Friday, March 23, 2012

My Camera, My Friend

One of the best things about writing a blog is that I carry my camera around with me a lot more.  One of the best things about carrying a camera around with me a lot more is that I NOTICE things a lot more.  Specifically I notice things that are interesting or beautiful or quaint or heart-warming.  A lot of times it is something that I otherwise may have walked past with no particular sense of appreciation.

This is the camera I use.  It was a gift from Maria and Eric (daughter and son-in-law).  It is small and easily fits into my purse.  It is simple to use and takes great little photos.  Best of all, though, just having it along makes me take a closer look around myself.  I have a tendency to just plunge on ahead toward whatever my goal may be as though I had on blinders.  This little red camera, at least sometimes, makes me look with eyes focused toward beauty.



Do you remember when you'd buy a roll of film and carefully dole out the times you'd snap your camera because you wanted to make the roll last a bit?  We used to live far enough out that instead of taking our roll to a store for development, we'd pop it into a mailer for somewhere like Seattle Filmworks.  A few weeks later a fat little envelope would show up in our mailbox.  I loved that!  It was so exciting to see what the photos were as usually I'd begun shooting the roll so long before I ever mailed it that I had no idea what was in that package.

Sometimes it was quite a delight to see the photos.  Often, it was quite a disappointment.  I may have taken a photo in poor lighting or my subject may have blinked, etc.  I had a lot of photos that were sad.

BUT, that is not a big deal now with my sweet little digital camera.  I take a LOT of photos.  I may take 5 or 10 in a row, hoping that one or two will be terrific.  Who cares?  I am not wasting film and they are easily deleted.

So, I'd like to encourage you to grab your cameras!  Take a walk around your block, walk through your mall or just hang out with people you love.  You will be surprised where you will find photo-worthy opportunities!  If you snap one of which you are particularly proud, attach it to an e-mail to me at onlythemanager@yahoo.com and if I can I will showcase it on my blog, giving you credit of course.  One word of advice, though, please get permission if you are taking photos of people.  It turns out that not everyone wants to be on the internet.

Now, go look for some beauty!  Have fun!

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