Wednesday, July 6, 2011

What do you wanna be when you grow up?

Every time I think about doing something to bring in some extra money, I remember my Aunt Annie, about 92, telling me, "I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up." So what do I want to do when I grow up?

I've always loved photography. I bought my first camera in Hawaii at the PX on Fort Shafter. I had checked out the cameras of everyone I saw with a camera and read everything I could get my hands on. So I decided on an Olympus OM1. They were 30% smaller, 30% quieter, and 30% something else I thought was important. I would go to the PX every couple weeks to check it out. Finally after saving up the $300 plus, I told them, "I'll take it."

I loved that camera. Even though I was in Hawaii, I took a ton of black & white photos, learned to use the darkroom, and started shooting "garbage." One of my favorites was of cars that had been pushed off into the sea. There was a strip of beach off Kamehameha Highway that was a cliff with huge boulders at the bottom. There had to have been at least 10 cars lying among the rocks.

Arizona State had just started a program about "garbage," and I thought it was a calling. I still photograph "garbage..." unusual things in common places or common things in unusual places. Commodes are one of my favorites.

Lately, I've been looking at photos on Google Earth and have found some very interesting ones in Tullahoma by a guy by the name of Maurice. Check out this one.




I've been inspired by his technique. Here are a couple of my endeavors.




I don't have the computer program to do what he is doing, but I'm enjoying it what I'm doing and having some fun. 

So maybe I don't have to "know" what I want to do when I grow up. Maybe I just do what I enjoy when I enjoy it. I'm also getting my needle into fabric art. It might not bring in money, but it's the best way I've found to spend my time not making money.

So what are you doing just because it's fun?

1 comment:

  1. Love the blog and the photography ... I love the musings and especially the 92 year old who was still debating what to do when they grow up ... hope we all live so young until we are old ... be good, your old work pal, Martha Jones

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