Deep Thoughts with...

Ever since taking up photography, I've wanted to be able to frame some of my shots to hang up in our house or my office at work.  Knowing that I was nothing close to a professional photographer, I had pretty low expectations for what I would consider 'worthy' to be framed.  With my talent at the shutter button, I would have been happy to frame a slightly blurred photo of Lake Michigan with a crooked horizon. 

For the last three weeks I have been sorting and editing through some of my shots from last year that I might possibly frame.  I found a few and today began the work of hanging them in my church office.  The shots are definitely average, but I am proud of them....because they were my own creation.

After hanging the first of four frames (and completely re-arranging my furniture....I have to do that at least every other month;  yes-I know that's wierd) I had to stand back and look at the picture of the lighthouse.  I wasn't looking at the exposure or the composure, the colors or the texture.  Rather, I pretended that I was back in South Haven, looking through the viewfinder, trying to remember what I was thinking as I took the shot. 

(I know what I was thinking.  I was FREEZING!!!)

As I learn more about photography, I understand more deeply how personal taking a picture can be.  So now, whenever I look at the work of other people, I often wonder what they were experiencing when they snapped the photo.....what thoughts were racing through their minds, or hearts, when the click of the camera was made?

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and not so much picture-taking.  Guess there's a reason I'm in an area where there seemingly is not much to shoot in the middle of winter.  Taking pictures is much more than capturing a moment in time.  It's about sharing a part of one's soul.

Wow.  That was deep.