The Immediacy Of Photography

     I'm getting older. In my case, the accumulation of years results in a tendency to spend too much time in contemplation of the past. Perhaps the reality of what is commonly known as the mid-life crisis is a dissatisfaction with what has been  achieved in one's life and the relentless tendency to mentally chew over mistakes and regrets of incidents and periods of 
the past. Ultimately, it is a debilitating waste of time.  Of course, not all memories of the distant past are negative. However, spending too much of one's existence in the land of happy nostalgia can be just as crippling as rehashing " would have, could have, should have" scenarios. When I find myself too wrapped up in the past, I find that usually the best solution for me is to grab a camera and go for a walk. 

     The act of picture taking is an immediate experience. I can only photograph what exists in front of my camera in the now. If I am successful in the creation of an image, that image becomes a catalyst to the memory of an experience which, hopefully,  is fundamentally good. Perhaps if a photographer is looking for a reason to create an image, that is as good a reason as any. 

     I live in a very picturesque small town which, of late, has become something of a minor tourist Mecca. For the most part, a lot of what I shoot are local scenes and points of interest which I market in a few local stores in the form of prints and postcards.                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                           

The stores on the main drag (Grand River St.) back right onto the river. This is probably one of the most photographed scenes in town.

     

The Arlington Hotel. An iconic small town landmark if ever there was one.

     However, I don't feel tied to that particular style of photography. I will often photograph whatever catches my eye.                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

I saw this guy in the window of our local hardware store. Apparently it's a lawn ornament whose eyes light up at night. Not your average garden gnome!

     
     Lately I've been getting back into shooting monochrome. The Acros film simulation in my new Fuji X100F produces black and white images that seriously rival anything I could do   back in the days of film. When I think of all the hours I spent in a darkroom processing films and printing.... Damn! I'm back in the past again. I think I better grab a camera and go for a walk.

...more later