Where's Waldo and 4x6's

Yesterday, after a hiatus, I had some prints made of some of my photos. Most were 4x6's, one was an 8x12. Duplicates were made of all the 4x6's for a very special reason. I plan on sharing my direct memories with family members in a physical form. My photography is shared in bulk online. I take a photo, tweak the color and exposure slightly (if digital), and then it's off into Internet land. Through normal mail, family members will be able to hold, touch (and smell!) my photographs. There's a certain spirit to ink and paper that a computer screen cannot duplicate. Maybe it's the immediacy a computer gives; a computer can load an image quickly, it can be removed from existence quickly. The press of button can delete a ten thousand photos. A physical photograph can be ripped and shredded, put into water, and still the most efficient way is through burning them. Now THAT'S  tangible.

Looking at my prints though.. it's like the first time I had prints made from my 110 "Where's Waldo" point and shoot camera I had bought with tickets at an arcade called "Fun Fun Fun". To my parents' horror, every photo had Waldo in the photo. And no, he wasn't tiny and we didn't have to squint our eyes while standing on our heads to find him. He took up a quarter of our 4x6's! And to add insult to injury, these were timeless Christmas photos. Yes, Waldo would will spend the rest of time in our Christmas photos. And that is exactly what makes them so memorable. That's what makes me smile about photos that I took almost twenty years ago. Those are the photos that let me know that we existed and had fun and made mistakes as a family. Photographs are our lives. They reflect who we are and who we aimed to be.

Photographs are memories. They are what we saw on that day, on the hour, at the minute, on that very instant. Whether our photos are recorded chemically or digitally, it's that physical aspect that I had lost touch with.

Don't let your photographs become nothing more than 1's and 0's on your hard drive. Bring them to life again and share your lasting memories with loved ones.

Yearly Bloom

Extreme humidity and temperature fluctionations are what springtime brings here. The mornings are cold and damp and the days are filled with sticky heat. People retreat to the shade and pool for solace. Children run through sprinklers, ablaze with steam rising from their skin. The fire hydrants wear a permanent grimace.

All jokes aside, the closing of spring leads to summer break and tans. Everyone is making the most of their time to find those little slices of heaven that will become their fond memories. One of mine is here, right near the end of spring: the tiger lilies finally bloomed in front of our house. I've been looking forward to them since last year and thought they might never make an appearance. They're as fragrant as they are colorful. The lillies really brighten my day and that's why I'd like to share a couple of photos of them.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.9

The Youth of Today

Once, whether now or years ago, we're all young. We laugh at ourselves, play in the sand, and we depend on our parents. Everything is beautiful and the problems of the world cannot touch us. Years go by and we become afraid. Fear grows as insecurities, dislike, and a lack of purpose. Mistakes are made and not learned from. Creativity dwindles as our childlike ambition becomes bitter reality. The world takes shape not as what we had hoped for, but as a place where our childhood monsters take shape.

I saw this little girl and her mom sitting together at the park. It was something simple and inspiring. A parent and her daughter enjoying a sunny afternoon. The kind-hearted, sunny days of the present are the sweetest memories of the future. And with this one chance at life, all we can do is try.

To all of those who grew up too fast, those with regret festering in their heart, and to those who are in dire need of a moment of peace, know this: we're all in this life together. Let's make the most of it. We're all important, and we can all make a difference.

The Danger of Middle-Grey

Life is black and white. There's a fine distinction between right and wrong, heartfelt kindness and ulterior motives, and compassion versus turning blind eye.

The danger of middle grey, of the 'in between', is giving oneself an excuse for doing something wrong. Delving into grey gives excessive moral latitude. Without getting political, world-wide difficulty accumulates because people aren't held accountable for what they do. In my own life, I completely expect to get in trouble for my wrongs. I can't help being wrong as much as I can stop the sun from rising. As such, I wonder sometimes if leniency and the 'slap on the wrist' mentality is the reason behind a lot of unnecessary grief.

All this brings me to my thought of the day. I want to do right by others so in turn they will do right by someone. No one is perfect, but we can get caught up in excuses and 'middle grey' easily.

If circumstances allow, would you take advantage of a situation? Is the double-standard your point of view?

Young at Heart

I often think about what the future holds and hope that it's a pleasant one. There's so much to look forward to; there's so much to be done now. It's everything I do today that will end up as either fond memories or bitter regrets.



It's fiery, youthful eyes like these that make me hopeful for the future. I'm glad I'm here and now, trying to make the most of my time. The future will come and I plan on giving everything I have for as long as I can. Years go on as they always will- time will be your old companion.
Where do you see yourself 25 years from now?

Thoughts and Downtown

It's funny how our world seems so small nowadays. I can send an email and it can be read by somone on the other side of the world. World news can be discovered faster and more easily than even local news. We can travel to a different town in just a couple of hours on the highway.

Now, more, and fast. It seems like the world is so interconnected that it's hard to get a complete thought done without our phone going off or the news spewing from electronic devices. Then comes the dichotomy of our society: the forgotten people that live precariously off the 'grid'. Families struggling to make ends meet. Fathers cry for their families and women become stone, worried and somber.

I took a trip downtown and took some photos. But my mind is somewhere else tonight.

Back to my original topic, I tried disconnecting from the the attachments of the everyday and make photos outside of my comfort zone. Photography, my creative outlet, lets me be in control. The power to create something artistically beautiful, disturbing, or inspiring gives me a sense of purpose.

Take the time to inspire others. Just as importantly, take time to be inspired.

Purpose

As I walk around the park I see people jogging and talking. Some feed birds while others enjoy a meal at a bench. There are smiling children chasing ducks; their parents watch lovingly. Stories unfold.

That leads me to ask these questions:

Where are you right now?

Are you proud of who you are and where you're going?

If you're not proud, make a change. Put love into your next project or goal. Risk your pride, forgive yourself, get past fear. There are so many things stopping us from becoming better people. Most of those reasons come from within.

Three of my current goals:

- finally start my portrait project

- maintain a steady workout routine

- cease my self-defeating routine

Reasons:

Develop my photography and self-image.

Be a better husband.

Help others.

Live a better life.

What are three of your goals and the reasons behind them?