The Bigger Picture

I heart ImageStation. It may not be the best photo-sharing site out there, but it suits my simplistic needs and doesn't crash during my multiple-hour uploads. It kept me occupied after getting home from the cheap movies the other night. We had seen Tina Fey's tartly funny Mean Girls.

I was assembling the electronic album from the latest Yosemite trip. As I sorted through the photos, picking out the ones to share, I tried to piece together some sort of story line. It didn't take long for gaps in the narrative to appear. There were moments and people pictorially missing from the weekend. I could only tell part of the tale. I sat in front of the computer, stared at the thumbnail images on the screen and rapidly tapped my finger on the mouse out of frustration.

I had a plot (journey to the mountain) and a setting (the mountain), but very little character development. There was a distinct lack of people in the pictures. When photographing others, one intrudes on their personal space and privacy. If one is comfortable with this, opportunities present themselves for profoundly candid shots, which helps provide continuity. I haven't reached that comfort level yet. Consequently, large spans of time are skipped since they only contain objects and landscapes. I need to step back, look around and digitally capture the bigger picture, people and all.

I finished the album with a generically unhappy sigh and sent out its link so others could view my handiwork. The next one will be better. I just need a little practice.