Reflections on Past Things
Being stuck at home has its advantages for me. I can concentrate on doing more artistic editing on my photos, which I really love.
It's also a time when a lot of people are looking at how life is at the moment, and reflecting on the past, when life was decidedly free by comparison to the restrictions of today that have been imposed upon most of the world.
Doing self portraits is almost a rare thing for me nowadays compared to the past. I seldom have been able to have other people pose for me, and when they do, they are often restrained and nervous, and getting a truly expressive shot can be a challenge for portrait work. At least I know what I want, and pose accordingly.
Since portraiture is my first love, I had overwhelmed Flickr with selfies in the past. Now, I usually only post so that a few people here and there can see me. Some contacts who aren't really into this kind of photo, have even dropped me as a contact, which rather hurt, since I don't post these because I'm self-absorbed, but because I like the kind of work I'm doing. I have even asked my contacts in the past to send me photos to work on if they wanted something done, but only a couple have. Lately, I've been feeling stunted, because I can't do the kind of photography I love, so I've taken to colorizing old movie stills, which I also enjoy doing, but those don't seem to be anything my contacts really like much, either.
I've come to the conclusion that I don't care. I've commented on people's stuff, even when they were just learning and their work was pretty bad. I've tried to find something redeeming in even the most mundane posts, and I've valued people over photos. I've expected the same back, but often didn't get it. So, guess what? I've decided to do as I please! If I post 100 selfies, or 1000 animal shots, or 500 colorized movie pics, I will enjoy it, and if no one else does, they don't have to look!
Life's too short, you know. Now, maybe more than ever. It isn't worth worrying about. I know who my friends really are. :-)
All that said, the real reflecting I was doing with this pic was how much I've personally changed in the last couple of years. I don't look like this anymore. My hair is short and grey, and I hate it. I have more wrinkles, and I'm thinner. Life has been a little harder, and I miss things being more the way I was used to them being, but like everyone else, I'm learning to cope with what I have to, and finding something to keep myself going.
Tomorrow I have a team of people coming to my home to start my kitchen tear down. I'm praying there isn't more than 10 square feet of mold behind those cabinets, so that I won't have a mold remediation, and lose what's left of my savings. Right now, I need every penny until the world gets back to normal and I get back to work, knowing that I WILL be back at work! I'm also praying that none of these people, coming from one of the hot zones of Florida, will have the Coronavirus. They will be taking precautions, but no one knows if they have it until the symptoms appear, and that could be days. I'm trusting that all will go well, and no one will be sick.
Life sure has gotten strange all of a sudden! Reflecting on past things can be comforting, but it can also be depressing. I guess this is the new normal. In any case, I might not be on as much for the next couple of days, as my kitchen will be torn apart and my computer is usually set up there! I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I can! Everyone stay safe and take care!
Reflections on Past Things
Being stuck at home has its advantages for me. I can concentrate on doing more artistic editing on my photos, which I really love.
It's also a time when a lot of people are looking at how life is at the moment, and reflecting on the past, when life was decidedly free by comparison to the restrictions of today that have been imposed upon most of the world.
Doing self portraits is almost a rare thing for me nowadays compared to the past. I seldom have been able to have other people pose for me, and when they do, they are often restrained and nervous, and getting a truly expressive shot can be a challenge for portrait work. At least I know what I want, and pose accordingly.
Since portraiture is my first love, I had overwhelmed Flickr with selfies in the past. Now, I usually only post so that a few people here and there can see me. Some contacts who aren't really into this kind of photo, have even dropped me as a contact, which rather hurt, since I don't post these because I'm self-absorbed, but because I like the kind of work I'm doing. I have even asked my contacts in the past to send me photos to work on if they wanted something done, but only a couple have. Lately, I've been feeling stunted, because I can't do the kind of photography I love, so I've taken to colorizing old movie stills, which I also enjoy doing, but those don't seem to be anything my contacts really like much, either.
I've come to the conclusion that I don't care. I've commented on people's stuff, even when they were just learning and their work was pretty bad. I've tried to find something redeeming in even the most mundane posts, and I've valued people over photos. I've expected the same back, but often didn't get it. So, guess what? I've decided to do as I please! If I post 100 selfies, or 1000 animal shots, or 500 colorized movie pics, I will enjoy it, and if no one else does, they don't have to look!
Life's too short, you know. Now, maybe more than ever. It isn't worth worrying about. I know who my friends really are. :-)
All that said, the real reflecting I was doing with this pic was how much I've personally changed in the last couple of years. I don't look like this anymore. My hair is short and grey, and I hate it. I have more wrinkles, and I'm thinner. Life has been a little harder, and I miss things being more the way I was used to them being, but like everyone else, I'm learning to cope with what I have to, and finding something to keep myself going.
Tomorrow I have a team of people coming to my home to start my kitchen tear down. I'm praying there isn't more than 10 square feet of mold behind those cabinets, so that I won't have a mold remediation, and lose what's left of my savings. Right now, I need every penny until the world gets back to normal and I get back to work, knowing that I WILL be back at work! I'm also praying that none of these people, coming from one of the hot zones of Florida, will have the Coronavirus. They will be taking precautions, but no one knows if they have it until the symptoms appear, and that could be days. I'm trusting that all will go well, and no one will be sick.
Life sure has gotten strange all of a sudden! Reflecting on past things can be comforting, but it can also be depressing. I guess this is the new normal. In any case, I might not be on as much for the next couple of days, as my kitchen will be torn apart and my computer is usually set up there! I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I can! Everyone stay safe and take care!