Capturing Light

Many years ago I wanted a 35mm camera for my high school graduation. My wish was granted and my mom took me to a local camera store where we purchased a Mamiya Sekor 500 TL.

At 17 years of age, receiving my first 35mm camera and getting out into the field to capture images was of prime importance. As I grew older I realized that the act itself, the purchase of that camera with the help, support and accompaniment of my mom, was what was of most value. That event was the first serious step forward in my exploration of photography, an activity that I love and is truly a part of who I am.

In later years after I married, I had accidentally damaged the 500TL by carelessly leaving it on a beach blanket on a windy day. Because of this, I began using my wife’s 1000 TL for the majority of my photography and later purchased an Olympus OM-1. Since the 500 TL was gathering dust in the closet, I decided to sell it.

I didn’t realize that my mom’s feelings would be hurt by my decision though indeed they were. I never felt quite right about it and as fate would have it, less than a year ago I stumbled across a used 500TL that seemed to be in decent shape. I purchased the camera and quickly ran some film through it. Many fond memories came rushing back, especially those of vacationing as a family in northern Wisconsin.

My mom has long since passed some twenty years ago though I hope on this day, wherever she may be, she can appreciate the image above that was taken with the newly acquired 500 TL. Lilacs were one of her favorite flowers and were the ones I cut for her from a neighbor’s bush on a Mother’s Day many years ago as a child.

Happy Mother’s Day mom.

Tags: Lovison Family, mamiya/sekor, Mother's Day, Photography

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 11th, 2008 at 8:21 am and is filed under Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.