Photography as Self-Help – The one that started it all

I’m no professional photographer. I have “an eye,” for sure… at least, that’s what I’ve been told. I know what I like… what moves me… and I love capturing it!

Back in 2005 (or there-abouts) I bought a $10 throw-away camera… cuz, back then in the dark ages, we didn’t have phones that took pictures. At least, I don’t think so. I was unemployed by virtue of the immigration process, lonely while my husband was at work and bored outta my head. So, I bought the camera and pulled my hiney outside for some natural anti-depressants.

Coming from California, I was amazed by colors I’d rarely seen before, the most vivid reds, burnt oranges and bright yellows… and every shade of green imaginable… green as far as the eye could see.

So, I snapped shots and turned in my camera to the developer – usually the grocery store, where I bought the camera.  Three days and $20 later, I had the photos in my hands.

I know… agonizing, right?

Then, I was finally able to work… and the vistas opened, thanks to a real live camera. Actually, by this time, digital was coming into its own… and I got a digital camera! Just take the photos, come home, plug the camera into the computer, download the photos and wait.

I know… agonizing, right?

After that, things went pretty fast… and before I knew it, I was taking photos with my phone and sharing them directly to social media.

But… what about all those photos I’d taken so many years ago? Well, I did something I thought was kinda neat. I printed all the photos out and put them in a book. My youngest daughter had given it to me… the book, I mean. It was like a journal but with plain pages. With each photo, I wrote something to my daughter. And then, I presented it to her.

When I was visiting her last week, I looked at it. I remember how it made me feel… each scene… each memory… each photo… a moment in time.

The featured photo – my first one? It was taken at a museum in our city. There’s an outdoor walking path and I loved how the tree, the shadows and the colors mingled. The branches reached to the sky… and my spirits soared when I saw the finished product. It’s not only my first photo, it’s my favorite!

This is one of my favorite stopping points on my way to and from work. Look at all those colors!!

Another of my favorite haunts, if you’ll allow me the pun, is this cemetery next to a church. I apologize for the blur of the photo. All of these are photos taken of my own photos… and not even a fancy phone can duplicate perfection (pretty high-minded, eh?). But you get the drift. That tree is glorious, isn’t it?

I love cemeteries, which is well-documented throughout this blog. I especially love how – around here – one can crop up in the strangest places. I mean, to be honest, I never saw a cemetery next to a church in California. Except Calico Ghost Town.

But a cemetery in the middle of a neighborhood? Twenty grave markers on the side of a highway? Unheard of!

I carried that camera in my purse for an entire year. I took snow photos, magnolia photos, fall photos and ended in the summer, with these:

I remember feeling sad. My project was coming to an end.

I was so excited to give it to my daughter but I never figured I’d lose the photos. That’s why it was so important to me to at least document some of them here.

I have to say that writing this post today has made me happy. I was looking forward to sharing these with you!

If you’re like me… you’re taking photos all the time. But there’s something about these that remind me of a simpler time (vomit. Don’t you hate that phrase? I’m rolling my eyes here. I’m so torn! But …. dare I say… it’s true! Ugh. I feel old.)

Does it help that I’m listening to Muse as I write this? What’s that you say? They’re tres boring?

Ugh. Again. Ha!