I can’t believe it’s been a month already since I took that trip with my girl to the East Coast. I absolutely loved every waking moment of that trip, sleeping moment too for that matter. It was because of this trip I was able to check a few things off my dream list. Mainly meeting a dear soul I had known for the past five almost 6 years now. It’s strange how this world works and often hard to actually explain the word “connection” unless you actually experience it. How do you connect with a stranger who lives over 2,000 miles away, literally on the other side of the United States? Whom you met on a photo sharing site none the less? The INTERNET!! Scary for some I know but even though I’m really grounded, I’m open to interacting with strangers. Strangers who often end up becoming friends. Debbie is one of these friends.
How I admired her eye. I remember complimenting her photo’s in the beginning and she confessed to me that she used a point and shoot digital camera. She didn’t even have a “real” camera in 2010 when we were visiting each other’s daily images. She was using a Fujifilm point and shoot and her photos were interesting, intriguing, fully pulling me in each time. Because the secret of photography in my opinion isn’t about the equipment so to speak, it’s about the EYE. As time went on, she did upgrade her camera until most recently and actually for a while now, she went back to film. Pure FILM. She has to shoot with intention, she has to be selective and she has to take her time. I admire her so very much, you have no idea.
So when I finally got to meet her, March 8, 2016 and hug her for real, look into her face, hear her voice. It was a dream come true. Even better than that, she walked me around Georgetown, she talked about its history, her history too. She shot with her film camera, she even shot portraits of me in the alley behind a famous jazz bar. I was so impressed with her confidence and how she shot film at night. I hope to see those images someday. I shot too but with my digital. We talked about mutual friends and other photographers we admired. The limited two hours went far too fast but it left me feeling content, full and very happy.
I asked her if she might jump with me? She smiled and told me how she just could never seem to get much air when she jumped but she would for sure jump with me….because it was ME! It’s always tricky with that timer. I didn’t bring a tripod or remote. So we had to time that timer just right. For sure there was laughter, there is always laugher when one jumps and see’s the silly facial expressions and contorted weird body freezes the camera captures.
We have watched each others children grow up via images shared, written notes of encouragement, we have opened up with each other on a level I again can’t begin to explain. It’s like she knew all of me before we ever even met person to person.
It for sure was a strong community of supportive and creative women, who were ordinary regular people, who happened to share the same passions. We had found each other and it felt so right. I still have my little red man. I was a fortunate one who received a little super hero from Debbie. I carry him in my purse, I take pictures of him every so often. It’s interesting this world that opened up to me. Although it has changed quite a bit and we all have sort of moved in different directions, there is no denying it was a time in our lives that helped us all to find ourselves, go back to our true selves. I know I couldn’t have done it alone. It took a tribe of creative woman to get me there and I will forever be grateful.
Debbie has sent me many gifts in the past, one of them was a handmade photo book. I have decided to print the images I took with her that night and put them in that photo book. She made sure it had plenty of red with polka dots. I love red. My old screen name used to be RED.
