Some of you, the Europeans for certain, speak a handful of languages. I know you’ll agree with me when I say the following: You know you’re getting a good grip on a language when you start thinking in that language.
The first time I travelled to France (I’ve been thrice) I was on an exchange and I stayed with a lovely family in the Tours region. My French was mauvais, compared to some, but by the end of my stay I found that I was starting to think in the language thanks to the effect of language immersion on my mind and tongue.
In the same way, I’ve noticed lately that I’m starting to see the world in frames. I’m starting to think in camera! Can you believe it? My brief history with photography began in high school where I took 8 semesters, back to back, of graphic arts — including photography theory, as well as film and image developing. I loved it. It’s like the scent of developing chemicals was a perfume and I was drawn in like a luna month heady with the effect of pheromones. I continued taking photos up until this very day but it’s not until recently that I have starting seeing the world as a jumble of chopped up images waiting to be captured like butterflies in a net. It’s quite a thrill.
Anyway, it got me to pondering about other languages we can speak besides French or Camera. What’s your language (besides the one you speak) and how is it affecting your life?
What do you speak and how does it affect the view of your environments?
I’ll tell you how speaking Camera is further affecting my life, I’ve got a sore shoulder all the time from carrying my rig all over the place…it must weigh four pounds….(???) Things are getting crazy. I rarely leave home without my gun and usually take a minimum of 100 photos a day. That’s a bit obsessive, but I know I’ll regret it if I miss even one opportunity to make an image.
In other news,
Winona says, “What’s up?”
It’s Friday here. I can feel it in the air. Everyone is charging up for the weekend. The sky seems thick with storms. Last night, while at a barbecue, a glorious thunder bumper rolled into the valley and the air was crackling with green light and rainbows and when golden hour struck, I nearly fell right out of my cowboy boots. I thought I’d go blind from the pool of beauty I was sitting in but I’m still seeing the world frame by frame today. Thank goodness.
I was going to try to do a shop update this afternoon but I’m feeling too hurried so I’m postponing it until Monday, August 9.
In the meanwhile, please try to behave yourselves.
xx
P