Monday, December 1, 2008

Snap, snap

I’ve started taking photographs again.

I did quite a lot of it when I was in my twenties, but I decided I couldn’t do both photography and writing and I was better at writing (ha!), so I’d focus on that. Narrowing my focus was a problem back then. Now, well, has the focus narrowed, or just my interests?

I feel a little strange returning to the past like that, though. It appears that my aesthetic sense of what’s interesting has not developed very far in the interim. I still respond to light on edges of things, geometric shapes and textures.


I’ll have to be careful not to become static and bore myself. Boring myself is one reason I’ve never successfully been able to keep a journal. After a little while, all the Me just seems entirely sterile and uninteresing. Will this blog be different? It might be if people enjoy reading it.

In any event, you no longer have to make choices between various media and arts in the way I did. On a blog or website you can write, show photographs, show video--just enjoy a complete submergence in the delights of your own ego as it interacts in its customarily fascinating fashion with the world.

I feel somewhat self-indulgent, of course, as I contemplate doing precisely that. But it’s a non-toxic, low calorie indulgence, so why not try?

By the way, that’s an apple core, above.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guessed it was apple core! A really cool looking picture too. Isn't it great that on our blogs we can write, add all kinds of photos (even if your a point and click kinda gal), and just have fun? I love blogging.

I look forward to seeing more of your photos.

The Texas Woman said...

Self-indulgent? Watch your mouth, woman! That's me you're talkin' about!

I agree with FringeGirl. Blogs are great for getting the drive to create out of our system and into the open where we all can enjoy it.

PJ says that drive is the difference between being talented and being an artist. I'll ask her more about that tomorrow when I see her...or maybe she'll blog about it.

The Texas Woman

jonnie said...

It's a good thing you idetified the object in your picture. My guess was neither correct or interesting/amusing. When I looked at the enlarged photo I could easily tell it was an apple. (NEW PARAGRAPH HERE) I have always loved those books with photos of very tiny parts of various objects enlarged many, many times. The challenge is to identify the object before looking at the answer. My batting average is usually about 500. HELP. I am having trouble with the HTML tag to begin a new paragraph. I thought it was left arrow p right arrow?

Babette Fraser Hale said...

Thanks to all for the comments! I personally love the opportunity to say whatever I'm interested in that day, even if it's totally unconnected to the day before.

Jonnie--On Blogger, I find you can paragraph by just hitting the enter bar on your keyboard a couple of times.

PJHornbergerFolkArtist.com said...

Blogging can be so creative, sharing, friendships, fun, many many things. Now that you've added the link to see who reads you, it really gets fun! This morning I found someone in Russia had been reading me here in Texas. Now that's FUN! Is it someone from Texas now living there, or a Russian learning to speak Texan? Oh, what stories I can dream up for that one.

Our busy lives keep us from discussing things, exchanging ideas, communicating. I've found all of the above blogging. ~PJ

Anonymous said...

Finding this blog (via LH's chron blog)has made my day. You are very talented, quite an artist. Thanks for sharing.

David said...

Babette,

Did you like the photograph that Michael took of Leon? If you have similar photos, could you post them?
And of the place at Winedale.

David