Domestic Symphony

[Shab]

It's a long time I think I must be braver. Why do I think it? Because it is easy to shot a person you don't know and then share this shot in the web. I think a lot about it.

In the past months/years my most personal photographs are from my family. Maybe they aren't spectacular and I don't find it, but they are like a personal "poems", in a soft voice, from the silence of my soul.

I will try to share some of this photographs with you... Ii must admit I'm not really sure if I'm doing well sharing this pictures in the web...

OK, I will begin:

"Looking for lice"

 

[pyeh]

Shab, I think this is a wonderful photograph. It's very personal, even private, and shows many signs of the domesticity you find in many homes - young boys and their hobbies, a double bunk bed, mum in house clothes. Certainly lice looking, or should I say nit picking, is many parents' lot when their children are young.
Thank you for sharing this picture.

 

[Richard G]

Very beautiful thought and photograph.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

I think I agree with you. I found my box of negatives from 1970 and pictures of my brothers & sister. Almost 50 years and I still wasn't sure I should share my family pictures, but I was encouraged by my family.

 

[charjohncarter]

I don't know if I'm braver, but I have been showing some of my old picture of family. Most of the subjects are gone now so maybe that is why I'm braver.

In my memory, you are the second person from Basque Country at RFF. The other fellow pass away, and I can't remember his name but it was something like Xipicu.

 

[willie_901]

Shab,

In my view, the issue of sharing our work on the internet depends on the purpose of our photography. Some people only make photographs for themselves and people they know. Others make them hoping as many people as possible can view them.

An obvious exception is when the subject/subjects request that we don't publish them on the internet.

I am glad you shared this photograph. It reminds me how simple, routine aspects of family life are actually something much more – displays of love.

 

[petronius]

In my memory, you are the second person from Basque Country at RFF. The other fellow pass away, and I can't remember his name but it was something like Xipicu.

His name was Pitxu and his self portraits are (were) quite spectacular!

 

[rhl-oregon]

Shab, glad to see this image and hear about this contemplation of what to do about it. Clearly your heart and mind are in this with your eye (and your gear). Nothing doubtful about that. One of Eugene Smith's most memorable images is of his young children finding an opening in a hedge. So share your best.

Your friends here will want to see more, not just from curiosity about your family but because you make good pictures. About surfing, about your coast, about fishermen. Anyone unfamiliar with your work or without a family or children may learn something about family love and adventures, as well as pictorial composing and the moment.

I'd like to see your work more regularly in the gallery, for one, but I'm as happy you're starting this thread as your other comrades of the eye and mind and heart who have responded already.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Very strong and intimate image in OP and great #4. My respect for sharing it here!

 

[Shab]

Shab, I think this is a wonderful photograph. It's very personal, even private, and shows many signs of the domesticity you find in many homes - young boys and their hobbies, a double bunk bed, mum in house clothes. Certainly lice looking, or should I say nit picking, is many parents' lot when their children are young.
Thank you for sharing this picture.

pyeh, thank you very mcuh for your words, really.

Very beautiful thought and photograph.

Thak you also Richar G!

I think I agree with you. I found my box of negatives from 1970 and pictures of my brothers & sister. Almost 50 years and I still wasn't sure I should share my family pictures, but I was encouraged by my family.

Yes, I think it is great to share this kind of photographs... I love this picture! Thank you.

I don't know if I'm braver, but I have been showing some of my old picture of family. Most of the subjects are gone now so maybe that is why I'm braver.

In my memory, you are the second person from Basque Country at RFF. The other fellow pass away, and I can't remember his name but it was something like Xipicu.

charjohncarter, I don't know Xipicu... sorry.

Shab,

In my view, the issue of sharing our work on the internet depends on the purpose of our photography. Some people only make photographs for themselves and people they know. Others make them hoping as many people as possible can view them.

An obvious exception is when the subject/subjects request that we don't publish them on the internet.

I am glad you shared this photograph. It reminds me how simple, routine aspects of family life are actually something much more – displays of love.

willie_901, yes it depends on why we want to share our photographs. In my case, when I'm making a photograph to my family, sometimes, there is a very special moment, when I feel this "picture" is more than a portrait, or a photograph to remenber something about my family, it is like this picture goes farther... and I could share it with "you". I make a lot of photograph about my family and I think a lot of them are beautiful pictures, but some of them are special, maybe not so beautiful, but special. And I want to share this kind of photographs with you. Thank you very much for your words...

Shab, glad to see this image and hear about this contemplation of what to do about it. Clearly your heart and mind are in this with your eye (and your gear). Nothing doubtful about that. One of Eugene Smith's most memorable images is of his young children finding an opening in a hedge. So share your best.

Your friends here will want to see more, not just from curiosity about your family but because you make good pictures. About surfing, about your coast, about fishermen. Anyone unfamiliar with your work or without a family or children may learn something about family love and adventures, as well as pictorial composing and the moment.

I'd like to see your work more regularly in the gallery, for one, but I'm as happy you're starting this thread as your other comrades of the eye and mind and heart who have responded already.

rhl-oregon: I think I don't have any words to say: thank you very much! Really. 🙂

Very strong and intimate image in OP and great #4. My respect for sharing it here!

