Monday, September 5, 2011

With or without a camera

Cultures which have not been exposed to photography (there are still a very few) are often suspicious of pictures, particularly pictures of people.  They believe someone taking a picture can steal a part of who one is, can take a part of one*s soul, if not its entirety.  

This weekend I sat for a professional picture (thank you, Kelly), and a family picture (thank you, Peter).  I am part of a culture which has been well-exposed to photography.  I do not believe my soul is captured in any picture, no matter how good or bad the picture is.  Not really, anyway.  But there is still that ancient part of my brain that worries that whatever the picture outcome, someone will see it and hold it as my entirety.

With or without a camera,
Wherever we are,
We take pictures,
Snap the shutter,
Hold a moment in time.
Sometimes we think we remember
Whole movies
With beginning
Middle
End.
We remember
a series
Of still shots.
We think in still shots:
A sliver of light,
A bubble of time,
The sun angle through the window,
A particular expression
On the face
Of the fifteen year old girl,
The text message captured
In the inbox
Until it is erased.

With or without a camera
Wherever we are
We take pictures
Single pictures.
We hold them true,
Touch them up.
Moments in time
No beginning
Middle
End.

No comments:

Post a Comment