Photography comes from the ‘Greek’… "stylus", "paintbrush" "representation by means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning "drawing with light.
‘Drawing with light’. I always imagined people walking around with a wand that would enable them to physically draw an image in the 3D space that surrounded them. My first experience as a ‘photographer’ was the use of the ‘great and powerful’ Kodak instamatic 110. Gingerly tearing open the official looking yellow and red paper to expose the 110 cartridge, gave me a sense of importance, and ‘the look at me’ I’m a professional. I would carry with me 5- 10 rolls in a cool camera bag. Upon using this unique device, I eventually realized that it became less about the cartridges and more about what I was feeling when I looked through ever –so-tiny view-finder.
I finally graduated to the 35mm SLR, a Minolta XG-1, which I still own to this date. Now, there were many things to deal with. Loading the film is not as easy as the 110 cartridges. What is Aperture Priority, what is the purpose of the shutter, Focal length???? Reciprocity Failure, sounds like a band. How cool it must be to change lenses now and use a 50mm, the field of vision we humans can see. How creative I must be to use a 28mm wide-angle lens, or even a fish-eye. I think I can see my own the feet. Now try this Dru, a 210mm lens. If only the human eye could zoom in and pin point an object. I ‘m quite envious of Col. Austin.
Upon mastering the essence of the camera itself and the mechanics of the lens, I quickly realized that rotating the dial on the lens alters the perception of reality. I can stop action with a fast shutter. I can slow the flow of a waterfall or the wings of bird as it takes flight. Unlike the lightening speed focus of the human eye, I can now manipulate the focus of my shot. I can pick the speed of my film, and use it as a language for my point of purpose.
With tripod set and camera lens pointed out toward the horizon of a vast Illinois landscape, the mashed potato clouds move slowly across the rich blue sky to the vanishing point. I peer respectfully through the eyepiece, then rise and decide to lower the tripod a bit, giving me the horizon at 1/3. I peer again and rise. With a masterful touch, I switch to a 28mm lens. I slow the shutter. I peer again and holding my breath, the world around comes alive. I continue to peer through the tiny square glass where the world is a frame. I think about how I’m feeling and……CLICK! “How do you feel?”
“…A focus, also called an image point, is the point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge…”
It never cease to amaze me how this simple concept sometimes
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