Behind the lens

“I've worked out of a series of 'no's'. 'No', to exquisite light, 'no', to apparent compositions, 'no', to the seduction of poses or narrative. And all these 'no's' force me to the 'yes'. I have a white background. I have the person I'm interested in and the thing that happens between us.” ~ Richard Avedon

As a young girl, I recall beautiful paintings.... natural images captured in oils and laid to canvas by the heart and hand of 'Shannon'... my grandmother...

I remember constantly attempting to mimic her talent - but I was never quite able to 'flow' and create in the same medium as she.

“No matter how slow the capture, Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer It has chosen.” ~ Minor White

By the age of ten, I had picked up a camera for the first time... suddenly I realized, that I didn't have to be the one to CREATE the beauty all around me - but I could certainly be one to TRANSFORM the soulful glimpses of my own eye - and share them with those who wanted to see, even the commonalities of life, as I did!

“The camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing... but you have to SEE.” ~ Ernst Haas

As a couple of decades of life, family, friends, babies and grandbabies all came to pass - - with each new 'scene' - came fresh opportunities to freeze with my camera, little bits and pieces of each - as my world fluttered by.

“Does it interest the eye, excite the brain, move the mind to reflection, and involve the heart?” ~ Julian Barnes

Boxes and crates filled to the rims with 110 and 35mm snapshots of my life... every so often a 'diamond in the rough' surfacing - finding its way through the 'adornment process' - - and finally ending up on some wall somewhere...

Today, I am blessed to say that there are many walls, mantels and tabletops out there sharing a tiny bit of what I have been able to see through the lens.

Recently, I saw.... though I cannot recall where - a statement that read (something close to), 'If a photographer is able to move the soul of even one person through his image.... he has achieved success...'

It is this, the recurrent movement of heart and soul - that I strive for...

“At our best and most fortunate we make pictures because of what stands before our camera, to honor what is greater and more interesting than we are. We never accomplish this perfectly, though in return we are given something perfect--a sense of inclusion. Our subject thus redefines us and is part of the biography by which we want to be known.” ~ Robert Adams