Former BJ photography director Michael Good and wife Sally Good are celebrating their 48^th wedding anniversary Thursday, August 15 at a bed & breakfast on Whidbey Island.

They have a view of Puget Sound from their room.
It’s a ferry ride from Lake Stevens, where they have lived since 1998. Lake Stevens is 45 minutes north of Seattle.

Their romance began at Ashland High School in Ashland, Ohio. After a breakup when they went to different colleges and then they had a reunion worthy of a movie scene that should star Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as Michael and Sally.

I’ll let Michael explain, because he did it so well:

“Sally and I met in high school in our senior year in Ashland, Ohio. Her dad was manager of a national department store chain and was transferred to Ashland that year. Poor Sally transferred to a new school in her senior year (from New Jersey) and didn’t know a soul. I took quick care of that.

“We dated that year of high school but broke up after we graduated in the spring of 1968 and went off to different colleges. The following summer (1969) Sally came back to Ashland and remembered I was working as a photographer at the Ashland Times-Gazette. She came looking for me but I was out on assignment. When I returned my boss said ‘Hey, there was some cute girl in here looking for you.’

“He described her and I immediately knew it was Sally. I ran out, jumped in my car and started driving around town looking for her. I found her in a phone booth on Main Street calling her parents (who had since moved to Detroit). She saw me, hung up the phone and jumped in my car.

“We’ve been together ever since. We married on August 14, 1971.

“Since then we’ve moved all over the country for different newspaper jobs (Washington State, Denver, Washington, D.C. and Ohio) . . . still very much in love.”

Michael added:

“I’m planning to be at the ABJ reunion this fall (October 6 at Wingfoot Lake State Park). Regretfully, Sally won’t be with me at the reunion. She’ll be with her sister in Chicago.

“I was at the Beacon from 1987 to 1998 as a photographer, Beacon Magazine photographer and finally director-of-photography). Hope to see you this fall.”

Michael’s Facebook post that caught me attention:

“Happy Anniversary, my love! Thanks for 48 great years with many more to come. I love you, Sally!”

In a photo of Michael drilling holes for Sally’s plant holder he posted:

“Anything for you, Dear.”

Sally chimed in:

“48 years ago, on one of my first dates with Michael, we had our picture taken in a photo booth at Cedar Point. On our 44^th anniversary we went in a photo booth and had another picture taken of us together.

“Looking back, several songs come to mind, like ‘Happy Together’ ‘Only Just Begun,’ ‘In My Life.’ Thank you, Michael, for sharing your life with me and I'm looking forward to being together for many more anniversaries!”

Michael retired from Michael Good Photography, his business on Puget Sound, about two years ago.

The photos that Michael took of weddings were named Seattle Bride Magazine’s Best of 2009.

Michael is a former Ohio State student from Ashland, Ohio who was photography director at 44 E. Exchange Street, the Washington Times, the Lorain Journal and the Bellevue Journal-American in the state of Washington. The BJA no longer exists. The BJ barely does.

On his Puget Sound business Facebook page he posted:

“I am a career photojournalist specializing in weddings, events, portraits, fine art boudoir and nature photography. My story-telling photography artistically captures real moments and heartfelt emotions.”

“Fine art boudoir” is artistic nude shots, which reminded me of the work of another former BJ photographer, Ott Gangl.

If you can’t wait to congratulate Michael at Wingfoot Lake Park during the BJ Newsroom reunion in October, Michael’s business email is Michael@michaelgoodphotography.com and he also has an email address that is mgoodphotography@icloud.com