Friday, December 18, 2009

Memories of an abstract childhood


Let there be light
Montreal, QC, October 2009
About this photo: It's Thematic Photographic's abstract week all week long. Please follow this link if you'd like to share an abstract-themed photo or experience.
We were in my mother-in-law's hospital room, and as usual I found my eyes absorbing the subtle details of this place. While the kids bantered with their grandparents and filled the room with the kind of happiness every patient would appreciate 24/7, my mind wandered back to my own experiences as a patient in this same hospital. I always remembered the light, for some reason, and how it changed the tone of my room and the entire paediatrics unit from the moment I woke up until tuck-in.

My eyes always seemed to snap open before sunrise, just as the sky was beginning to brighten. While waiting for my parents to get in, I would often lie in bed and watch the shadows from the venetian blinds slowly brighten and begin their dance across the wall. I always found it neat that what started out as a muted, yellowy light soon brightened into a whiter, hotter tone that completely changed the feel of my drably painted room.

Standing here as an adult, it occurred to me that the scene hadn't changed much in all those years. I raised my camera and snapped away, capturing more of a memory than an image. Sometimes, that's all you can do when you're somewhere you wish you didn't have to be.

Your turn: I don't quite know what story this photo is telling. Maybe it doesn't even need to have a story. I do know that it's one of my favorite photos in recent memory. What's yours?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Carmi, this photo is quite hard-hitting, and even more the story that goes with it.
Thank you for sharing this part of you.

I happen to love images like this that are very symbolic. It's where I am right now with my art. Sometimes it's automatic and sometimes I have to conjur it.

Cloudia said...

You touch our hearts, Carmi.



Aloha, Friend!


Comfort Spiral

kenju said...

I like the shadow lines in this one, Carmi. Hospital rooms are seldom among our favorite memories, but somehow they seep into our consciousness now and then.

Martha said...

This photo and the memories you've shared tell a huge story - thoughts, feelings and emotions just flood through. I'm sure almost everyone who reads it can relate to it on some level.

Mojo said...

Well my favorite memories don't include hospitals I can assure you. I seldom have (or more to the point make) the time to be still long enough to notice changes in light other than when it's fading away and I know I'd better shoot fast or lose it. I suppose there's some of the same symbolism there.

I've been horribly lax in posting my links as I've continued on this abstract journey of ours, but here's a couple to catch up with.

Thematic Photographic 80: "Abstract" v.2.0 Abstract by Definition

Thematic Photographic 80: "Abstract" v.3.0 Abstract by DOF