How a picture can bring back life

Whether you are an amateur or a professional, photography has a way of bringing an inner peace to the soul. It is a permanent reminder of a moment in time that can never be reproduced. I have always appreciated how life can be preserved and remembered by looking at a photograph. How I actually learned to use photography for more than something to fill my photo album is another thing. It is learning to appreciate each moment, the world as it is right at that moment, that helps take the stress out of my day and brings me back to life.

My parents bought me a Kodak Instamatic X-15F camera when I was in fifth grade. We were headed to Anchorage, Alaska to see my aunt and uncle for a week. They wanted me to capture the beauty of the scenery and places we’d go on film. My parents had always appreciated photography, so it was instilled in me that the art of photography was an important way to make memories last. They gave me instructions on how to make sure I held the camera still while pushing the button so the picture wouldn’t be blurry. They taught me how to “frame” a photo by having objects on the sides or bottom that were of interest in contrast to the subject in the center. I always loved getting my roll of film developed and had prints made to fill my albums, each picture going in sequence and a date written on the back with a short description of the subject.

I became a self-taught, amateur photographer. Now that I look back at the film quality and poor resolution of those old Kodak moments, it makes me sad that we didn’t have the precision of digital film back in the 1970s. Our parents had a nice camera with the zoom lens and high-quality film, and my mother would always print out extra copies of pictures I could add to my albums. So my love for photography as a hobby had begun, and I loved creating those lasting memories.

After I got married in 1985, my husband and I invested in a Canon AE-1, 35mm Film Manual Camera with a basic lens and a telephoto lens. We perfected the different ways of using that camera to get the best possible photos while on vacation, during family gatherings, and of our pets. When we had our first child, the pictures we took were duplicated just as my mother had done for me. I began to fill picture albums not only for myself, but also for each of my three kids so they could remember all the years of their growing up.

I know that these memories through pictures have made an impact not only for myself, but especially for my daughter. She would open her albums and look through the pictures for hours on her bed. She would ask questions, and carefully select her favorites to make a collage out of. It hung behind the door in her room. Then she began taking pictures with her friends doing such fun and crazy things together when she was old enough to have her own iphone. I think she must have found tranquility in seeing those happy faces smiling at her at the end of a long school day.

Now that my children are adults with their own families, my photography has taken a different route. I don’t take as many pictures as I used to, and when I do, it is always prompted by a feeling that I should just go out and appreciate the moment. I find myself walking around my property during the different seasons. It is relaxing to sit on the back porch, early in the morning, or at the end of a long day and just look around. Maybe the sunlight is peering through the tree branches of the maples in my back yard and the hummingbirds are chirping their shrill yell as they fight over the bird feeder hanging from the porch eaves. I slip back into the house to grab my iphone so I can take an instant photo of whatever happens to make me happy in that moment.

This evening, I went for a walk around my yard. It is mid-summer and slightly smoky outside from the forest fires burning in and around the southern Oregon area. I have been in isolation for twenty days with the coronavirus and there is nothing better than getting out of the house and facing the real world, watering the plants, and petting the tomcat named Tiger who’s proudly protected the property for twelve years. My iphone is in my pocket. I look at the blackberries growing at the fence line and wonder if they will be as delicious as last year, or if it has been too dry. Then I look over at my garden. I did not plant seed this year because it was just too much work, and I’m glad I didn’t since I’ve been sick for over two weeks. But the funny thing is that my artichokes which come back each year had gone to flower. If you have ever seen an artichoke in that state, they are stunning to look at. Semi-fluorescent, purple spines reaching out the top of each head contrasting with the green leaves underneath. And to my surprise, the bumblebees were gathering nectar burying themselves deeply into those purple, succulent spines. I slipped my phone out and took a picture. It captivated me and I stood still just watching the simplicity of nature. A blissful moment of serenity after a long recovery and it made me smile.

Photography brings me back to life. It has evolved from snapping pictures of everything and anything, to waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture a moment in time that no one may even appreciate, except myself. That doesn’t mean that I don’t take pictures of specific events, people, and places that are important to me, but I have learned to appreciate how my love of simple moments in time, remembered through photography, take away my stress in a very simple way. Each moment captured in a photograph can be my reminder of tranquility for years to come. I’m glad my parents bought me that little instant camera when I was a child. The appreciation of photography and how it makes someone feel is something I hope will remain with me for the rest of my life.