I often wonder what my father would have made of my photography. If he believed it was any good I’m sure he would have become my number one publicist. He had a tendency of treasuring things. Quite often he would advise us to keep things good or to ‘put things past’ as he described it. The things that he put past would sometimes make an appearance when visitors arrived at our house. My father would disappear and return with a smile and his ‘treasure’, which he would proudly regale all with stories about.
After he had passed away I heard many stories of how he spoke about his family to people he worked with or encountered during his working day. There would be stories about our achievements and our lives and although these could be temporarily embarrassing to hear replayed, I was always very pleased that he wanted people to know he was proud of us. These anecdotes were also treasures that he kept stored, waiting for the right moment to unveil them and share them – immeasurably the proud parent.
So it would have been with my photography. I’m sure I would have been hearing from all corners of the globe about the wonderful photograph my dad had shown to those who passed through his life. What’s interesting is that it was reasonably rare for him to tell you what he thought directly (although there were times when he would let you know exactly how he felt!). It was almost as if this form of praise was elevated when done by proxy, as if receiving it second-hand was in some way more meaningful.
I suppose my greatest wonder is what would he have thought about my discovery of a creative streak, which almost went unnoticed. What would he say?
This morning I sat with Valerie and my boys around me, opening cards and presents. I was quite surprised to receive an instant camera. I had been looking at the different types of these that are still available over the last few weeks. There is a photograph of me with my brother, my cousin Michael and his mum, my aunt Margaret taken on the back doorstep of my grandmother’s house. This photograph was passed around on Christmas Day a few years back. That photograph was taken on a Polaroid camera. I’m not sure who took it. I reckon that I was about 4 years old. My immediate thought on opening my new camera this morning was to that photograph taken about 37 years ago and how it captured a moment that still lives on to this day.
Fathers’ Day has made me consider how all these things tie together. What I believe is that the most beautiful photographs are little treasures. Print them out and keep them safe but don’t be afraid to share them with others. Most importantly, capture those moments. It is a way of telling somebody how much you love them.
Happy Fathers’ Day to all dads - to the present and the eternal.