J. Holland Photography

J. Holland Photography, 10/23/13

Dear Levi,

Yesterday I had the chance to do something quite incredible. Back in the summer, I had purchased a groupon for a one-time photography class with a local studio, J. Holland. My session was scheduled for last night, and the whole experience was quite an adventure…

We met, first of all, in the back of a low-end antique store off the ghetto sector of May Street, surrounded by out of date jewelry, neglected toys, and little hand-stitched aprons floating like ghosts from pale wisted wire hangers. It could have been a setting from an 80’s horror movie, but I soon loss my initial trepedition as the other ametuer photographers trickled into the shop and we got down to business. Interestingly enough, we all had Nikons. Except for the actual photographer and his wife, who had Cannons.

I learned so very much! Mainly, that photography is very tedious, variable process with no set predictors, and that accessories can be very expensive. Also, PhotoShop is soon no longer selling copies of their software but selling subscriptions to their cloud program… which I imagine you might already be aware of, since you keep up on software and technology… I do not need to get a tripod for my nighttime shots and a trigger release, and now, PhotoShop, before that is no longer available. Sigh. Probably not going to happen when I’m saving for my medical bills and a real computer.

I wish I could just pop into your life for a moment to chatter away about all the exciting things I learned, about apeture and the iris of the camer’as eye, about f-stops and the point modes and depth of fields… They talked about the “rule of thirds” and did you know, the first person to introduce that concept to me was you? =)

We stayed very late that night in this little antique shop with bars on the windows and a soft yellow glow on the walls from the old vintage Tiffany lamps. It was so much fun, and I still had some confusion when I left, but the Hollands assured me it would all ebgin to fall into place once I sat down with my camera and began practicing with the settings. I hope so!

I have a couploe of lovely sunset phoots from this summer, when I spent time out in the stillness of the confields, alone in the great expanse between me and God’s heaven. I am going to start publishing my photos on my blog, maybe… I know you have access to that page… but I have no idea if you ever check it out. I’m sure by now I never ever cross your mind. I am afraid to actually write there, though… afraid to say something to make you displeased with me… so scared to jeopardize any little bit of hope… but you liked my pictures once? Would you be intruiged? Or at least pleased? Oh, I wish I could make you proud of me in any little way…

Your star,

Rigel