Of the pictures I made this week, the weather dominated. About half were pictures of some aspect or another of the weather. Most of the rest were indoor shots in which I tried to find something interesting to shoot somewhere where it was warm. The season certainly affects the kinds of photography I can do. It’s hard to work with a camera for any length of time outside these days, even with gloves. Plus the sun rarely shows itself in Michigan in January and February, and this winter has been exemplary in that regard, and the days are short to begin with. I freeze my hands outdoors, and I get bored or frustrated more quickly, trying to find things to shoot indoors.
For picture of the week for this past week, I went with the shot of a window and basketball backboard surrounded by snow on a garage roof in my neighborhood. I suppose it’s the isolation the elements in a field of snow that I like. But I did consider a couple of shots from the nice, warm indoors.
When inspiration hits indoors, I’m grateful. I quite liked two indoor photos this week. I’m sure I’ll still like one of them in the future. The other one, I’m not so sure, but I think so.
The portrait of my wife is the one I’ll always like. I took it at Harmony, a local pizza place and micro-brewery. We were waiting for takeout on a busy Friday night, me sipping an Imperial IPA, her working on a glass of hard cider. She was happy and content, anticipating pizza, enjoying the taste and buzz of the cider. It shows in the picture.
The picture of the apple was an inspiration of timing. I was hungry, so I started in on an apple, cutting it in half, digging out the core from one of the halves. We talk poetically about the “flesh” of fruit. Artists try to depict the sensuality of fruit, convey human emotions like desire or anxiety. This apple seemed troubled to me, its flesh cut open, its core surgically removed. So I took a picture. It was delicious.
All three seemed worthy.
No Ordinary Light 