The darkroom years

I love photography.  I always have.  I started taking photos and developing film in high school.  After college, I took the same photography class over and over again. After the first time, the teacher let me skip the class part and go straight to the darkroom so I could do my own thing.  I never made the jump from black and white to color.  I never felt the need.  Black and white has a lovely edge to it, and leaves more to the imagination.

Needless to say, photography has changed a lot since those days.  The change is all good but for one thing - putting the paper in the developing solution and watching the image appear.  I get a little thrill just remembering that.  I think I loved that part because there were so many things that could go wrong prior to that point, (light is a friend and a foe) that it was a relief to know you actually got the shot and captured the moment.

Most of the good photos I took ended up in the yearbook or have been given away over the years.  I am really surprised at how few good pictures are still in their designated spots in my disintegrating scrapbook.  Kathy took the photos of her on-again-off-again boyfriend, at a wrestling match (because, you know, he was in a singlet).  There is a classic photo of Billy Wesley and Karen Van Pelt that disappeared at some point.  I really miss that one.  I have blank pages in my scrapbook where there used to be photos of Bill Hurst and Jeff Wilson.  My friend Brenda grieved hard for Bill after he died so many years ago, and I hope those photos remind her of happier times.  Given away or lost, I hang on tight to the images I still have.

I love this photo of Sally and her wonderful car, Stud.

That. Car. Was. Awesome.  It was an early 1960s Belvedere with a push button transmission.  Cutting edge stuff!  The driver's side door was badly dented, so you had to enter and exit the car on the passenger side.  The paint was peeled off in big spots, and with that "coloring", we determined Stud was an appaloosa.  

We had an art show in high school when I was a junior.  There were over a hundred entries.  This photo of my nieces received honorable mention--

It was completely staged at the end of our lane, down the road from Sis' house, but that's okay.  I didn't enter this one of Jen, but I took it the same afternoon and I've always liked it.  Maybe because she was such a little pixie of a thing, and it looks like she was marching.

This photo of Dad took best in show --

I don't remember why the judges liked it so much, but of all the photos I've ever taken, this is still one of my favorites.  I remember running through the field, north of Pete and Elsie's house, trying to keep up with the tractor.  I almost fell half a dozen times, and was worried about dirt settling on my lens.

Maybe when we finally get unpacked, I will find more of my photos.  Doubtful, though.  I'll just have to keep those images to myself in my head, and remember them being better than they probably were.