It’s time for ordinary photography
One of the harshest realities of becoming widowed is the dissolution of one’s social circle. Friends drift away, some bluntly stating they never liked you to begin with. It’s like salt in the wound! This situation isn’t unique to me: a widely spoken rule of thumb says most widows lose 75% of the friendships they had before their loss. I don’t know where this statistic comes from, but it is out there.
It’s not just widowhood: major life events often disrupt social ties. Serious illness, marriage, divorce, job loss, or having children frequently lead to friends losing interest and moving on. Rebuilding a social life, especially for introverts like me, takes time.
Activities like adventurous hikes, camping trips, and remote photography are now memories. While I could do these alone, safety in numbers matters, and I’m not ready to risk my safety just yet. Nowadays, I stick to simpler pleasures like relaxing at home or short-day trips with the friends who remain, most of whom aren’t into climbing peaks or rushing out of bed to photograph a storm, a sunrise or stay late for sunset. I now try to find solace in capturing ordinary moments during quiet walks, focusing on everyday objects and scenes.
Connecting this to the FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHS:
I adore traveling, and I’m fortunate to have a supportive son for occasional adventures. In early April, we celebrated his birthday with a trip to San Diego. It wasn’t a rugged outdoor journey, but still, it helped my creative juices to be somewhere I had not been before.
In San Diego, I made sure to capture moments while enjoying our time together. My son is patient with my photography, as long as we pause three times a day for meals! Indeed, we indulged in some fantastic food.
During a visit to Balboa Park, we stumbled upon a glassblowing demonstration and a shop selling blown glass items. The curved lamps caught my eye for their simplicity and familiarity. Using my Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm lens, I snapped three quick photos within five minutes before the store owner intervened. I wasn’t unaware that photography wasn’t allowed (there were no signs and nobody sitting at the front desk to warn me). I apologized and moved on. I am posting the photos anyway, because no-one was, or will be, harmed. It’s unlikely that those pieces can be recognized by my photos, and if they can, a bit of propaganda is not likely to hurt an artist.
My regular ranting about GEAR obsession
I often hear people say that they would like to pursue photography but do not have money. And when I hear this, I often reply, “start with your phone.” If you are like me and do not have a fancy phone, a setup like the one I used for the photographs in this post and also for the photographs in my portfolio “A night in Reno”, a NikonZ50 with the kit lens, can be purchased by short of U$1,000. Probably much less if bought used. There are many options out there that are less expensive than an iPhone. Remember that it’s hard to purchase bad equipment these days, and fancy new cameras have advanced features the regular photographer does not need and will never get to use.
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It is all about the light 
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