Photographs and Memories

My Dad loved photography as a hobby. Many fond memories echo in my mind of Friday or Saturday evenings in our small living room with the curtains drawn and the lights out. Dad would take the projector screen out of the dining room closet and set it up in front of the living room window. The projector sat at the end of the marble top chest Mom and Dad purchased right after they got married. Of course, books and knick knacks had to be removed from the marble top chest to make room for the projector.

Mama grew up in the Depression and collected treasures to make up for that time in her Life. Dad would place the slides in the carousel, turn on the projector and it was time for the light of the projector to revisit moments in our lives. The hum of the projector is forever etched in my mind. 

Dad’s photos were mostly of family, the many places we traveled and sunsets. He adored sunsets and sunrises, particularly at the beach. I remember one sunrise he was so proud of he enlarged it to poster size, matted it and framed it in a brown wooden frame. It hung in our house for as long as I remember.

While Dad enjoyed his photography, I did not exude much grace or patience as a teenager when he engaged in taking a photo. To me it was like a doctor setting up for surgery! The tripod, the camera, the lenses and that ever-lovin’ light meter. The light meter was my nemesis! And all this was after he determined the correct angle to shoot. Seemed like it took forever to take one shot.

As he became older, he embraced a click and shoot camera. Life became much easier in the photo department of our lives. I had various click and shoot cameras and enjoyed taking random shots, but never thought much about photography until I was in college when I took a photography class. As usual, I loved learning about and experimenting with a new media, this time with a 35mm camera. Magic happened in the dark room filled with the odors of chemicals. I only took one class and then it was time to graduate.

Later I discovered the technicalities of photography were not my thing…it was much later when I connected with a passion for photography through two things; my dog Winston and my iPhone. Winston is very photogenic and my iPhone allows me to take a serendipitous shot anywhere. I found great joy in natural lighting and the arrangements and angles of whatever caught my eye. And that is the key…of whatever caught my eye. It had to have great natural light and be interesting to my eye.

The majority of my photos were taken at my home, lovingly referred to as The House of 8. My home houses wonderful light and lots to attract the eye. I generally capture a shot as is…dust and all if applicable! If my trash is sitting in great light, I’ll shoot a photo of it. Light changes everything in photos…and in Life. 

I now have a vast collection of photos somewhere in a cloud to share with others, just like the nights Dad got out the projector to share photos with whoever was in our living room on those particular nights. I still enjoy our family slides on the same projector and screen we set up in my parent’s house years ago.  He and Mama passed before I connected with my passion for photography. I would love to be able to share my photos with them. In many ways, I’m sure I do. Recently someone spoke of my photos as “Finding the ethereal in the ordinary.” I think I like that~

*Photograph is of the first camera and light meter I remember my Dad using surrounded by: ( clockwise starting on left) Photo of my shadow shooting photo of my cat, Briskett; 1960’s Photo of my Dad shooting photo of me and my cousins at my Grandparents; “Dad in the Garden”, a piece I gave my Dad for Father’s Day as it looks like him, “Garden Heart” and “Woman in the Shadows.”