buddy, you will be missed. But all the stories we'll share will keep your memory alive and the smile on my face. I'm forever grateful you were part of my life!

Jodi Picoult's quote that I've used so many times is so appropriate:

This is what I like about photographs. They're proof that once,
even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect.