The Daily Chat – Photographic Therapy
Get Out And Take Pictures
When I was in my 20’s and 30’s I spent a reasonable amount of time going to weddings and new births of their kids. These days, it seems I spend a lot of time hearing about friends who have passed away and going to funerals and celebrations of life. Thursday (August 30, 2023) was one of those days. A friend whom I had dated many years ago passed away the previous week. It was very sad as we were able to stay friends over the last 15 years and she was just one of those special people with a unique soul.
I was kind of despondent which is unusual for me. I haven’t been out doing photography as much as I have been in the past. I realized that I am getting older and as such I am on the back nine. Luckily, I feel pretty young and energetic so I plan on going on for a while, but these kinds of events have a tendency to make you look at your life a bit differently. At times like this one could always use a little therapy. For me, the best and definitely the cheapest therapy is taking pictures. Many of you will know exactly what I mean.
After dropping the doll off for my wife, I decided to take pictures for the next 45 minutes (before the mall closed). I wanted to do something different, so I shot with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. I have a special camera set up in the app to do a fake double exposure. It’s set to shoot in monochromatic.
I enjoyed the opportunity to seek out and see images and the random double-exposure images created. None of the images were portfolio quality. Sometimes, it’s not about getting the perfect image as much as it is just taking it. Bottom line I enjoyed it. The mall closed, I walked next door (which just happened to be a pretty cool bar) and had a perfect Gin and tonic. After some quiet contemplation, I was feeling good and left for the visitation services for my friend.
Please enjoy my video today where I share the images I made and talk about how photography is my best therapist.
The Video (5:50)
Kevin Raber
August 2023
Kevin Raber
Indianapolis, IN
Photography is my passion and has been for 50 plus years. My career in photography has allowed me to travel the world, meet some of the most interesting people on the planet and see things I could never have dreamed of. My goal is to share the passion of picture taking through photographs and teaching with as many people as I can, hoping it brings them as much joy and happiness as it has me. I do this through photoPXL.com, this site, as well as Rockhopper Workshops, and other projects, as well as teaching as Artist In Residence at the Indianapolis Art Center.
