“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”—Andy Warhol
Yesterday, I took my macro lens into the backyard in search of color and texture. Despite how it looked when I took the photo, I’m still not getting the crispness I want. So, I pivoted and edited these to make them look more abstract, focusing on one detail. The story behind these photos is the emerging of spring, and how my yard is shifting. I’m curious what you think and if you have a favorite.
I took these photos at a private cove near my dad’s house in Oregon last month. While I walked around with my camera, my daughter sat in the sand sifting it for agate. It wasn’t the trip I wanted. My dad was sick, ultimately needing to be transported by ambulance to the hospital. My daughter was about to turn 18, and things between us felt different. Everything felt…off.
As I edited these photos today, I felt all of it again. My dad is okay now, but he uses a walker, and the time for us to have the relationship I’ve always wanted is slipping away. My daughter and I are good. We’ve grown in new ways, but I worry about her all the time. I don’t know how to change things. I don’t know how to be right now.
Hard conversations are sitting inside me, and last night I dreamed they suffocated me, and I woke gasping for air. I couldn’t get back to sleep, anxiety eating at me with sharp teeth.
So, I’m going to take a minute and return to the peacefulness of this beautiful place. Will you join me? Let’s look at how light moves through things, reflecting and illuminating. Tell me, do any of these photos speak to you?
