Since I was a child, I have felt a connection to the past. This was likely a result of incredible stories of experiences and sacrifice impressioned upon me by my parents. I could imagine myself in their past. However, I was also, by nature, very curious and analytical. I wanted to know how and why everything worked, and in a "big picture" sense, how it all connected.
My grandfather was a man of endless inquiry. He was continuously reading, writing, conversing about, and discovering new interests. He eventually took an interest in photography and one day arrived home with a Nikkormat camera. I was particularly impressed by the mechanical double clicking sound that it created. It sounded precise and calculated. How did this black and silver box with dials, levers, and buttons go about recording a moment in time? What a fantastic way of connecting the past. Although I eventually pursued a career in forensic sciences, I have always embraced and pondered the unfinished business with the alternative aspect of my curiosities. Photography has provided a foundation to build upon. The past has become more clear as I age. I have created my own past. I am a part of the "bigger picture". My empathies towards it have been driven by subconscious desire of knowledge, of hope, of belonging, as well as a way of bringing perspective into my life in the present. Imagery represents the past. Imagery represents memory. Imagery represents emotion. Imagery represents challenges. Imagery represents accomplishments and failures. Imagery represents personality, likes, and dislikes. Imagery represents beauty and conflict. Imagery tells a story. I enjoy the process of discovering the endless possibilities when recording a moment in time as it becomes a part of the past. It is unique, and cannot be recreated. Trusting the process, never expecting, experimenting, being myself, inevitably captures a wonderful connection. A double click is all it takes. |