I saw the woman at Repka's Country Store and Restaurant there today, she was really cool and friendly. I asked her if I could take a photograph of her, she said yes. After I took this photo of her, she told me that it was really nice that I said hello and wanted to take a photo of her. She started to cry, saying she needed someone to pay attention to her today, and now here I was taking photos of her. I gave her a hug and told her she was a very pretty lady. Her name is Earthy.
Thinking back on my experiences of asking to take a random person's photo, not only to I take away with me an image of that person, but they often share something of their soul that I take with me, too. And had I not had a camera in my hands, I would have never engaged the conversation that started a relationship. I am always blessed afterwards by that moment when time stopped and I listened to a new voice.
Often people ask me whether or not I take good photographs, sort of in the reference of like at an event "did you take some good photographs, today?" and my answer is alway "Yes, the only bad photograph was the one that I didn't take". Sometimes even a photograph a split second off the moment, even soft and out-of focus on the subject, poorly composed can result in being a good photograph just for the simple sake that it was taken. As a photographer, and this defines my being as well, I had to develop a thick skin and resiliency to not listening to other peoples voices in my head about what is right and wrong about a technically excellent photo or what would "they" think if I asked to take a photo; as I don't care any longer because the moment that I start caring about what others think is the moment that I miss the shot.
