Taking Pictures

After twenty years of writing on photography (mainly on press and documentary photography for which the stories behind the pictures are often more relevant than the pictures), I eventually started to take pictures myself. I soon discovered that this wasn't anything new (as I had believed) for I had always taken photographs. And, much to my amazement, mostly photographs of nature. In other words, pretty much the kind of photos that I'm taking nowadays. Needless to say, to become aware of something that I didn't know was with me all the time left me somewhat puzzled. So I took my time and thought about it. 

And, I began to realise that I've had this kind of experience on other occasions. I particularly remember a train ride with a friend I hadn't seen for some years and so we talked about what had happened during this time. I told her about my newest plans to write without restraining myself (self censorship I consider the biggest writing obstacle) and to simply let come out what I felt needed to come out, when all of a sudden she burst out laughing: But you've always been like that! Differently put: What I had perceived as a life-changing moment quite obviously wasn't one. Instead, it now seems to me, I have basically been the same person throughout my life, regardless of education and experience.

Some of my characteristics I can identify, others not. When some time ago I was about to cross the street in the village where I have my base, I heard a male voice shouting my name. I spotted somebody waving at me but didn't recognise him from that distance. Once he got near me I said: Now I see who you are. Well, he said, I was able to identify you because of the way you walk. That was new to me, I had no idea that I have a specific way of walking.

Other characteristics are however easy for me to spot. The fact, for instance, that whatever I like to do I do obsessively. The three pics on this page I took on the same day. The first one in the morning (by late afternoon the flower had disappeared), the second one demanded quite some patience and the willingness to not give up), and the same can be said about the third one for it was rather windy this late afternoon. Sometimes, obsessions are a good thing for they can teach us to be patient.