About the Artist
“The thing about light is that it really isn’t yours; it’s what you gather and shine back, And it gets more power from reflectiveness; if you sit still and take it in, it fills your cup, and then you can give it off yourself. “ – Anne Lamott, author
I remember the day when I began to fall in love with light. It was an autumn afternoon in 1980 and I was sitting at an outdoor café in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., with a boyfriend who was a professional photographer. There I was, sipping a glass of white wine and enjoying the romantic setting and conversation, when he interrupted to bring my attention to a narrow stream of golden light reflecting off the rim of my glass. The sun gradually shifted away, taking the image along with it. But the experience wasn’t quite over. What followed is what I now consider to be my very first photography class. It was a lively lesson on light, and his passion for the topic intrigued me--so much so that I bought a camera and signed up for a beginner’s class.
Eventually the photographer boyfriend was, forgive the pun, no longer in the picture. But my love affair with light flourished. I continued to take classes and read books. I learned that the word “photography” had its roots in two Greek words: “photos” and “graphos,” together meaning “to write the light.” The idea of writing with light fascinated me . . . that I could express myself through a single visual image. Poetry without words.
And now some thirty years after that first lesson in a little Georgetown café, I still take classes here and there. But the best teacher for me has always been my camera. I’ve learned the most about photography by using it often and letting it teach me to write the light.
~Abbie
I remember the day when I began to fall in love with light. It was an autumn afternoon in 1980 and I was sitting at an outdoor café in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., with a boyfriend who was a professional photographer. There I was, sipping a glass of white wine and enjoying the romantic setting and conversation, when he interrupted to bring my attention to a narrow stream of golden light reflecting off the rim of my glass. The sun gradually shifted away, taking the image along with it. But the experience wasn’t quite over. What followed is what I now consider to be my very first photography class. It was a lively lesson on light, and his passion for the topic intrigued me--so much so that I bought a camera and signed up for a beginner’s class.
Eventually the photographer boyfriend was, forgive the pun, no longer in the picture. But my love affair with light flourished. I continued to take classes and read books. I learned that the word “photography” had its roots in two Greek words: “photos” and “graphos,” together meaning “to write the light.” The idea of writing with light fascinated me . . . that I could express myself through a single visual image. Poetry without words.
And now some thirty years after that first lesson in a little Georgetown café, I still take classes here and there. But the best teacher for me has always been my camera. I’ve learned the most about photography by using it often and letting it teach me to write the light.
~Abbie
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