As long as I remember, I've had a camera and delighted in taking and sharing pictures of friends, nature scenes, and more. So I was heartbroken five years ago, when a repair person told me that my long-time favorite (Nikon) camera could not be resurrected. Nikon no longer had that category of camera any more, so I sighed and bought another brand. But I never liked the quality of its pictures much, so I felt like I'd just been hobbling with it for years.
Thus it was a true thrill for me a few months ago when I finally bought a digital point-and-shoot camera! I'd been wanting to buy a digital until we were past the high-priced first generation, but hadn't been sure what to buy. There were so many options. And how good was the quality? I'd been taking digital pics with my iPod Touch for about a year, and had gotten some decent shots, but it just whet my appetite for a better quality option.
My breakthrough in this process came when I found a wonderful salesperson at a local store (Best Buy) who walked me through my decision-making process, to figure out the best option for my needs and priorities. What a blessing! And finally a shiny new (Canon) camera was in my hands!
Since then, I confess I've been a little bit of a picture-taking demon. Giddy just to pull out my camera. Sometimes taking hundreds of pictures in a couple hours. Thrilled to share them with people. Bouncy inside like a little kid. And, wow, it's amazing the quality one can get nowadays in a reasonably-priced digital camera!
How can I explain it? It's like taking pictures is a natural extension of my consciousness. I see pictures all the time — the way the light hits a moment that's so beautiful that I melt. The juxtaposition of unexpected objects that generates a dancing opposition and reveals something beyond words. That magical "click" in my gut which makes me stop and look at something, even before my mind knows why or what it is, and I am pulled by that inspiration to something new.
But in those moments, when I didn't have a good camera, I just had to sigh, take a mental picture for myself, and move on. And be OK with that.
But now ... I get to try to capture it again! Now when I see something beautiful or interesting, I can take try to capture it, explore its qualities from different angles, take it home with me, savor it later, and share it with others. Now, that's my idea of a good time!
The digital part is wonderful too, because you can see the pictures when you're taking them -- to know if you got what you want, or explore trying the shot another way. Plus you can take as many pictures as you want, without wasting paper or paying processing fees. Ah, freedom!
But there's more to why I'm enjoying reconnecting to this so much. It's like... just the process of taking the pictures deepens me into that moment, exploring at an intuitive level whatever it was that sparked me, wandering with it, getting to know it, teasing out the elements that fascinated me, feeling how it resonates back with who I am and where I am on life's path. It's connects me to the me that experiences life's journey so deeply....
And yes there are downsides to having this new camera in my life, certainly! Like when I take hundreds of pictures and have to go through them when I get home. It takes hours! Oh my, what was I thinking?!
But, ah, when I see the culled set, the special shots that worked, when I capture something of what I saw ... oh, it's soooo worth it. So I accept the culling time as just part of my process and my learning curve, the way that I'm refining my ability to get the shots I want, seeing what works and doesn't, and being surprised by what I didn't expect. Hopefully, I'll increase my efficiency as my path unfolds, though I still think the process remains.
And I plan to keep exploring, avoiding the rote formulas, pushing the edges. Because that's fun for me too.
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me about this blog posting. It's a new blog style and topic for me. What worked for you about it? Does any of what I shared happen for you too? Was it fun to read and view?
I've also included links to more of my pics below. Please let me know which ones you like!
Blessings -- Patricia
SOME OF MY PHOTO ALBUMS
Note: These are on Facebook but I put them on the Public setting, so you should be able to see them even if you're not on Facebook. (Let me know if you can't.)
* Giant Dahlias July 1, 2012
These were so boldly beautiful, I had to pull out my camera! And I confess play with them in Photoshop just a tad.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4305673683748.2178010.1343951159&type=1&l=c1b8d4af55
* Visiting Lisa + Tony's Garden + Art June 2, 2012
It's always such a pleasure being in Lisa's garden, Tony's studio, and their shared artistic space. Thanks as always for the warm hospitality!
I had so much fun exploring Ellen Swenson's garden, with her roses and more in such springtime glory. Plus she has some lovely garden details. Oh, and if anyone knows what particular variety a flower is, please feel free to note it! I love learning the names.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4025264913704.2172790.1343951159&type=3&l=8d8e1a98f8
* HopMonk Flowers May 5, 2012
The white roses here just take my breath away.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3965945950767.2171854.1343951159&type=3&l=e3885bb736
* Barlow Warehouse Fire Aftermath June 1, 2012
This one is a little change of pace. We had a local fire at one of the buildings at the Barlow project, which is finally being developed in Sebastopol to feature local food and wine, after a long winding journey. I went by after the fire was out and everything had settled down, and the supe was nice enough to let me onsite to look around. I had my camera with me, so I thought I'd take some pics to share, since I suspected I wasn't the only one curious to know what had happened onsite.
The good news is that no one was hurt in the fire, and it was only a minor setback to the project as they hadn't started work on the old building where the fire was. It was on a cement pad, and they were going to remove the metal skin anyway. But they had planned to keep the metal structure, so they'll have to recreate that part. However, the biggest loss was to all the vintage clothes that Aubergine was storing in there. Heartbreaking! The clothes also provided fuel for the fire. The supe said that lots of clothes had already been carted away. (6 dumpsters?) It was weird seeing all this amazing clothing in such weird piles.
So I took pics of all this, to show others what I saw, to document it, like a citizen journalist, and because I thought the images were interesting and unexpected from an artistic viewpoint.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4145065348640.2174960.1343951159&type=3&l=cec67e4e86
Also here are some more artistic riffs I did on one of the images. Like an abstract! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4145176191411.2174963.1343951159&type=3&l=c082bcd5ed
Blog content (c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2012. All rights reserved. Links are encouraged! My content is also available for reprint, but please contact me for permission first. Thanks!
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I hope you enjoyed this piece and welcome your thoughts. Tell me what you like about it, or any other constructive thoughts you want to share. Thanks!