Warning: This story may contain flashing lights
Dear photographers,
Author’s note: This poem was going to be a love letter to a photographer, but then I remembered, photographers only think in pictures. So here’s a badly written poem instead.
Once upon a time, we made our images on film. Now, we shoot on digital. Or even overly priced Leica cameras that cost an arm and a leg. Literally.
Sometimes, we cry when the light is not right. Sometimes, we go into bouts of rage. But in the end, the frame gets made.
We strive to capture the perfect moment but make the fatal mistake of leaving the lens cap on.
We make the mad dash out of our house to cover a story but leave behind our batteries and spare cards.
We live and breathe the Canadian Press Stylebook but for some of us, we can’t style our way out of it.
Once upon a time, we dreamt of having all the gear. Our bank accounts said no.
Either at dusk or at dawn is when you’ll see us outside of our house but never in between.
Some of us are landscape photographers. Some are portrait or studio shooters. But in the end, we all think that our genre is better than the others. Landscape photographers are losers.
We love taking pictures but never getting our picture taken. We run when the camera is pointed the wrong way.
We despise the iPhone photographer and cringe at the Leica shooter. But in the end, the frame gets made.
Long live the photographer, for the photographer is all we have.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
