representative moments
1. Hillstream Loach, 2. Mister Husband calls these the Whoville Socks, 3. Apres Blizzard, 4. The Largest Triceratops, 5. Giant Floating Head of Henry Ford, 6. Ron Thompson, 7. Mushroom House, Dassel MN, 8. Muck!, 9. Saturday Night Cruise-In, 10. the best piece of luck I've had, 11. Al's Diner, 12. Como Pavilion
2007 turned out to be the year I busted out with the camera. I learned a lot about photography in the process, and that was good. But, more importantly, I discovered the camera as a way of knowing. It’'s all the usual things — a way of forcing yourself to look, a way of remembering things so you can come back to them — but it’s also been a way of learning things I didn’t know about myself. Strangely enough, the little five-photo Flickr badge on the sidebar was part of that. As I dumped photos into the account (never less than 40 a month, as it turned out) and they began to cycle through the badge, I started to notice that they were the photos of someone who is much happier than I ever notice that I am, or perhaps give myself credit for being. Figuring that out brought about some smallish yet fundamental shifts. I will always love dark humor and value cynicism, but it turns out I rather like operating from the assumption that I am a fundamentally happy person rather than a fundamentally melancholic one. Who knew?
So these aren’t my best photos from last year. Instead, they are representative moments from the months. 2007 was a good year, probably much easier than 2008 forecasts to be. And it let me learn some things that now lead me to think that while this coming year is full of Big Grownup Things, some of which are very difficult, it won’t necessarily have to be an unhappy one.
Comments
Krista-- you take such wonderful pictures! (I really liked your calendar, btw. Those images were so beautiful.) I like what you say, too, about photography being a way of knowing-- and that it connects to writing in such interesting ways. Keep posting those pics. I'm lovin' them!
Posted by: billie | January 2, 2008 8:58 AM
Thanks, Billie! (Did you actually order a calendar? I didn't think anybody did.)
The phrase "photography as a way of knowing" actually comes from a late-night conversation with Mister Husband. He was the one who came up with it, now that I think about it, but it's only now that I'm really understanding exactly what that can mean. And it seems like you've been through someone rather like that too, yes? Only completely different?
Posted by: Krista | January 2, 2008 9:09 AM
I think that photographs also exhibit a separateness between you and the object of the photo. I always look at pictures and come up with a story for that person. But perhaps when you conflate the two, you have a more realistic idea of who you are?
I think I saw a documentary at one point where someone interviewed people they knew and asked people to describe them. It was fascinating to see the voyage of self-discovery that starts with the outside and moves its way in, especially for introverted only-children like you and me. :P
Posted by: Spirophita | January 2, 2008 10:52 AM
You've got a great eye! How fun to learn something new about yourself by looking at how you look! I bought a camera two years ago with the idea that I was going to learn more about photography, but for now I'm just happy that I sometimes remember to take it out and point it at something.
Posted by: Joanna | January 4, 2008 5:00 AM