one a day #2

worth 10,000 words, originally uploaded by searmid.

A picture a day. It's not my intention to post exclusively one-a-day images, but two out of three days indicates such a trend. I'm not one to follow trends.

I wasn't a photographer when I met Meaghan. I never owned a camera of my own, and the one we had for our trip was a little on the fritzy side. Our thumbs were a little fritzy too - I've never seen so many thumbs.

More than ten years have passed since that trip. The photos from it that I cherish can be counted on one hand. The memories that I cherish can't be counted. So I wonder now, living in a world where I spend so much time taking photos of events, processes, and moments in time, if the photos really matter.

Had I been the photo guy I am now when Meaghan and I travelled across the United States would there have been the same opportunity for magic? We spent a lot of time talking. We drove long days, took long walks, and sat for long stretches of time around campfires, and all through that time we talked. There were the odd private moments for each of us, enough time to give us space - for me I wrote poems - but for the most part we just hung out. The photos taken, for the most part, weren't thought out. They were spontaneous, taken in the moment. I didn't know anything about composition. I just looked and snapped. Meaghan did the same.

When I take photos today, I put thought into them. I look at what I'm seeing, think about what I want to convey, and try my best using the tools available to me, to capture the image as appropriately as possible. I enjoy a finely crafted finished product, but does the process get in the way of maximizing my enjoyment?

Lately I think it does. I mentioned something in yesterday's post. I've lost the gift of wonder - perhaps misplaced is a better word - and I'm coming to the realization that wonder is integral to a healthy engagement of the world around me. I want to be awed.

My writing lately has been awkward. That will change. My photography has been tight. This too will change.

good luck.