Thank you also Ko.Fe.

Today I have selected a portrait I made on summer. He is my youngest son. We were waiting to our son and daughter, because they were enjoying with canoe and the youngest son couldn't do canoeing. He was a bit bored and jealous. Then he took its toy and began to "fly" with his imagination. I saw the "picture" in my mind, so I took my camera and waited to the "moment".

Here you have the picture:

Have a nice night!

 

[Shab]

Enjoying in a Coffe shop

We were taking some coffe and chocolates in a shop and our son sat down in a table near the window. He was so HAPPY... that I took my camera and I went to outside of the shop. My wife began to play with him... it was one of those little/special moments that I enjoy so much... I framed the scene, focus and... click!

 

[robert blu]

Shab, your pictures are not only nice or beautiful but as you said are special.
I can feel the “special moment” you and your loved are experiencing.
robert

 

[daveleo]

Very nice pictures and words.
It shows very clearly that you have your heart in your pictures.

 

[Shab]

Shab, your pictures are not only nice or beautiful but as you said are special.
I can feel the “special moment” you and your loved are experiencing.
robert

Thank you robert. I must say one thing really important: one year and half ago, we had really hard times in our family. My wife was very sad, without any force, she was in a deep hole. It was ten years that she left her job to be with our children, ten years each day thinking on our children's needs, all the time... motherhood can be HARD, very hard.

We were together all the time, those times were... how can I say it: absolutely dark for us. But we tried and worked together...

There was a moment when everythind seemed dark, I thought:" I need to photograph the LIGHT, our light, our little moments. It was a way to smile and say: there is the light, we can shine, we can beleive in a better situation..."

I think it was the beggining, real beggining of very important things in our life. Then, when I saw some photographs I thought I had some special photos... for us.

So, what I'm sharing with you are some of those "light's moments".

Thanks again robert. 🙂

Very nice pictures and words.
It shows very clearly that you have your heart in your pictures.

Thank you also daveleo and it is what I try: to have my heart with my family and tru to share it through my photographs... Sincerely I think it is too high claim... yes, but I think the most important thing is to try it. 🙂

Today I´ve choosen a photo of 2014, before the dark times, or better said, in the begging of the dark times. There you can see one of our sons jumping to the Baltic Sea. He was affraid to jump, and after thinking and trying it, he decided to jumpo. I took my camera and asked him wait to me (I needed to prepare my camera). Then he jumped...

 

[ruby.monkey]

One of the main reasons why 'street' photography never really appealed to me, is that I find photographs that I take of strangers intensely boring and, frankly, pointless; and really the only ones that give me any pleasure or satisfaction are those of friends or family.

Shab, the photos you posted are beautiful. It's lovely to be given a glimpse of what matters to you.

 

[Shab]

One of the main reasons why 'street' photography never really appealed to me, is that I find photographs that I take of strangers intensely boring and, frankly, pointless; and really the only ones that give me any pleasure or satisfaction are those of friends or family.

Shab, the photos you posted are beautiful. It's lovely to be given a glimpse of what matters to you.

Thank you very much ruby.monkey.

Today I have chosen another one inside our home.

One of the very special times uses to be the last hour, before going to sleep.

Good night!

 

[robert blu]

A real intense moment, great photo
robert

 

[Shab]

A real intense moment, great photo
robert

Thank you very much...

 

[lynnb]

Shab, these are beautiful photos. I agree with Peter (pyeh) and Richard. Thank you for sharing them here.

It's great that you were able to seek out and photograph the "light moments" to help recover from the dark times. In such times moments of happiness can be the most rare and precious things, which give us hope that life will improve. Those photographs help us focus on the positives that lead to recovery. It's heartwarming to look through the pictures in this thread.

I will share with you one happy picture from my family's journey through dark times, which started over eight years ago when both my daughters became seriously ill. My daughters were only 11 and 13 years old at the time, and they have never recovered. They have not been able to finish school or lead a social life. My wife and I are full time carers. Since their illness their lives have mostly been within their bedrooms, with only books and their cats for company.

This is my eldest daughter with her precious cat Tammy, who never leaves her side. Tammy is now 15 years old. We do not know how my daughter will cope when Tammy dies. They are inseparable friends.

portrait #388-800 by lynnb's snaps, on Flickr

I have many happy family pictures taken before the girls became ill, but very few afterwards, as there have been no family outings or holidays to photograph since their illnesses started and they now rarely feel agreeable for me to take pictures. I could only take the above picture because it contained her cat.

This experience has made me acutely aware of how important those photographs of everyday moments of family life are. I treasure the photographs I have. I like to occasionally look through them but my wife cannot bear to look at them. It makes her too sad. One day she removed all the happy pictures of our girls that covered our bedroom wall.

Thank you again Shab for sharing your pictures. They are indeed special.

 

[lynnb]

A bit off-topic, but it was this photo of Elliott Erwitt's first wife Lucienne and their baby, taken in 1953 soon after settling in NYC, that first impressed on me how powerful personal family pictures can be. One of my favourite pictures, ever.