Journal Entry #10: Pictures

Date: November 8, 2007
Time: 21:26

Many years ago, I lived in a group home in the East Village, Every week we had what we referred to as a “house meeting”. One week, after one such meeting, this guy with grey, curly hair shoves a camera into my hands and says, “Shoot a roll.”

We then go outside, at about 8:00 PM, and I start taking pictures. Now remember, it’s not only night time, but it’s also around winter, and it just happened to start snowing a little while we were out. So I took pictures of some pigeons, of a lamppost, especially one where you could see the snow falling through the light, and whatever else I could at that hour.

We then went back inside and up to the darkroom to develop that roll of film. All we had, and could possible afford for use by the residents was black and white film, chemistry for developing black and white film, and photographic paper. I had very little patience when it came to the mixing of the chemistry, especially when we had to make up a new bottle or two. The water temperature had to be just right, not too hot, and not too cool, or the whole batch was ruined and we had to start over. But once I got some practice in, I turned out to be a pretty good photographer. I was even given the job of being the official photographer for the basketball team we had.

But then he got very serious, and I was told three things, that I have remembered to this day.

First, “Always look at the world as if you had a camera in your hands. Think to yourself “What would make a good picture?””

Second, “Always try to take picture of things that other people wouldn’t. If you see something that you find to be interesting, take a picture of it.”

And the third thing he said to me, and which was the most important, was this, “If you were to tell me right here and now that you wanted to do this (photography) for a living, I would do everything that I can to stop you. The reason for that is this, professional photography is a cutthroat business. You have to be better than everyone else just to get the job, and then, when you have the job, you have to be better than you were to have gotten the job in the first place.”

So I have contented myself to being able to take good pictures. But I can look at a picture, and see where certain aspects can be brought out to accentuate the picture. What makes that even more fun is I know how to do it. Even if the picture is “only” black and white.