Showcase Sunday: Where the heart is

For showcase Sunday, a few thoughts about being an amateur creative in a world where the attention goes to the very few who feed the algorithms. We have so much information at our disposal, yet most gets disposed of unseen. Create to see, not just to be seen.

My Grandfather was an amateur many things but photography was on his list. I say amateur although that doesn't carry the same weight now. These days raises the thought that someone isn't very good but the word base actually comes from love so, amateur means a lover of whatever pursuit follows.

The investment is also quite different these days when it comes to photography. Yes, the money may have changed considerably with digital but for someone like my granddad, it required a lot more time, effort and skill growth. In one of his sheds (also an amateur woodcarver of a professional level), he had a darkroom where he exposed his own photos, including a colour enlarger, a very rare thing for an amateur. As a kid, it was always a mysterious place and I remember the smell of the processing chemicals whenever I recall it.

Back in those days, hobbies were much more skill based than they are now and for the most part, it was a solo effort. There were no Youtube help videos or dedicated forums, it was all a lot of trial and error and self-exploration. I am hoping that at least in some way, we can go back to those times. I don't mean that we can't collaborate and learn from others rather, we are as willing to invest ourselves into something we enjoy.

Given the opportunities many of us have now and our access to a massive amount of educational materials, pretty much anything we ever want to learn is available to us and we can push ourselves a little each day. Perhaps one day, being an amateur will be less of a dirty word and instead bring to mind the real meaning, and reveal us as the lovers we are designed to be. The beauty of being an amateur is, we can all start now and perhaps if lucky, find one or several great loves of life.

Taraz
[ an original ]

These flowers are called Bleeding Hearts and are very rare to find in Finland but sometimes, we get lucky and get a chance to capture a heart.