ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO ALWAYS CARRY A CAMERA

A time gone by...or has it?

It pays to always have a camera with you! You just never know what’s around the corner, or inside some tiny store, and if you have a camera with you, you’ll be lucky enough to capture some fun and interesting images. It can happen to you. This story is for real. She is for real. Do not attempt to adjust your monitors...

One afternoon after lunch in a restaurant, my partner and I went for a slow walk along the streets of Old Town in Novato. There, we found this neat retro shop - complete with original juke boxes and some fantastic reproductions, Red Flyer wagons, old-time radios, lunch boxes with every superhero painted on them, Route 66 paraphernalia, and more, and that’s where we found Asia. She was serving up freshly popped corn when we sauntered in, and the smell fit the mood of the place very well. But Asia was priceless. I thought “how wonderful that they’ve paid someone to dress to fit in with the store’s theme.” Amazed, I struck up a conversation, and that’s when it got even more interesting. Asia dresses like this every day, including the hair, which can take more than an hour to pin up the way she has it here. I asked why and was told that she simply loves that period of time when these were the styles. But how does she find the clothes? “I make some of them, but I visit a lot of retro clothing stores and find used outfits and shoes here and there. I’m always on the lookout for purses, jewelry and things that I can’t make that fit the style. And the makeup? That too takes a long time to put on, to achieve the real look of the day (for some). All just to live in a time that has passed by, well, for those that let it pass by, anyway.

Of course I had to have her picture - to which she willingly agreed to serve up more popcorn for the camera. The background had all this cool stuff in it to support the look and I knew it would be a great picture!

This was just one time I was lucky to have a camera with me. It was a digital compact camera, but it was a camera nonetheless. Even though there are times when I can't take the bigger SLR camera and lenses, I take the compact digital with me. Having a camera gives you the chance to share what is funny, sad, laughable, mysterious, serendipitous, poignant, and unbelievable. It allows you to show Life as it happens.

But wait! There’s more. There’s her husband, whom I haven’t met yet, but I have since learned also dresses in the same period, and rumor has it their house is decorated in the style of that day. This I have to see - and capture!

Comments

[Swami Gurupremananda]

Greetings Brenda,

Thank you for your blogs; they are always instructive, interesting, and entertaining.

Best wishes,
Swami

[Jim Johnson]

Brenda,
That is a great story. I always enjoy your BLOGS; keep them up. I will be staying tuned to see shots of her husband and her home. They should be wonderful!

[Chris Parker]

Brenda,

Great comments to go along with a fun photo. I am almost always disappointed when I do not have a camera with me and I never know why Ieft it behind.

Chris Parker

[Brenda]

Thanks to the three of you who made comments here. I'm glad you are enjoying the blog entries. I think everyone learns something from them - including me when I see what other instructors have come up with for their entry! I'll do my best to keep it lively and informative.