Reflections

Ansel Adams once said "A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into." 

 Now after I posted last nights blog I started to look at my man playing the accordion photograph. I began to see a bit of a resemblance, I grab my phone and message my mother asking her if she had read what I said about this man how he had something special in his eyes. After this is sent, I started typing about how I kind of thought he looked like my Opa (who ironically enough passed away 3 years ago yesterday), right as I go to push send her message comes back saying " Yea I did, he looks like Opa." Then I knew, this wasn't just some chance encounter with a random guy on a street. There was a deeper meaning, a connection. I just hadn't been looking into the picture. In retrospect it WAS a self portrait. Maybe not of me personally but something that had a connection to my soul.

Now I don't really believe in God and I'm not saying my Opa was back from the dead in another guys body. I will not deny some spiritual connection though, of all days, of all streets of all places he was there and I saw something in him that I wanted to capture. An essence about him that really made me feel something. I can't completely describe it but I really felt a warm tug on my heart as I snapped the photograph. It's crazy how things like that work out. How a memory can come flashing back as if it were yesterday. Everyone has habits and certain ways of life, we may not know it but its stored in our mind. The harsh smell of smoke; my opa smoked more cigarettes than anyone I've ever known, you'd be on a 30 minute car ride and he'd probably smoke 5 cigarettes in that time frame. Walnuts, he used to always have a big red bowl full of them and I being a small girl never for the life of me could crack them, this ofcourse was his job anyways. Garden gnomes, they were placed perfectly around his gorgeous little garden he had out in the woods with a little pond  in Germany. When any of these little things; among others, are placed in my life I can't help but close my eyes and take myself back to those days. Physically I will never run and jump up into his arms, he wont push me on my tricycle, pick my mom and I up from the airport and we won't ever play badminton in his garden but all I have to do is close my eyes and I can feel that warmth and serenity flush over me. As tears roll down my face I reflect on what I thought was a simple photograph.

I believe everything happens for a reason. What or why that reason is we may never know, but it does. Whether its for happiness, pain or even reflection everything leads to something.

I will never forget how I felt as I put the camera up to my face and looked through the view finder and this man looked right into the heart of my camera and right into my soul.

Day 9 of 365:

I know the picture isn't really in focus but its not about that today. It's about the reflection.

That's all for today folks.

Stop back by tomorrow.

Don't forget you're beautiful.

Every single one of you.

-Tanja