Weir McBride

In  a world that’s moving faster than the speed of light Weir McBride was a true Renaissance Man.  He had a unique ability to take the most ego inspired personalities and get the most out of them. He had a great sense of humor and the ability to be a great friend on many different levels.  Weir was a man who could motivate me to do things I normally would not do photographically.
On one hand we had nothing in common and on the other hand we had a lot in common.  We both were in Chicago in 1968 and we both photographed Mohammed Ali.  He transcended just being a great photographer – he was a great communicator as well. All in all, Weir was an extremely honest, sincere and dynamic person. If he disagreed with you, he took the gloves off and told you to your face, not behind your back. When Weir spoke I listened and I will miss those conversations. To be honest I’m in shock right now, not something any of us had expected.

On a recent trip to Cuba I was using my Singh Ray Gold-N-Blue Filter and  I was thinking about Weir as I made the shot.  I will think about you Weir up in heaven and if I get a small tug on my ponytail, I’ll know it’s you.  A lot of people really loved you Weir, as well as had great respect for you.  I’m one of those people and my partner JoAnne Kalish is one as well.  We’ll all miss you Rest in Peace – you made a difference.

Joe DiMaggio