Yesterday I was mooning over a print that I desperately want (you can see it here), and as one does, I sent the link to my sister so that she could make up my mind whether or not to spend $30 on something that I do not, strictly speaking, need.
She vetoed the purchase, and then it occurred to me that I have thousands of photos that I took myself, and surely some few of them are good enough to print and hang on a wall. Perhaps not as perfect as that one, okay, but with more personal meaning. And I could probably print and mat several of them for the price of ordering one online.
I proceeded to waste several hours looking at every single picture I've taken in the last few years in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, DR Congo, Tanzania, Liberia, Senegal (airport only), Sudan, and Ethiopia.
It's funny all the things you forget. I was amused to notice, for example, that right in the middle of the Rwanda days there is a gap for the time I went to Italy. Like any (ab)normal person, I brought my good camera to Africa and it was only when I went to Europe that I started worrying about getting it stolen. So I brought my ancient point and shoot film camera to Italy.
I also didn't remember that I had visited so many genocide memorials in Rwanda. They are such a tiny portion of my memories of those two years, but apparently I went to the one in Kibuye, at least, repeatedly. (And took the same photos every. single. time.)
I now have a set of about 10 photos that I think have possibility, and I'm googling things like "photo composition" because I haven't the first idea how to make a photo look good for such displays, particularly since I have a random desire to make the photos square. That part's not working out so well. Also, I wanted lots of reds and oranges, but it turns out that nature is more greens and blues.
And, for example, is this too boring? Too colorless? Please inform.
She vetoed the purchase, and then it occurred to me that I have thousands of photos that I took myself, and surely some few of them are good enough to print and hang on a wall. Perhaps not as perfect as that one, okay, but with more personal meaning. And I could probably print and mat several of them for the price of ordering one online.
I proceeded to waste several hours looking at every single picture I've taken in the last few years in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, DR Congo, Tanzania, Liberia, Senegal (airport only), Sudan, and Ethiopia.
It's funny all the things you forget. I was amused to notice, for example, that right in the middle of the Rwanda days there is a gap for the time I went to Italy. Like any (ab)normal person, I brought my good camera to Africa and it was only when I went to Europe that I started worrying about getting it stolen. So I brought my ancient point and shoot film camera to Italy.
I also didn't remember that I had visited so many genocide memorials in Rwanda. They are such a tiny portion of my memories of those two years, but apparently I went to the one in Kibuye, at least, repeatedly. (And took the same photos every. single. time.)
I now have a set of about 10 photos that I think have possibility, and I'm googling things like "photo composition" because I haven't the first idea how to make a photo look good for such displays, particularly since I have a random desire to make the photos square. That part's not working out so well. Also, I wanted lots of reds and oranges, but it turns out that nature is more greens and blues.
And, for example, is this too boring? Too colorless? Please inform.
(Lalibela, Ethiopia - 2008)
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