Pre-2000

Film photography was a folk art. People wrote with light, and shutters drew simple moments into dark boxes.

Film photography was what people had. We carried it on road trips and neighborhood walks. We took it to concerts and family gatherings. Grandchildren photographed grandparents, and each etched a corner of the world.

Before the advent of mobile phones, grocery stores provided one-hour processing labs.

Framed portraits of grandparents filled family homes, and thick albums housed evidence of first fishing trips.

I used to think creativity was coming up with something new until I learned it was about looking at many things. It’s a process where we’re unbroken.

Gratitude needs almost nothing to function.

Photography accepted me and let someone lacking talent participate. So I took pictures in school, spent time in our darkroom, and enjoyed seeing images in newsprint.