I have begun to examine the concept of the snapshot in my writing and photographing over the past half-year or so. The oft-neglected and downplayed genre of photography gives a lot to work with, many different facets to examine, and many interesting lessons to learn. I am still chest-deep in the whole idea, but I am also going back over my archive looking for the snapshots I have taken that stand out over the years, curating some that I think have a lasting value for me, and in places applying a little judicious processing. Most of my early attempts were archived with either no post-processing, or inexperienced touches with subpar programs. I’m sharing a few here as a way of examining the shape of the snapshot in my existing archive.
Bandon, Oregon on the beach. I’d come to live here, but only made quick trips in 2009.The Red Wagon. Reminds me of the William Carlos Williams poem “The Red Wheelbarrow.”I had a job as a sales clerk at a sporting goods store. My worn-out sneakers purchased from work. I explored a lot in those shoes.A dinner at my church. These people have either moved on or look different ten years later!Purposely defocused, I only had a manual focus lens on my camera at this time.From a trip to Portland for a minor league hockey game with friends.The hockey game from the previous post included a money grab on the ice, a weird event that my friends and I still talk about sometimes!From Portland, it had to be my first visit to Powell’s bookstore. I remembered this slightly grungy image because of the “Get Oregonized” sticker which really fits in with the other elements, and also signaled what was happening in my life.The road near where I lived at the time.Another snapshot from nearby my old place. I had a running circuit on the country road where I lived, and spent a lot of the warmer parts of the year outside.The folks’s farm. I did my part clambering up those old cattle barns removing the currogated metal and installing the greenhouse plastic!My friend’s wedding in Southern California.
The Sprocket Docket 