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I got a disposable film camera in the mail from WouldYouJumpRope. The instructions sounded simple enough. Make one photo and then send it to the next person. And that’s where I got hung up… the word: ONE. That’s daunting. I’ve never been super heavy on the motor drive anyway. I prefer seeing, being in, and experiencing a moment rather than hammering through it. But, only ONE?! Choosing a decisive moment good enough to use up a frame on. ONE?! To somehow prove my worth as a professional photographer. ONE?! How will I choose? I had a work trip and wasn’t sure I’d be able to make anything worthy on the road. So I left it at home. ONE?! OK… Now, I’m definitely overthinking this. So off I went, to one of my favorite places in DC — the National Arboretum — and I grabbed the disposable camera on the way out the door, not because I knew it’d be absolutely amazing, and the ONE, but because I wanted to share it with people, and ultimately that’s what I love about photography. So, ONE and done.
I’ll share the photo and the entire Box of Light project when it’s complete (if you would like to participate DM them, and check out their weekly “assignments”). And for now, enjoy an iPhone photo from that day of some pretty cherry blossoms.
Some other things that inspired me or made me smile this week:
“So even dark and difficult things, when they’re beautiful, we pay attention.” Canadian photographer Amber Bracken has been doing incredible work telling the stories of Canada’s indigenous population for years. Her beautiful image from a residential boarding school was named World Press Photo of the Year.
A forgotten part of Indonesian graphic culture: labels and stickers.
These awesomely visual notes from a What to Do with a Smashed Statue from Antiquity to Today talk. I love sketch notes like this.
A graphic biography of Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide?! Yes, please! More about her here. And if you’d like to buy the graphic novel, it’s available at places other than Amazon.