Photography
Take a good look !
Ever since I was a child, I have been intrigued by cameras and photography. My mother had a Brownie Camera. I loved watching how she held the camera as she snapped a picture. I remember mailing the films to get developed and couldn’t wait to see the photos. Of course, this shows my age, but what a great memory!
My Aunt also loved photography, and she had a Movie Camera. (The Perfex Double Eight Model A Movie Camera Original Carry Case Manual)
She loved taking movies of nature, her trips, and her family. As I mentioned in my Book, “Teachable Moments – A Women’s Journey of Self Discovery,” I explained how I always asked my aunt if I could carry her Camera Case while she took pictures. I guess it made me feel important. She was a great example of doing what she enjoyed.
In college, eons ago, I remember taking several photography courses, and one was called Biological Photography. This course was an adventure and one of my favorites. The professor showed a lot of enthusiasm and emphasized how to see things. For example, one day, he said, “we will be going outside, taking photos of insects. Yes, I know it’s raining, which doesn’t matter. You can take good photos in any kind of weather.”
Our assignment was to go out and look under plants for insects. I still remember laying on the ground looking up under all kinds of plants, clicking away, trying to capture what I thought looked interesting. Take a good look, don’t just glance, I reminded myself. That class taught me to be creative and to look for things that are not obvious.
Recently I read, “try taking a picture each hour in a day and see what you come up with.” Were you observing more closing or just glancing?
“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” ~ Ansel Adams
“In photography, there is a subtle reality that it
becomes more real than reality.” ~ Alfred Stieglitz
“Photography takes an instant out of time,
altering life by holding it still.” ~ Dorothea Lange
Thanks for your lovely post and photos, Sandy, they’re great. I am always in awe of professional photographers and the lengths they go to to capture a good shot. They go without sleep to catch the light, whether in the mornings, late nights, or somewhere in-between. They travel miles so they can get away from the lights of the city to see and capture the stars, bringing back magical worlds that all of us somehow relate to deep inside. They climb precipitous pathways, they ford streams and rivers to get a full-on shot, they go out, not just in gentle rains, but searing heat, freezing cold, and some of our journalists brave dangerous war zones to bring captured moments of reality and history to us. I share with you a great fascination and admiration for photography and am most grateful for all I’ve learned over the years, especially with the internet and all it has to offer!
Hello Jen,
I enjoyed reading your comments. We both have a fascination for photography, and I couldn’t help but think of your dear daughter, who did a fantastic job capturing beauty. An art that brings us joy. Thank you for sharing!