dave.gt
Well-known member
Memorial Day has arrived once again.
A time for reflection for sure, and a time for asking many questions while we honor those we lost in the past.
https://www.google.com/search?q=memorial+day&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
It is also, oddly, the unofficial start of summer for so many.
For me, other than what it really is, a day of remembrance as stated in the link above, it is a day of remembrance of all things and photographically, my mind goes to the days of my personal journey.
Remember when? Yes, it is good to have a foundation of memories, as I am constantly reminded when I try to have a conversation with my dear brother-in-law who is now suffering from dementia. He was more than a brother for me when I was a motherless young person in school, and going through life changes. He still remembers some of his times in the Navy and on board the destroyer on which he served his time.
I remember when things were simple in comparison to contemporary times. My old Nikon FM, my first quality SLR, was a struggle to obtain and Medium Format was only something I read about occasionally in magazines.
Photos then were fun with a less serious side and serving as items for discussion and memories. Kodachrome. My dear remembrances of that film will always remain with me. Images of vacations and our children growing up.
Using my old cameras of the past produced boxes of prints and slides that I am preparing for family members to have in both electronic and physical form. Working through the "time-machine" of photography has been very good for me.
Remember when? Like the first trip to the beach in Florida and seeing the splendor of the ocean. Like the photos of our marriage so many years ago as we embarked on a journey uncertain but filled with dreams and hope. Like the images of our children being brought home from the hospital just days after their birth. Like images of our grandchildren following in their footsteps.
Yes, I remember when Photography for us was an innocent, and fulfilling experience for simply looking at prints or slides. Today, photography is a struggle with expensive equipment and no sense of place in everyday life other than the
noise of social media, and passionate forum discussions. All have their place, for sure. Times have changed.
But, that 4x6 color print of our son, age 2, sitting in a rocking chair in our little home with the backlight of the morning sun illuminating the room and his angelic face... melts my heart.
So, today, no digital camera for me. I have six hours in which to clean up our current little home in preparation for the holiday weekend.
By the middle of the afternoon, my film retrieved from the freezer will have thawed and will be ready to be loaded in my little FM2n and my Nikkornat FTn. One color, the other black and white.
It will be fun to get back to my roots again. Then later, I will load 120 slide film into the HB for a little time machine journey edging back to the current time. When my film journey is completed for this week... maybe I can figure out where my photographic journey should be headed, as I return to the digital world.
I think I already know.
How about you guys?
Ever wonder why you "take photographs"? What do you do with them if not part of your making a living? What purpose do you have for chasing the illusion of perfection?
Remembrances. That is the bottom line for me. And it is why I choose to search for yet another project of inspiration for those who have suffered trauma, diseases, and catastrophic health problems in their lives. They inspire me. They are my remembrances, and I hope they will have their own amidst the challenges they face each day.
Remember when?:thumbup:
A time for reflection for sure, and a time for asking many questions while we honor those we lost in the past.
https://www.google.com/search?q=memorial+day&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
It is also, oddly, the unofficial start of summer for so many.
For me, other than what it really is, a day of remembrance as stated in the link above, it is a day of remembrance of all things and photographically, my mind goes to the days of my personal journey.
Remember when? Yes, it is good to have a foundation of memories, as I am constantly reminded when I try to have a conversation with my dear brother-in-law who is now suffering from dementia. He was more than a brother for me when I was a motherless young person in school, and going through life changes. He still remembers some of his times in the Navy and on board the destroyer on which he served his time.
I remember when things were simple in comparison to contemporary times. My old Nikon FM, my first quality SLR, was a struggle to obtain and Medium Format was only something I read about occasionally in magazines.
Photos then were fun with a less serious side and serving as items for discussion and memories. Kodachrome. My dear remembrances of that film will always remain with me. Images of vacations and our children growing up.
Using my old cameras of the past produced boxes of prints and slides that I am preparing for family members to have in both electronic and physical form. Working through the "time-machine" of photography has been very good for me.
Remember when? Like the first trip to the beach in Florida and seeing the splendor of the ocean. Like the photos of our marriage so many years ago as we embarked on a journey uncertain but filled with dreams and hope. Like the images of our children being brought home from the hospital just days after their birth. Like images of our grandchildren following in their footsteps.
Yes, I remember when Photography for us was an innocent, and fulfilling experience for simply looking at prints or slides. Today, photography is a struggle with expensive equipment and no sense of place in everyday life other than the
noise of social media, and passionate forum discussions. All have their place, for sure. Times have changed.
But, that 4x6 color print of our son, age 2, sitting in a rocking chair in our little home with the backlight of the morning sun illuminating the room and his angelic face... melts my heart.
So, today, no digital camera for me. I have six hours in which to clean up our current little home in preparation for the holiday weekend.
By the middle of the afternoon, my film retrieved from the freezer will have thawed and will be ready to be loaded in my little FM2n and my Nikkornat FTn. One color, the other black and white.
It will be fun to get back to my roots again. Then later, I will load 120 slide film into the HB for a little time machine journey edging back to the current time. When my film journey is completed for this week... maybe I can figure out where my photographic journey should be headed, as I return to the digital world.
I think I already know.
How about you guys?
Ever wonder why you "take photographs"? What do you do with them if not part of your making a living? What purpose do you have for chasing the illusion of perfection?
Remembrances. That is the bottom line for me. And it is why I choose to search for yet another project of inspiration for those who have suffered trauma, diseases, and catastrophic health problems in their lives. They inspire me. They are my remembrances, and I hope they will have their own amidst the challenges they face each day.
Remember when?:thumbup:
