Oh, the things you will see in 1.5 miles walk in St Augustine.
Dum spiro spero | While I breathe, I hope
Text inspired by “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss | Equipment: Hasselblad 907X 50c with XCD 3.5/30.
AN EXCITING PHOTO WALK
Another blessed day!
Today is my image-making day.
I am off to great places at the crack of dawn.
I am out of a warm and comfortable bed. Eager, I am off and away!
I have pre-visualized images in my head.
I have eager feet in my comfortable walking shoes.
I can walk north or south, east or west.
On my own, I know how to walk, talk, presumably listen, look, and see.
I look at the lion, steadfast, guarding the bridge, and that’s not what I will photograph today.
I turn away and walk to the tower where guards control the drawbridge out yonder.
I looked back towards the treasury, sideways to the church, the store windows, and people sleeping in the courtyard.
I chose not to go there. I decide not to make mages of those already down on their luck. May the God or gods bless them.
I can walk to the east, west, north, or south or other destinations.
Chasing the light, or potential of good light, I will head straight to the bridge. Guarded by the lions, on East and West, lit by lamp posts, it’s higher up there, in the wide-open air.
Out there, images can happen in multitudes. Before I sketch the photos to make one final one
It dawns on me: this image could have otherwise; that image, but it isn’t.
None will see the decisions – the tools, thoughts, or exposure – that led to that particular image.
All will only see the traces of those decisions.
And then the sun will come up, and things will glow.
Anyone will want to capture all those things that glow. But no one can capture them all.
Pause that yearning. Pause that desire to capture. Let yourself out in the sun and on the bridge.
Do that rather than devouring the sights into you and onto the sensor of your camera and screens.
If you notice patiently, you will think with all your senses.
Practice not making images. Think with all your senses.
Just walk and see. Really see. Do not try to notice; let it come to you. Attend to it when it comes to you.
Those in the know say that attention requires cunning passivity.
Be actively passive. Don’t panic. Just go along. You will start to happen, as will the images.
OH!
THE IMAGES YOU WILL MAKE; THE THINGS YOU WILL SEE.
Except when you cannot capture what you see, feel, and visualize on the sensor.
Because, sometimes, you will not.
Except when you cannot capture what you see, feel, and visualize on the sensor.
Because, sometimes, you will not.
It is sad but true.
We, you and I, shall make errors in composing and errors in exposing images we create.
We, you and I, will end up in a pickle. A writer's block. A photographers' block. A painter's block.
We, you and I, will see the excitement dissipate and frustration mount.
Un-blocking is and will not be fun. But fear not. It is just as it should be.
We, you and I, will labor to get out of the rut.
Our labor is not a sign that the muse is gone. It is not a defeat.
For image-makers and writers, and painters, flow is a four-letter word.
We, you and I, will capture the images and sentences that volunteer into our mind's eyes.
Those – images, sentences, and compositions – we shall never accept.
We, you and I, will be impatient.
We, you and I, will not do that. We will not join the people in waiting.
Waiting for the inspiration to strike. Wait for the fog to lift. Muse to return.
Rely on tropes or fall for cliches.
NO! THAT'S NOT FOR YOU AND ME.
While we, I and you, breathe; we, you and I, hope.
We, you and I, will sketch and continue making images.
We, you and I, will keep thinking our sentences.
We, you and I, will keep killing our images and our sentences.
To kill or fix our images and sentences is the question.
Somehow, we will escape the block, the rut.
We will find the images to make and sentences to think.
We will fall in love with images and sentences again. Don't. Remember, we will kill or fix most of them.
Be real, grateful, and self-critical. But most importantly, have fun!
Those who know will tell you*:
"The more you know about making sentences (and images), the easier it is to fix them,
To get out of trouble, to find the perfect sentences (and images) –
The better sentences (and images) – hiding beneath the skin of your thinking.
What matters isn't how fluidly the sentences are emitted.
Only how good they are."
Let's just suppose there's no such thing as writer's (or photographers') block.
OH!
THE IMAGES YOU WILL MAKE; THE THINGS YOU WILL SEE.
There are pictures to be made.
There are sentences to be thought and written.
And the magical images you can make with your camera and lens will make you the "winning-est winner of all."
I reminded myself of that. And I went off to great places.
And will we, you and I, succeed?
Yes! We, you and I, surely will. Absolutely.
"(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed)."
We will move the mountains and make superlative images. And write perfect sentences.
Off I went, walking to a vantage point, out yonder, over the bridge. And I made a few panoramas.
And a few more.
Catch some fish. Think some sentences. Make some images. Walk with your feet in your shoes.
And I did get on my way. And I did get home.
