Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Through Water Wetly


5:30 am and 73 degrees.
Underwater photos that aren't.
This is my topic today.
When I started taking pictures of sea life I did so on the surface.
Walking along docks.
Waiting until the water would smooth and flatten.
This photo of a sea anemone was not taken underneath, but from above.
Always a separation between me and the subject.
As I became more proficient I learned to dive and handle equipment underwater.
The line began to blur.
You can see the progression in my pictures. Fifteen years ago. Ten. Five.
It is so much like writing.
Moving from affectation to clarity,
Where the artist disappears into their craft.
The reader, too, is absorbed into the story and emerges changed.
To change a reader.
The ultimate satisfaction.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes, grabbing a reader by the throat and dragging her into a new dimension. Such fun!
Kimber An

Anonymous said...

I'm of the opinion that if you don't achieve this on some level, the book isn't ready to be published and should be reworked, right?

Zany Mom said...

Very true. I can see such a change in my writing from the very first (crappy) draft (yes, it was pure crap and I have the file to prove it, LOL) to my current writing. I can feel changes afoot for my third novel as well.

To weave a tale that draws the reader in and captivates them until the end -- that is my goal.