A reminder for me, first, if perhaps a bit late:
As narrated by Abu Huraira, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said
إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا، وَكُونُوا إِخْوَانًا
Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the falsest talk, and do not spy upon each other, and do not listen to the evil talk of the people about others’ affairs, and do not have enmity with one another, but be brothers.
After almost 6 years together, I took Hank, my beloved Golf, back to Volkswagon. He got caught up in dieselgate, and, given how much money they offered for him, I couldn’t really refuse, but I’m still sad to see him go. Continue reading “Thanks for the Memories”
I photograph to encourage thought, or hope to. I don’t always succeed, but it’s not always up to me, and I’m not really sure, yet, how to direct thought in specific ways. I hope to refine my vision and technique, and learn to make photographs that remind myself and other of the wonders that are all around us. As Allah says in Al Jathiya, 3-5
إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وَفِي خَلْقِكُمْ وَمَا يَبُثُّ مِن دَابَّةٍ آيَاتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِن رِّزْقٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ آيَاتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
Indeed, within the heavens and earth are signs for the believers.
And in the creation of yourselves and what He disperses of moving creatures are signs for people who are certain.
And [in] the alternation of night and day and [in] what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and [in His] directing of the winds are signs for a people who reason.
So much of my photography is devoid of people. I often explicitly exclude people from photographs, wait for people to exit the frame, move myself and re-frame to crop them out. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s partly (or mostly) due to fear. Whatever it is, of the 20 photographs I selected for this first exercise, 12 of them included people: 1 of a single stranger; 2 of groups of strangers; 1 of my dad; 8 of my wife.
Continue reading “Looking at (my) Photographs (2)”
As mentioned yesterday, before I started looking for my photographic intent, I printed out 20 photographs, and after I found my photographic intent, I looked back at those 20 and made some comments. That exercise is reproduced here, with some additional commentary. Continue reading “Looking at (my) Photographs (1)”
I’ve been in a photographic/creative funk, slump, drought for several weeks or months now: no drive, no focus, little interest, great dissatisfaction, and no end in sight. I’ve complained about this some here on the blog, on Twitter, and out in the world, but only recently started trying to do something about it. Continue reading “Finding my Photography”
Well, Polaroid Week ended a few days ago, but I had a pack of B&W Impossible Project loaded, so I shot it on a nice drive around Tarrant, Wise, Denton, and Dallas counties. It’s probably the last of the little half-day drives/photo tours I’ll take in the Golf, and Polaroid/Impossible seems a good way to see him off… Continue reading “Polaroid Week! (5) – Hank’s last drive”
