Yesterday, L and I drove downtown for a new marble set. He chose two small sets and when we left the toy store, it was around 2:30 pm, the light was still harsh and angular. I convinced him to go on a short photo walk. He held a bag of popcorn. I carried three cameras. The digital Nikon was slung around my shoulder, the Polaroid 600 was in one hand and my iPhone was in the other.
L and I walked down the alley I like to photograph. It reminds me of a bigger city marked by smells of Chinese food and shipping palettes. Graffiti covers the brick walls that seem to be works in progress. The latest, a pin-up sized cupcake painted on a door and a green sea turtle added to the wall. L grabbed another handful of popcorn while I stepped closer to the building cloaked in ivy.
A guy walked over to his car just behind me. “Are you leaving,” I said. “No.” I angled in closer to the building and looked up and snapped a few photos of a sea of ivy on brick with a short window of sky poking through.
“Hey, if you want a really great shot, you should climb up the fire escape back there and get a picture of the ivy from the other direction,” he said.
“Oh, yeah, okay,” I said.
“I mean not that I’m telling you what to do, you know, if you want to.”
“Thanks.”
The guy left. I took a few more shots then moved on.
“Mom, are we really going up that fire escape,” L said.
“No, let’s walk a little more, then we can go home.”
Sun shone along another brick wall casting slotted shadows from a staircase. I snapped more photos then L jumped into the frame. This time a woman approached us. “You know what would make a great photo,” she said, “if you placed him underneath the stairs and let the shadow lines fall across his face.”
“Thanks, I’m getting so many ideas from people today. It’s kind of amazing,” I said. She fidgeted with her dark sunglasses and left. I may have been unintentionally sarcastic in my delivery; sleep deprivation doesn’t help cultivate patience in such moments.
In truth, it was kind of amazing — strangers who wanted me take great photos and who wanted to show me how to do so. Maybe what they saw was a great image. Who knows? Maybe they’ll go back with a camera.
Really, did I ask for help? Their intentions were good, it was clear, but I was annoyed by the interruptions. I wanted to hang out with L and take pictures. We rarely get these moments when it’s just us. Then it hit me why the conversations had an affect on me. A great image originates from a place of truth and authenticity. That’s the piece I needed to hear.
L and I walked back to the car. On the way home, we talked about our favorite marbles and shooters.
Nikki | Art & Lemons
Love this. x
Thanks, Kirstin!
I was going to say what Kirstin said. Love this. xo
xo
me too, love this!
Thanks so much, Cathy!
I love the human interaction!! What a great story. I see hearts in the shadows of the window curtains. How beautiful.
Thanks, Tracie! Now I see the hearts, so cool you noticed them.
what a beautiful slice of life post. loved it.
🙂 Thanks!
Stands back from the keyboard in amenamezt! Thanks!
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Awesome: both your facebook comments and the video message. Loved: “We are not the passive audience to this messed-up power play”. I have been increasingly trying to distract myself of late – anything to keep from actually getting to the work of sorting out myself, digging deeper. This was the blog I needed to read today.Thanks – Now I’m getting on it!And I will read you forever.
Fibra Ótica chegando, tudo bem, mais ai me pergunto se a cidade vai esta com fibra ótica vendendo conexao banda larga(adsl) acho que no pais todos apenas manaus e alguma outra cidade que naum me lembro que ainda existe essas 2 velocidades ridÃculas, não entendo por que velocidades tão baixas, so falta o valor ser o mesmo de manaus( que o velox ainda é por satélite), bom como sempre Boa Vista vem no rabo esquecido do Brasil.
Not the way I wanted to finish racing n 2012 but could have been a lot worse. Wasn't sure if the foot was going to come off with the boot at the track when they pulled it off!Thank f*ck for entonox.. ;)Jamie
As Charlie Sheen says, this article is “WINNING!”
Hey, we’ve all made mistakes!I don’t know if I’m defending myself or the squirrel there, though. Probably myself, because thanks to this guy, one of the baby’s first words is suddenly, “Skirl!” which is screeched as she points at it in horror. Or maybe that’s amusement. It’s hard to tell with babies.
I think I’m scared of that “whole other realm” – and letting go of what society deems as “successful.” I feel a lot of tension in my head when I let myself go there, like it’s going to lead to me not accomplishing anything. So hard…..
it’s amazing how 1 little thing they got wrong has completely overtaken the great upgrades they did (I’m thinking the panoramic photo thingy). Fingers crossed that Google maps get an app out there ASAP