back to square one

When I first began with blipfoto the challenge was to see if I could actually make and post a useable image every day for a year. Once that looked at least possible, I wanted to make those images worth looking at. When that didn't always work out I fleshed things out by writing something. Then I found myself putting together short sequences of images that had something in common and often accompanied these images by commentary that pointed out the themes.

Along the way, however my postings became more and more tardy and needed more and more backblips. I'm a perfectionistic when it comes to putting words together and the more important the subject is the more difficult it is to turn out something that's satisfactory. Most of the time I had writer's block.

Nevertheless, when we approached the end of Lent, I launched into an even more serious project, wanting to share and to document the Eastern Orthodox expression of Christianity that has come to mean so much to me. That's when I really began to bog down. Since the photos had to be secondary to the worship, many wonderful visual opportunities had to be missed. Then, too, whole books have been written about what I was trying to compress into two or three paragraphs. The commentary had to first be accurate, then match the quality of the experience and, finally, do all this in an easily accessible way. It also would have helped if I'd been able to pull it off in real time, in the actual Lenten and Easter timeframe.

It hasn't worked.

One of the problems has been the task of trying to force the somewhat chancy photographic opportunities of a given day to express and coincide with the quite intentional and specific liturgical remembrances and celebrations for that same day.

The other problem, of course, is not having the skill.

It's been a disappointment. I hadn't come to this faith lightly or easily, having first tried almost every other option I could find for years and years and years. Instead of commending this beautiful and profoundly transformative way of following Christ in an authentic way, however, I have come to realize that my "project" is in serious danger of trivializing it.

Since that's so grossly abhorrent, I'm changing my ways.

I do intend to continue posting, but most of my photos will now be put up without any accompanying words at all. I hope that will eventually help me to become a better photographer. It'll still be great fun to share them, of course, and to see what you all come up with, and I'll always be grateful for our simple and elegant venue, but

for the time being, at least:

It's back to square one ~ just photos.


light and love,

Tom Turnbull