# Bye, Charlie.



## TJ1985 (Jun 11, 2015)

This is going to be a long post. Sorry. A few years ago I get a pretty nice (by my standards) camera and I was hard bitten by the photography bug. I enjoyed it, and aside from a few issues like not being very good at it, I didn't give up on it for quite a while. I got in contact with a retired photographer who knew his stuff and had made a living doing artistic photography. I coaxed him to be my mentor. His advice was invaluable. He taught me how to see things differently, and how to express myself by seeing things differently. I never did make much headway, but it was fun. He passed away today, and I miss him already. :cry:

I felt compelled to go look at some of the photos he gave me. I took the shots, but had he not been coaching me to look at things differently, I wouldn't have taken them. I still feel like he gave me those pictures, because it was his voice in my ear saying "don't be afraid to be weird, to take shots of things that look interesting to you. Everybody takes pictures of the Giant Redwoods without noticing the half-dozen species of flowers that only grow in that space and nowhere else. Everybody takes pictures of the Statue of Liberty without trying to follow her gaze to see what _she_ is looking at."

He gave me assignments that, at the time, seemed a colossal waste of time and battery. Looking back, they are how I learned to see differently. He'd say "Go take a picture of something that represents the passage of time artistically." 



(The rust patterning on an old truck I own, the rust pushing the paint away.) 

"Go take a picture of a tree in a new way."

(A new perspective.)

(A vine climbing a tree.) 

"Show me how nature can protect itself." 

(Rose thorns) He said I got lazy with this one, lol.

"Show me a car tire." At the time, I had a lot of used tires. 

(Dry Rot)

(Slid tire)

"Show me youth in nature." 

(A baby flower)

Thanks Charlie, for all you gave me, and all you taught me how to see.


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## Terry D (Jun 11, 2015)

Viewing the mundane in new and different ways is one of the things I love about photography. About writing too. Pictures are just stories told through a different medium.


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## Ariel (Jun 11, 2015)

These are beautiful.  I especially love that rust photo.  It just looks like fine modern art.


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## TJ1985 (Jun 11, 2015)

Terry, I find mundane things can be quite intriguing, if you look closely enough.  

Am, thank you, that rust photo is one of my personal favorites too.


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## Firemajic (Jun 11, 2015)

TJ.... I am sure Charlie enjoyed seeing the things that intrigued you... He must have been proud of your artist's eye, and the creative way you viewed the world around you... Thank you for sharing your pictures, very nice.. loved the tree with the vine.. sorta alien looking... I hope you continue to use all the things Charlie taught you.. that is a wonderful way to honor his memory...Peace cool Dude... jul


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## TJ1985 (Jun 11, 2015)

Thanks Julia, that means a lot to me, hearing you say that.


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