I love reading Miriam Lovell's Photography blog and have been haphazardly participating in her weekly photo assignment series. I usually post my entries on Flickr, and once a couple of weeks ago, when my internet company had me on a chokehold, and I couldn't get onto my Flickr account, I ended up posting my entry on my blog, which was embarassing because it was a self-portrait. But I'm posting this entry here because it's sentimental to me. And you know, I just love to share.
This week is the final assignment and we were told that we could do a picture of our choice. Minna told us to "make it a good one" because it's the last. Well, this isn't what I consider to be one of my best photographic examples, as it was taken with my old point and shoot, the little Sony Cybershot I always carried around. But we were told that we could use what we want. And I remember seeing this picture for the first time and really liking it. It has sentimental value to me, and that's the main reason I'm using it. It's an old favorite.
This is my husband fishing on an early autumn morning, off the coast of North Carolina. He'd just turned 50 and, we hadn't thought he'd make it to 50. Let's leave it at that, shall we? And, to me, looking at this picture, I feel all is right with the world. When our children were young, and life held so much promise, we'd take them to North Carolina for our vacation. He liked getting up early and packing up his fishing stuff and walking through the dunes to the ocean where he'd set up a chair and just fish. I'd bring coffee down and then the kids, when they woke up, and take pictures while they played in the sand, as their father fished.
To me, this picture says that everything will be ok. That the world is as it should be. Now, when Minna looks at it, she'll tell me everything that's right or wrong with it. And that's good. Maybe it's just a boring shot of some guy fishing with his jeans rolled up. But what I see is my husband, silhouetted in the early morning light, with the sun twinkling on the waves lapping the shore. It's a familiar sight to me, and his profile hasn't changed a bit since he was that boy I fell in love with at age 19. And everything's gonna be ok.
And that's why I chose this one for my final assignment.
I do NOT like having my picture taken, and am not photogenic. I know a lot of you probably don’t like having yours taken either, and I can relate to your pain. If I were beautiful, then snap. Snap away! I’d even pose for you. I'd pose after drinking several glasses of wine, too, but that's another story for another day. But I am brave. Not too brave, though, as you can see. I’m not brave enough to come out of a tiny window of space and show all of me. But it’s enough to enter the assignment. And maybe some day, I will be more open. But today’s not the day.
I shot this from my driver’s seat window of my car. It’s all I’m ready to show right now. So Minna, here’s my assignment, for what it’s worth.