VIII. Prodigal Sun, and the cozy eye of the Joneses

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I remember my time in elementary school…there was something about teachers, people that worked behind counters at restaurants and stores, what have you..there was only a whisper of a thought in my child mind that these were people, too. It was as if their only purpose in life was to teach, to serve, etc. and any witness of them outside of those environments made for some confusing encounters. When we’re young, our parents influence us to be anything we want to be when we grow up, but they often leave out the ambitious stance that we may also be everything we want to be.

But what is to be said about one who recklessly tries to tackle many disciplines, not out of passion or need but, for show? Such behavior, while ambitious nonetheless, may shed light on nothing but how empty its source is. Writing is, effectively, a secondary discipline of mine, here, but my soul is anything but empty. Much advice out there states that a blog must be updated often in order to remain a vital part of a business. Maybe so, but I approach my writing the same way I approach photography: if the words that I write are forced onto the page as a part of any kind of mandate, then their quality will undoubtedly suffer. Same goes for image creation.

It has been over two months since I have written to you last, but my mention of such long absences will now be no more. Take a look at the previous blog entries I have put forth; I am not a writer, but despite such, I try to contribute rich texts that traverse the worlds of Photography and Philosophy with nuanced specificity. They are complex emotions on page, which once spilled, leave me relatively empty though only for a short yet indefinite while - ready to be filled with the life moments of mine that remain. If I purge of myself too quickly – too frequently – then the fruits of such cleansing will appear thin since I would be yet filled with new and unique feelings.

"I have a lot to say...which is exactly why I stay quiet most of the time. I'd rather speak in a manner other than words."
- Christian J Harris, Crimson Fox Photography

Nuanced words come out of me as an opportunity for self-reflection, hence a guide for what’s to come…the very lens through which I view the life that comes next. The photographs that my eye produces are equally self-reflective, so what you see is not simply a photograph of yourself but an image of me, as well. When pushed, the “me” in my work is skewed and sometimes even completely sacrificed…all for the trend-mimicing, visionary want from others. Yes, I encourage every client to tell me what they are looking for in a photographer and the kind of work they expect from me - thorough consultations are an important part of the process; plus, there will always be certain people that must be photographed within a certain amount of time and various other environmental limitations unique to each shoot. However, it is very important for you to put your faith in my technique and artistry in order for me to perform at my best. My eye and my heart know best when to shoot better than my mind ever could...only because I've listened to life far more than any efforts to dictate it.