I love to take pictures. I love to capture time. I love to document an adventure via a digital camera, shooting stills that I can later enjoy; reliving little moments and critiquing the quality of shots. I love to observe things from different angles, discover beauty in something that may at first seem not worth admiring, and unleashing opportunities of creativity in ordinary encounters. Of course, I understand that I am no expert in achieving any of this, but I love it, everything about it.
My time here in Chile has allowed me the opportunity to take many pictures. I have my camera with me constantly; every day and everywhere I go, it is my persistent companion (I have realized I actually experience a feeling of emptiness if it is not dangling at my wrist or carefully tucked away in my purse). I have always found much pleasure in taking photos, but I am learning that it is more than just the picture for me. It is about maneuvering through the moment, emitting the emotion, portraying the people, and expressing the beauty. For me, taking a picture is about learning to appreciate abstract creativeness and daring to take different approaches. It is also through the many pictures I take that I am able to transmit to family and friends what my life is like here. Even though I may not always be able to translate every moment into a photo as successfully as I would like to, I inexhaustibly continue to take pictures, always trying to ensnare the reality of a fleeting instant.
Recently, I spent a beautiful day in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, relaxing on the beach, having an array of experiences in the famous port city (including unintentionally venturing into a more dangerous part of town, where we found ourselves being escorted by a young man back to safety) and enjoying the casual company of friends, women I am glad I have come to know. Yes, it was a wonderful day, one where I found myself, yet again, vivaciously snapping pictures. However, upon returning to Santiago and reviewing all of the shots, I was less than impressed by the shots I took. Not only were a lot of them lacking in clarity and crispness (which upon inspection of my camera lens, I now know why this may have been so), I was also not completely content in my attempt to capture the uniqueness both of the cities possess. This feeling of disappointment, makes me wonder how a professional photographer is able travel to different places, always nurturing their ability to take pictures that continually portray an original and unique slate, no matter how they may feel about the particular location?? Even though I wasn’t satisfied with many of the shots I took, I did manage to capture a couple of scenes that were particularly interesting to me.
The construction of the homes and buildings up the hills was pretty amazing! Unfortunately, this was one aspect of the city I was unable to portray well in a snapshot.
Although the port was full of bustling activity and heavy-duty machinery and transport equipment, it was quite the spectacle to be seen. —“I understand that this could be pretty, but I really do not understand what people find interesting about this at all.” Quoted from an English woman I happened to stumble upon as I ventured out on to the dock to… well, take pictures. I understand everyone may differ in how they feel about a certain experience, but how lovely it is to remain culturally open-minded and aware of the reality and the beauty in everything.
I find such beauty in the above picture. Yes, it’s just a picture of a bunch of crowded boats and ships in a little part of the harbor. But, there are also men at work. This is their life, their livelihood. I took this one picture, but they live this moment every day.
Pictures are a wonderful way to mirror the the world, to portray reality in single shots. Photos are art. I love to to take pictures, and while I do have times where I feel I have failed my companion (my camera), or my companion has failed me, I realize that its not how many pictures one may take, it’s about what is expressed in the ones that do turn out the way that was anticipated. My camera is my way of seeing things in a new light, to look beyond the mere surface of ordinary scenes.
Unlike John Mayer in his song, 3x5, “I [will] have my camera by my side.” Yes, I will be observing the world through both my eyes, but I will just be doing it at the same time as snapping a quick shot :-)
