Chapter Text
Captured Moments
Photographs by Ethan Quartermaine & James Bond
There was no doubt that the book stayed on the New York Bestseller List for an entire year.
In the heart of London, a tale unfolded, captured in a book that chronicled Bond and Q’s journey, laid bare in candid pictures and intimate anecdotes, a testament to the depth of their new connection.
The coffee table book was titled “Captured Moments” and it beckoned readers into a world where Q and Bond shared their artistic and creative perspectives, with their closest friends lending their own pictures and words to the narrative, mostly through cheeky commentaries that breathed life into the pages.
As readers delved into the book, they were greeted by a snapshot of Bond and Q in a dimly lit London pub, laughing over a shared joke that transcended the confines of their professional lives. The candid picture, shared by Danny, revealed joy and love – the main themes of the book – of two very different artists who had learned to communicate through the camera lens.
Q wrote, “James had just told me the most absurd joke.”
Bond wrote, “It was a very naughty one.”
Danny wrote, ”None of us are allowed to re-tell it, but imagine the dirtiest joke you can think of and that was the one that James told.”
The images that followed painted a portrait of their lives; a candid shot of Bond cooking in the kitchen and wearing an apron that read “I Like the Top Bunk.”
Bond wrote, “If you only knew of the chaos that ensued in the kitchen afterward.”
Q wrote, ”I see that the commentary from Bond is one of sex.”
Bond wrote, “You would know.”
Another photo was of Q, stifling his yawn at the table, the detritus of breakfast spread out in front of him. His expression was shy, eyes sleepy, and thick wavy hair all over the place.
Bond wrote, “For a long time, Q would never let me take a truly candid photo of him. But now I have hundreds of him and I find myself reluctant to share them with anyone.”
Q wrote, “Ironic, I know, that a photographer doesn’t like his own photo taken. I’m not critical of the picture taken, but of the subject in the frame.”
As the narrative unfolded through the hundreds of pictures in the book, it became apparent that the book was more than a collection of work and art; it was a testament to the challenges that they faced.
Alex wrote, “You could see it in their eyes – the unspoken words, the promises made. Bond’s gaze held a depth of emotion that went beyond the cool and laissez-faire exterior he often projected.”
The last chapter of the book was filled with the photographs shared by family and close friends. They were just scenes of the mundane, normal, daily life of these two extraordinary men.
Bond wrote, “It was the realization that love could be a more formidable force than anything the world could throw at me – at us. We could face them together.”
Q wrote, “It was my insecurity that drove him away; but it was his love that made me realize how wrong I was to be so cavalier with what he gave me. Everything I could want and need.”
In the book’s epilogue, Danny penned a poignant ending for Q and Bond.
Danny wrote, “Their work is brilliant and it’s so easy to see just the surface beauty. Everyone wants to live in a picture perfect world, but it’s not real. Life is messy and weird and problematic, it’s filled with so much noise. But Bond and Q, through their art, can cut through the bullshit and show what’s at their core – and our core – and help us see what’s truly important – love, joy, laughter, friendship, family, and connection.”
THE END.