Some Much Needed Photo Therapy

There was a profound need for photographic therapy yesterday. You see, I had to take my vehicle in for service, as the rearview mirror had become detached. Now, up until a few years ago, reattaching the rearview mirror was a simple DIY project, requiring only a little superglue and a bit of patience. These days, it has become major surgery for vehicles like my BMW X1. I learned that in order to reattach my mirror, I would have to replace the entire windshield, setting me back a total of $1300. Outrageous. So, I decided to just deal with the mirror in my own way, at home, later. In the meanwhile, I took a few hours of mental health time, bought some lunch at my local Whole Foods Market ($9.99 per pound), and enjoyed it in a nearby park. For dessert, a 90 minute photowalk. I was armed with two instruments, one digital and one film. Both delivered for me, and I felt much better about the day when I returned. So glad I took time: I reminded myself that I'm in it for the long haul.

[Post script: mirror fixed in 30 min. Not even a very sophisticated attempt to upsell. Grr.]

Tasting notes: Canon M6ii, 22mm f/2 lens, black and white interpretation in Ps.

Recording the ephemeral

The other day on our daily walk, we came upon some wild mushrooms - Old Man of the Woods. They are edible, but the ones I found this time ended up being dissected and photographed. I took a sharp chef's knife and bisected one of the mushrooms and noticed that it produced a reddish fluid. So I took a piece of nice watercolor paper and made several prints. I was pretty sure the image would fade over time and had no idea how to fix it, and, in fact, wasn't entirely sure I wanted to. Instead, I grabbed a digital camera and made multiple photographs. One of photography's unique superpowers is its ability to record transient phenomena. Sure enough, the image of the mushroom did fade over night and also changed color due to oxidation. I'll continue to document the process of decay over the next couple of weeks. The combination of the hands-on aspects of an analog process with the convenience of digital imaging make it a rewarding way to work.