Capturing Life in Pictures
Sunday, February 22, 2015
I remember a day at work many years ago, when I looked out the window at the snowy, icy day. As the sparkling wetness fell, it coated the trees' branches as though it was completing a Paint-by-Number composition. All day, as I walked the halls and worked, my eyes were drawn to whatever window I passed, and the desire grew to capture the wintry beauty in pictures. That often happens to me--that "calling" that says something, someone, or someplace needs to be captured in a picture.
When I was a little girl, my Uncle George Efantis, an amateur photographer by hobby, encouraged me when he gave me one of his cameras. It was a complicated 35mm that I never learned to use well because, not long after, my uncle had a stroke that changed his life and our relationship forever. However, the fascination remained, and while growing up, I took typical pictures with standard Kodak and Polaroids cameras. Then, my friend bought me my first digital camera, and I started to see people and the world differently.
That camera was amazing for its time. It was a Mavrica and used hard disks that held maybe 12 pictures each that could be transferred onto a computer for printing. So on a road trip along the Michigan and Canada scenic drive, I carried about 500 hard disks and photographed to my heart's content. I really didn't know what I was doing, technically, but every so often I captured a scene that was most memorable. Truth be told, if I missed a scene, there was usually a good story that went with that, too.
So over the years I have taken many photographs--many more than I ever should have really, because that desire to capture moments in time lives on in me. The difference now is that I really try to think about what and why and how I am capturing the moment. I try to think about what I or maybe my daughter would like to see and remember some distant time from now.
Nature has always interested me in all its colors, changes, and connectedness to mankind and the life cycle; so, I feel such joy when photographing nature. I photograph beautiful sunsets, which to others "look the same," but to me are unique events distinguishable by the slightest differences be it in a shading of purples or oranges infiltrating the scene, in the surprise of a seagull sneaking across the frame, in the flutter of a sail on the boat crossing the horizon, or the rays' reflections on the glass-like lake. Then, of course, there is the joy of photographing living things from the smallest insect to the most unexpected beast. Sometimes it's just a bumblebee buzzing around a beautiful flower, the ducks playing beneath the falling waters, the tall grasses blowing in a breeze and scattering the visiting insects, an otter gathering goodies for its family. or a bison demonstrating its courting routine. How can photography not be fun when involving natural beauty.
Of course, capturing my family and friends in pictures is important to me, as well. I love seeing their expressions over time. When I unexpectedly capture a series of moments involving a particular subject's actions or expressions, it's joyful. I love photographing a couple of people or a group when their eyes, mouths, or touches tell a whole story.
Lately, I have taken to street photography which is the art of capturing the human condition in public places. I can't say I always stay true to that definition, but I love to capture people at work; people showing one emotion like fear, joy, or love; people around the globe in their cultures, traditions, and various living conditions; people in everyday situations. All of these make me feel so connected to life--to our world.
Photography is a hobby that allows me to appreciate the smallest detail and the big picture. How can it not be fun when it helps your eyes "spot" and "frame" these moments, and in turn capture a piece of life for someone else to experience.
I remember a day at work many years ago, when I looked out the window at the snowy, icy day. As the sparkling wetness fell, it coated the trees' branches as though it was completing a Paint-by-Number composition. All day, as I walked the halls and worked, my eyes were drawn to whatever window I passed, and the desire grew to capture the wintry beauty in pictures. That often happens to me--that "calling" that says something, someone, or someplace needs to be captured in a picture.
When I was a little girl, my Uncle George Efantis, an amateur photographer by hobby, encouraged me when he gave me one of his cameras. It was a complicated 35mm that I never learned to use well because, not long after, my uncle had a stroke that changed his life and our relationship forever. However, the fascination remained, and while growing up, I took typical pictures with standard Kodak and Polaroids cameras. Then, my friend bought me my first digital camera, and I started to see people and the world differently.
That camera was amazing for its time. It was a Mavrica and used hard disks that held maybe 12 pictures each that could be transferred onto a computer for printing. So on a road trip along the Michigan and Canada scenic drive, I carried about 500 hard disks and photographed to my heart's content. I really didn't know what I was doing, technically, but every so often I captured a scene that was most memorable. Truth be told, if I missed a scene, there was usually a good story that went with that, too.
So over the years I have taken many photographs--many more than I ever should have really, because that desire to capture moments in time lives on in me. The difference now is that I really try to think about what and why and how I am capturing the moment. I try to think about what I or maybe my daughter would like to see and remember some distant time from now.
Nature has always interested me in all its colors, changes, and connectedness to mankind and the life cycle; so, I feel such joy when photographing nature. I photograph beautiful sunsets, which to others "look the same," but to me are unique events distinguishable by the slightest differences be it in a shading of purples or oranges infiltrating the scene, in the surprise of a seagull sneaking across the frame, in the flutter of a sail on the boat crossing the horizon, or the rays' reflections on the glass-like lake. Then, of course, there is the joy of photographing living things from the smallest insect to the most unexpected beast. Sometimes it's just a bumblebee buzzing around a beautiful flower, the ducks playing beneath the falling waters, the tall grasses blowing in a breeze and scattering the visiting insects, an otter gathering goodies for its family. or a bison demonstrating its courting routine. How can photography not be fun when involving natural beauty.
Of course, capturing my family and friends in pictures is important to me, as well. I love seeing their expressions over time. When I unexpectedly capture a series of moments involving a particular subject's actions or expressions, it's joyful. I love photographing a couple of people or a group when their eyes, mouths, or touches tell a whole story.
Lately, I have taken to street photography which is the art of capturing the human condition in public places. I can't say I always stay true to that definition, but I love to capture people at work; people showing one emotion like fear, joy, or love; people around the globe in their cultures, traditions, and various living conditions; people in everyday situations. All of these make me feel so connected to life--to our world.
Photography is a hobby that allows me to appreciate the smallest detail and the big picture. How can it not be fun when it helps your eyes "spot" and "frame" these moments, and in turn capture a piece of life for someone else to experience.
What a glorious description of the joys of photography! The description of the 500 discs brought a smile to my face! How times have changed. Thank you for sharing your feelings about an art you do so well.
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