Mercy Photography.
What does that mean to me now? Is it just a place to put some photos? It’s become more than that. It’s my pocket of intention and vision. Intention and discipline and committment.
I fall short sometimes, oh do I fall short. But I’ve always, always come again and tried again. I can’t even make a promise to myself that there will be some kind of momentum in creating work because, this bipolar thing, it’s out of my control. I make strides, then the bottom falls out from under me. Then I have to start again. It’s ok though. I have more confidence these days. Ironically, failure has given me a measure of confidence that I wouldn’t otherwise know. So, there’s that.
My strategy to keep showing up is to create projects. My Field Notes category is my foundation. The photos there are what I really see in the world, the pure wonder, grace and simplicity.
Imperfect World, that is a project aimed at freeing myself from the illusion of control. It’s a celebration of the unplanned, an exploration of what might happen if I let go. There is no 50 or 85, no macro or telephoto. When I look at these pinhole images it makes me wonder how Niepce must have felt after creating the first photograph ever. Oh my goodness, look! he must have said. He figured out how to collect the light that he witnessed on a particular day, in a particular place, at a particular time. He was so taken by what he saw in this world that he endeavored to record it. Thank you, my man, I am so grateful you did that.
Photography is my practice and I claim only a modicum of competence. I draw inspiration from so many other artists. It is with gratitude and respect to them that I can move on with my own work.