dad
This is my dad.
Sometimes, I get caught up in the whole "I'm a photographer" thing. I carry around my Nikon, thinking deep thoughts and trying to express myself, and to be honest, I'm not always satisfied with the images I end up with. Something's wrong with the lighting, or I missed something, or the angle I chose didn't work. So I'll put the camera down for weeks at a time and wonder if I should just stop altogether. Who am I kidding?
And then, one day on a trip home to see my family, I end up on a ferry with my Dad, my brother and his daughter. And I'll look over and see my Dad, looking so content despite the cold wind blowing across Puget Sound directly into his face. I can barely stand to be outside the cabin for a few moments at time, whereas he's set up camp at the bow of the ship for the entirety of the ride. And it makes me think about him, about his life, about everything he's taught me and shared with me over the course of my life. The way he lights up when he talks about any of the numerous adventures he's had in life out on these waters in some way or another. How he always comments on the state of the water when we drive by ("today would be an excellent day to be on the boat. Why aren't we on the boat?") or points out that Mount Rainier has decided to show herself that day. He gave me my love for Washington State.
In that moment, I'll wish desperately that I had brought my Nikon and some fantastic portrait lens. But I didn't, and all I have at my disposal is my iPod. I take the photo anyway, because this is how I always want to remember my Dad. Content, contemplative, and enjoying the Pacific Northwest's beauty for what is likely the millionth time. When I retreat back inside of the ferry and do some feeble editing on the image, I realize-- THIS is why I take pictures. To capture, hopefully, something true and honest about people, about me, about how I view the world. And it reminds me to keep trying.
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