First off, a short story:
Last night Dave walked into my bedroom and my light fixture cover sitting on my dresser. It'd been there a week. He asked why it was sitting there, and asked if I needed a light bulb. "Yep, I do," I said while absorbed in restacking books along my dresser. "I'll get it for you!" At that moment I realized that I could do two things- continue what I was doing and pretty much ignore my brother; or take advantage of the moment and possibly make a memory.
I followed Dave downstairs. I watched him grab a kitchen chair and pull it over to the hall closet. He climbed up on the chair and proceeded to rummage through the grocery bags hanging on the wire hooks, filled with various light bulb boxes. I just watched from behind and answered with "75, 60, 120" when he couldn't read the occasionally faded numbers. He found a 40 I think it was and I helped him jump down from the chair. When we were back in my bedroom, "Let me put it in." He stood up on my bed and reached. I stood behind him with my hand around his waist, lifting him just an inch or two. We both turned the light bulb into the socket; where his hand slipped off and couldnt reach, my grip was steady and right-tighty...Let there be light!
[insert picture of a camera here]
I've been thinking alot lately about photography. I'd bet that if you asked pretty much anyone I know, they'd be able to tell you that I take tons of pictures! It's kinda funny...
Photography captures moments; photos are memory images that you can view right in front of you. These past few weeks, I've realized that there are two kinds of memories, captured and uncaptured. The captured are of course those that are preserved in some form- video, photo, audio. It's the pictures that the words out of your mouth after viewing them are "yes!" because you managed to catch a fleeting moment. It's the videos or audio that capture a piece of life that you don't have access to anymore or that can't be relived. The uncaptured memories have always gotten under my skin. I've always wanted to have everything "preserved" so that I could remember things always and not have to rely on my brain. The uncaptured are those which due to timing, poor camera quality, lighting, distance or even the fact that
you are the subject and no one else around has a camera or notices the possibility, the shot remains untaken.
My perspective towards the 'uncaptured' has been tweeked lately.
Uncaptured is in quotes. I have these vivid snippets in my head of a moment that I didnt capture in film or video, but somehow they've ended up captured in my mind. They're in my head. I cant put out an album and show them off, even though they're beautiful. Looking through a brick-sized hole into the baseball dugout and seeing Steve sitting on the bench by himself laughing, other boys around, yet invisible. Two pastors standing in front of a church family after announcing that one of them will be leaving. A friend that you've missed smiling and laughing. My dad and my brother with their heads together, looking each other straight in the eye, both grinning. I suppose the images that have been pressed into my mind the past few weeks are similar to what painters experience...they see something, remember it, and attempt to capture the life and essence of what they saw on canvas.
These moments would have made wonderful photos I'm sure. And I still dont like missing a 'great shot'; but lately I've experienced that taking the time to enjoy a moment for every ounce of what it is, and not being so anxious to click my shutter is a great thing. Life can be exquisitely beautiful from behind a camera lense; but to truly
live life, you've got to do more than admire or capture or recreate a picture of it, you've got to experience it for yourself. In a sense you could say that one needs to be in the picture, not just taking it.
Sometimes that means consciously letting a moment remain 'uncaptured.' But it usually means coming away with your heart touched in a way that I think, will last alot longer than any digital file or piece of Kodak paper.
_
Currently Listening: Switchfoot. Gone. Like Frank Sinatra.
UPDATE: The computer's fixed! An acquaintance of a friend spent three hours working on it, and after many attempts finally beat the trojan. Best part- every file remained safe and sound. We would definitely recommend him...
