Sy Parrish: And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it's this: I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.
Bill Owens: Sy, there's a 1000 other places where you can do your photos. There's no reason to come all the way down other than to fuck with me.
Sy Parrish: There's a very good reason. I calibrated that machine personally. It's the best mini-lab in the state.
Sy Parrish: Most people don't take snapshots of the little things. The used Band-Aid, the guy at the gas station, the wasp on the Jell-O. But these are the things that make up the true picture of our lives. People don't take pictures of these things.
Sy Parrish: The shutter is clicked. The flash goes off and they've stopped time, as if just for the blink of an eye.
Answer: It wasn't his mother. He was just trying to fit in and make himself feel better. There is a scene earlier of Sy buying the photo at some type of vendor. Maybe a swap meet.
William Bergquist