seconds and centimeters

 

In photography and in life, I am intrigued by the notion that it is most often seconds and centimeters which are the measurements that can alter reality (or at least our perception of reality) forever. We as humans have a tendency to think in terms of grand chunks of time or great expanses of space, and can sometimes get so caught up in this that we become unaware of the flickering fireflies of second by second happenings that are lighting in front of our eyes right now. That is, until we are blindsided by one of these tiny fraction in time occurrences which result in having a monumental impact on our life. (“If only I’d left the house a second later, or swerved a centimeter to the right, the accident would never have happened”.)

For some reason, it seems I arrived on the planet with a heightened sensitivity to the tenuous and ephemeral nature of life. When I was young, this would give me cause for great worry and introspection, and I think as a result I searched more diligently for God within the fragile substance of daily life than I might have otherwise. The good news is that the closer I examined things, the more evidence I found of a divine presence. I learned to seek this divinity out in all things because when I didn’t, the apprehension I felt of what might be on the verge of happening next was almost too much to bear. I wonder sometimes if I became a photographer by default. Not so much choosing it as finally coming to the realization that I couldn’t exist without it.

Part of the great allure of photography is the myriad of different ways there are to see a particular subject or scene. It excites me over and over again to hold an enchanting and fleeting moment on film that might not exist if not for me and my camera being there at the right second, and moving just a centimeter in the right direction. The feeling is one of making an emotive human moment immortal. What heady stuff this is! I strive always at keeping my senses sharp and alert, my body responsive and nimble, and my heart open to that in front of me, so that I might help facilitate and invite these moments to come about more frequently. To me, photography is less about “making art” than it is about allowing what is already artful to reveal and express itself naturally.

Seconds and centimeters flitter about in front of my eyes constantly, like a never ending carousel ride that won’t let me off. It can get a super sensitive girl like me dizzy and disoriented, make me nostalgic for what was, and can still at times cause me anxiety and worry for all that feels so volatile in our world. But I am learning more and more to find peace in the ever changing chaotic face of life by looking inward……with a camera pointed outward being my most utilized instrument for achieving this.

Move a centimeter in a different direction…….now wait a second…..move ever so slightly again if you need to improve your view. You just never know how the light may change, a dark mood can lift, and what was just a moment ago gloomy and full of despair become illuminated and suddenly effervescent.

 

~Cynthia