Tranquility

Many people had questioned why I am a photographer and not a model. Many had also voiced their opinions and suggested that I be in front of the lens instead of hiding behind it. Every time though, I would thank them for the comments and then politely decline whatever they have to offer. Photography to me is more than a talent; it is a passion no words can describe nor any amount of money can buy. To some people, understanding the beauty of photography can be as confusing as understanding the structures of the universe. Therefore, I never blame anyone when he or she asked me, “Why photography?”

Sometimes, I wonder myself why I chose photography out of all the different number of things I could have chosen to thrive in. Even if I could turn back the hours to the days of my college years, I would have still chosen the same thing. I will be honest and admit that being a photographer is not always easy. I live paycheck-to-paycheck and some days, I bring home nothing besides my camera and bag of films. My income is never enough to buy myself a nice car or branded name clothing, but I do not mind because I have a working bicycle and decent clothing to get me through. There is nothing more exhilarating than biking down the street with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face on a Sunday afternoon while the church bell sings in your ears.

That is life.

It is the desire to experience life that compels me to seek photography as my companion. It is the moments when nature catches me off guard and I am left trying to find my breath that I am so determine to capture it forever. It is the way photography speaks to me as it calls my name that I am so bewitched.

Aside from all those beauty and ease of technological use that I appreciate as a photographer, there is another reason why I love photography. It is the fact that I am able to capture and maintain a part of my memories that once lost, I will never be able to get back. Many people do not understand when they look at pictures that every picture holds a story even if the faces in the pictures are the same as well as the poses and place. Many do not realize that a lot of things can occur within seconds, and seconds is all it takes to capture a memory. A memory that may still be alive in a person’s mind months and years from now.

That girl. The girl with the long, silky raven hair with a dimple on the side of her right cheek is beautiful. She is one of the memories that I speak of. She entered and left my life within the long seconds that it took me to snap that picture. When I looked up from my screen, she had already disappeared as if she had never existed and everything was just a figment of my imagination. But, I know I did not imagine her smiling face as she continues to smile at me from my camera screen even to this day.

It was a sunny and warm summer day. I was in the park taking pictures for one of my summer course- photography. I was snapping pictures of little kids playing on the slides, dogs chasing after Frisbees, and fluttering butterflies settling on a patch of white lilies when she came into view. She was leaning over to smell one of the lilies, so she did not see me hidden behind the other lilies. As she closed her eyes and took in a whiff of the lily’s scent, the sun hit her just right and her face glowed. She was absolutely breathtaking.

By the time I had caught my breath and slowed down my racing heart, she was gone. I looked in all directions and searched the entire park, but I could not find her. Like I said, she disappeared as if she was never there. Even after the summer course, I made sure to visit the park frequently in case she turned up one day, but the day never came when I would see her again. Ten years has passed and she is still nothing but another subject of my photography, another fragment of my memories. But, it is a memory that I do not wish to forget.

Her picture sits in my photo gallery. I titled her Tranquility.


© N. Hli 2014 All rights reserved.
[Official date of completion: March 2012]