That old quotation—a picture is worth a thousand words—is not easy for a writer to hear. Words are the tools of our craft after all. So, I like to interpret the quotation to mean that it takes a thousand words to describe a picture, or any visual image for that matter. It has nothing to do with actual worth. Pictures and words are equally worthy. I think we can all agree on that, can’t we?
Having said that, I confess that in addition to my lifelong love affair with the written word, I love pictures. A photograph is a moment frozen in time, a moment I can recall and relive every time I look at it. On past vacation trips, I lugged a Nikon F 35mm SLR camera, plus two additional lenses and film, everywhere we went. These days, whenever I see something that speaks to me visually, out comes my iPhone 5s and click goes its digital camera, but not immediately—not until I frame the image perfectly and take several shots to make certain I captured its essence. I stopped to take so many photos on our last trip that Macho Guy became impatient and started calling me Ansel Adams. I patiently explained that taking a memorable photograph is an art. He wasn’t convinced. Continue reading »