Christiane Covington
Christiane Covington was a friend of mine in the mid 1980s, and one of the most talented individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing. An outstanding photographer,
writer, film-maker and singer, she tragically died in a drowning accident off the coast of Maui on May 13, 2009.
Christy loved motion pictures and the craft of film-making. She worked as script supervisor on many feature films and TV programs, and I never knew anyone more passionate about cinema. We met while working together on
a UCLA graduate student film, and during the next several years she gave me prints of some of her photographs, which I have valued to this day.
Christy was born with an aesthetic eye, and with creativity in her blood. She wrote many screenplays, directed many plays, and made several independent films.
Her dream was to become a feature film director, and I know that if she lived, one day she would have met that goal, too. (A video tribute to Christy, made by her sister Cassandra, can be viewed
here.)
Christy was a dreamer, and if she decided to do something, she would follow that path relentlessly until her dream was fulfilled. She was the first female dolphin
trainer at Sea World—at a time when the field was dominated by men. She simply hung around until they realized that she wasn't going away, so they HAD to hire her. That was the way Christy
operated: if she wanted something, nothing could stop her. In spite of this she was a spiritual and peaceful soul, always striving to learn more about life and her place in it. She
had a boundless curiosity, a kind and gentle disposition, and loads and loads of talent.
Christy took photography seriously. She worked back in the days before digital cameras became the norm, so after taking each picture with the utmost skill and
care, she developed her prints by hand in the darkroom. She had a knack for photographing people, and brought out the best in friends and strangers alike. She had a unique,
optimistic way of viewing the world, full of humor, whimsy, and love.
I include some of Christy’s photos below, for I feel that she would have liked them to be available for public view. If anyone reading this knew Christy and has
other examples of her photographs to share, please contact me and I will be pleased to include them here.
