My Super Heroes

    I am almost done with my 1st year of Photography classes at Everett Community College. Here is my final project. We were given an open ended assignment that could be anything, so long as it fit into one of 4 parameters. It had to use one technique we learned this quarter I went with a diptych.

This project was really a nice challenge as I had to consider what I really wanted to photograph when given absolutely no boundaries, and rather the opposite. The options of using a scanner, composite or a diptych made the possibility endless. I first decided to do a diptych because I loved the idea of it, and knew there were so many possibilities beyond a self portrait and I wanted to explore that.  Second I thought about my artist statement, and that if it were true, and I really did love photographing kids, that it would seem odd to take my endless possibilities and do something non-kid related. The thing about photographing kids, is that you don’t want to make an image “only the mother will love.” I want to photograph kids in a way that creates an image that goes beyond documenting what they looked like at a certain age.  My son Barrett truly believes, currently, that he is Superman, and so I thought I would use that as my inspiration.

         I thought about the location for a few days, and drove around Arlington looking for the perfect place where the city could be seen, and yet with a street that wasn’t too busy or dangerous. I had two shots in mind, and figured I’d just see how it went. When working with two five year olds, you can never plan ahead too much. I knew I wanted to get an image of them looking over the city, sort of watching for crime, and then the second image of them running to stop the crime. Both boys were pretty good sports, although quite silly, and not very heroic all the time. The shot was one of my favorites, and this was the first time the shots I had hoped to get, were the ones I actually captured and liked overall.

Who I am?

     I am currently back  in College and I'm finding that it makes you ponder who you are, and not in the "Should I study or get trashed tonight?" way, but rather, in a more reflective way. Teachers like to ask such questions as, "Why do you like this?" or "Why did you choose that?" They want you to think about the decisions you make, and thus, you begin to ask yourself "Why am I  making the decisions I make."

    Reflecting on what you do can take you down some difficult paths, and maybe make you ponder some things you haven't before. Answering "Why do I enjoy photography?" Isn't difficult, but answering, "What do I want to say with my photography?" or "Why is my photography important?" can be quite soul searching and honestly made me ponder if I was really making the right choose by going back to school. If I am only ordinary, then won't my photography be? Maybe I don't know how to make statements that effect people with my art. What if all I do is create images that nobody really cares about?

     We are often asked  these types of questions in high school, but I think they are asked so teens will go and seek the answers. So they will be inspired to search the world, and take all the possibility they have, and become something great. Then, as we continue to age, we quit being asked, and forget to ask them of ourselves. Then each day takes one a repetition with a life of it's own. So many tasks just so you can be ready to start the same tasks again tomorrow. It is so easy to forget that you once had a purpose, beyond making sure the laundry isn't overflowing, and there are clean dishes and food to be had for dinner.

     God made us to be spirited, gifted and individual. We are to aim to be like Jesus, but each of us is to do so in a different way.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)
        ⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

    My daily work should not look like yours, and I should not compare them. God even claims my weakness, in fact he desire them. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
     Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

    Who doesn't want the Power of Christ to work through them?? Fortunately I have plenty of weaknesses.

     So, now what does a small town girl, with a passel of kids, do with all this purpose and all these questions. Do I take my family to Africa and photograph orphans, mayby.... but unlikely. I'm not really sure yet. I guess I will aim to just seek God's will, and be ready for wherever that may lead me, and pray he will ready me for whatever comes. I don't have time for much else.