"You're too little and mommy has to walk too far today for this picture".
"But when?" I would whine....
The whining didn't last long...soon she started taking me on her walks...her photo shoots of trees, old barns and endless waterfalls. She showed me how the shutter opened and closed...how to adjust the lighting, how to zoom and focus. She showed me how to be an artist. She never shut me out, she always showed me how to be safe, how to have fun and how to see everything in a different and unique way. Later she taught me the tricks of advancing film, cutting the strip and dredging the papers through chemicals...to make MY photo come to life on a sheet of Kodak photo paper.
I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to make a living from something I loved so much. I worked hard at saving the world and "changing lives"...and enjoying learning everything I could about art and photography while I pursued my education in the environmental field. Fast forward to so many years later...as I sit in my home office and take a break from editing more photos in my digital darkroom , I decide to rearrange...and I get an unexpected visit from my mom. She showed up on an old 8x12 piece of Kodak paper...a picture that captured one of the best memories of my life...standing next to my beautiful mother as she taught me how a camera worked in one of the most comforting places in the world.
Mom, I miss you more than you'll ever know but thank you for setting me up with a true gift that supports me, my family and helps me to change lives...one photo at a time.
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| Me and my beautiful mom, Sharon...somewhere in Florida! |
Beautiful story, Rachel. This really touched me. I always dreamt of doing something creative for my career. Photography has always been a passion for me and was my first major in college but after being told by my own mother I couldn't make any $ in it I decided to do something "safer". She just wanted to make sure my future was secure, but I hope that I can do things differently for my own children and be as inspiring to them as your Mother clearly was for you.
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I'm so happy to hear! Believe me...working for myself was one of the scariest transitions I've ever made in my life...but one of the best! It's never too late to follow your heart!!
DeleteSuch beautiful memories of times that I sometimes felt guilty for not leaving you behind. I would never have guessed, but I remember the days of leaving most of my equipment in the van so that my "assistant" could be "carried" instead with your prized Instamatic camera with your rolls of 36 exposure film (B&W of course) in your backpack at the age of three. You actually went through more film than I did.I was telling someone just the other day that it didn't matter if we were out for an hour or all day in some pretty uncomfortable temperatures and snow to our knees, you never complained. As long as we were outdoors taking pictures you were in your glory. I was never sure you really enjoyed the cemetery shoots though, LOL. I am so proud of my incredibly talented "big girl." If our early days together started the ripple, I am blessed to be standing on the shore watching.
ReplyDeleteYour biggest fan ~ Shar-Mom
Glad you finally know what an inspiration you've always been! Thanks for dragging me along :)
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