April 30th, 2018

One evening recently we walked to the beach after dinner hoping to see a pretty sunset.  We actually haven't done it in awhile.  During the "winter" and I use the term loosely, it gets dark so early and, well, I guess we had just gotten out of the habit.  But this particular night, we set out.

It was just the tiniest bit chilly, the wind was blowing and it had been overcast all day.  I don't know why I thought there would be a pretty sunset with all of those clouds, but maybe it was just an excuse to get out and walk in the evening.

​I brought one of my many pair of "readers" in case there was something photo worthy. I find that I need the readers for both reading and photography, but that's about it.  I wear the glasses with one 'arm' tucked into the collar of my shirt until I need them, pop them up to my face to take photographs and then take them back off. Because as blurry as the world is through camera lens without them,  the real world is equally blurry to me with them.  It's been an adjustment.  Most of the time it's no big deal, just reading and photography require me to wear glasses.  I'm rather enjoying the Not Wearing part more than I expected.

​Anyway, Tim waited up on the higher part of the beach while I was closer to the water snapping a few shots and drawing hearts in the wet sand for my Mother.  But my hair kept blowing in my face making it hard to see very well and the sun had disappeared into the sea once more. So I turned and ran back up onto the dry sand to find that Tim had also been taking pictures, but of me. 

I have always been a little weird about having my picture taken which is strange considering how much I enjoy taking photos of everything and everyone else.  But I am at least courteous about it most of the time.  Tim however, just cracks me up when he takes photos of me.  He likes to sneak photos.  Candid shots. Not always the most flattering but definitely candid.  He hits that button and doesn't let go so it's rapid fire photography, one after the other after the other.  And even when I notice what he is doing he doesn't stop.  I protest and step closer to him and he backs up and just keeps snapping and I don't know why, but it always makes me laugh. Maybe it's the single minded persistence. Maybe it's the surprise. Maybe it's his enjoyment of having played a trick on me that makes me smile.

​After the fact, when I finally get to see the pictures, there is almost always at least one shot that I actually don't mind. Occasionally there is a photo of me that I even like.  I like this one.  Tim's pictures of me always show me as I actually am. Not the posed and poised version for a more formal photograph, but the relaxed and silly  me, or the sad me, or the angry me, or the blahmeh me. All of which are the actual real person that I am.  I suspect there is something special about a photo taken by the person who knows you best.  Somehow, the person who truly sees who you are, can also express that through photography in a way that nobody else can.

So today, on this last day of April 2018, and I cannot believe that tomorrow is already the 1st of May, I thought I would share with you one of Tim's photos of me that I actually like.  I look happy and relaxed and windblown and a little blurry. Just like I really am.  

​And for no particular reason,  here is the photo that I took just before Tim snapped that picture of me.