Gail Hill. Gail is one of the most hardcore, talented, creative, rock out bitches I know. I met her when I was 15 and wanted to be a photographer. She was one, although she is an artist first and foremost (don't get me started on the definitions but let's just say photo isn't her only medium and I consider her cooking sinfully delicious art). I wanted to work for her. She said, "That's nice but I don't have assistants." And I said, "I don't care, I want to work for you." So I ended up cleaning her toilets and scrubbing her floors and polishing her leather couch. Eventually I moved up to mixing chemistry and making contact sheets. For every hour I worked with her I got an hour in her darkroom. It was a sweet deal. It also helped that I was on the verge of dropping out high school (which I essentially did, but only for 1 year!) and I could get school credit if I hung out at her studio. And I didn't want to spend anymore time at home than absolutely necessary so I kind of moved in and became part of her extended family.

Gail is an artist first but also one of the most generous, caring, loving, supportive women I've ever met. What I remember most about those early years together was just experiencing things (art, food, life), taking the time to really look, listening and learning how to appreciate beauty and how to trust my own instincts (I may need a refresher on this again soon). Gail has been through shit. So much fucking shit it would make your head spin and mere mortals collapse. But she has come through it all with two wonderful (gulp) grown daughters, a lifetime of wisdom to share and she has never, ever lost the ability to love. She is not scared to love, not scared to make mistakes, not scared to laugh and to smile. She's learned to ask for help when she needs it and give so much back in return. Sure, she started as someone who taught me about photography and old cameras and quality and simplicity but she's turned into a woman I am so proud to call one of my closest friends and one of the strongest people on the planet.