When I am photographing I am most often drawn to the ordinary things of life. It may be because I lead, in general, a small life. I have my work. I have my family. I have my friends. I have my knitting/sewing. I don’t crave fame or fortune. I love home and work and calm and order, being useful.
Maybe that is why I see the beauty in the ordinary minutiae in my life and am drawn to photograph it. HHBL has learned to adjust to my stopping in the middle of walking somewhere to take a photo of something on the street, or perhaps something out of the ordinary at home. He didn’t even bat an eye a while back when he walked through the living room to see me, Big Bertha up to my face, photographing a row of mason jars full of dry beans that I had set up on the linen cupboard. I remember seeing those mason jars lined up in my pantry and knowing that I had to photograph them.
The neighbors in our “new” neighborhood haven’t quite adjusted yet to periodically seeing my spread out on the driveway photographing a leaf or a bug that has captured my interest.
To be perfectly honest I think that is what I am best at as a photographer, capturing the small and insignificant things that others don’t see. I love looking at big and grand landscape photography but I don’t have any desire to do it. I am awed by many of the top wedding photographers (Katelyn James OH MY GOSH Katelyn James), but I know that isn’t my absolute forte, although my Wedding photography is very, very good. In a large group of people at any given event I am just as likely to be taking pictures of peoples footwear as I am of the event itself.
I live a small life. I see the minutiae of it.
I have soft boiled eggs frequently for breakfast. I have mastered the PERFECT soft boiled egg and am about to start work on the perfect poached egg. But that is a post for another time. After breakfast was done and the dishes were sitting on the counter by the sink I turned around and saw the egg shell and just knew I had to photograph it. It spoke to me.
Like I said, small life = seeing the minutiae.
What a beautiful shot that is! Brings a tear to my eye, my grandparents had that china.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow liver of a small, ordinary life, I truly appreciate this post. I can't say that I'm quite the noticer of details that you are, but maybe I need to pick up a camera to help me see more? That is one amazing egg shell shot; thanks for sharing your lovely minutiae!
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazing photographer Deb! So very talented :-)
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