Memory - God's Snapshot

One of the most difficult and frustrating aspects of travelling to wonderful places around the continent for work is that I have to do exactly that... work! Don't get me wrong, this is no "glass half empty" statement, I am not complaining. The reality however, is that while filming for television, my energy is consumed with finding the right images to tell the correct story and recording those images in a video format for telelvision. This leaves very little time for considering the stills images I would so love to capture to tell my own story. Be it a reminder to myself of my experiences, an art form to express or a legacy to show others in the future, the sad fact is that I have very little in the way of images to show for all my experiences despite the fact that I am a photographer. This got me thinking about personal experience on a recent trip to Uganda. What is personal experience, and how important is it to share these experiences with others? Why do I feel the need to "boast" my travels and experiences to others, is it not something that God has blessed me with and does He not get the Glory in my appreciation alone of these places and experiences. Why a photograph? Has he not given me the most incredible memory and ability to visualise for that purpose only, to recall wonderful, God glorifying moments?
Everything we see is a potential picture and if we were so consumed with photographing every moment, as I often am, we are likely to miss the experience. As we drove through Uganda, across the equator, towards Nchenyi Village, it occured to me that I was surrounded by these images, a lady in bright lime green high heeled shoes and a dyed red afro caught up in the dust as she swept a sandy sidewalk, a man carrying a pig on a bicycle, a family of four on a motorbike; Images that could not be captured on film in that instant but images nonetheless that were comitted to my memory, God's snapshot of the rich experiences that make up our lives. I don't have to be travelling though exotic destinations either because I have been blessed with sight and the ability to observe in whatever circumstances I find myself in. It is important that I give every one of these circumstances, every moment in my life equal priority because unless I do, the snapshot God has offered me will be gone forever, like an overexposed film, the notion that something existed there once but a white block of light erasing the image. Processing that film, that captured image is equally important. That memory should be accessed and observed, through a story told, a written prose or a pencil sketch so that as we share an experience with others, the glory of God in each of His snapshots is revealed through our life.

Living out of a travel bag...

I have just returned from Tanzania. A trip that took me to some of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet. Mnembe Island just north of Zanzibar has iridescent turquoise water surrounding it, I could not attempt to describe it in my most profound english... in this case, seeing is believing. I don't even think my camera could represent the contrast between white sands and turquoise water. I walked the streets of Stone Town, slept in a Sultan's palace and watched sunset from a dhow. I gazed upon Mt. Kilamanjaro above the clouds as we flew into Arusha and met people whose soul purpose in life is to live in harmony with the land they occupy and the people they call their neighbours. What more could you ask of a job you may ask? It sounds wonderful, glorious, even perfect... but I have painted the picture that exists in most people's minds. The reality is not what is perceived however. The reality, although not wanting to distort the beautiful images I have experienced, is a little less "perfect". It's exhausting carrying heavy camera gear, moving a tripod inches to the left, to the right, slightly higher or lower from sunrise 'till 10pm to create these images. It's frustrating organising people and itinary's to get the "contrived" image we search for, it's heartwrenching to watch beautiful sunsets through black and white viewfinders and it's a blatant lie to say I've experienced a place when I've been there all of three hours before moving to the next location. My bag remains packed between brief laundry stops at "home" and every time I close the door behind me I struggle to take my heart, soul and mind with me.



Having said this, I must thank the Lord my God and provider for sustaining me through these trips AND... despite the difficulties and frustrations, for the rich experiences that He has afforded me, for the vast variety of subjects I have been exposed to and for the wonderful people I have met along the way, people who have taught me through their hospitality, humility and simplicity.

The key to living a content, fulfilled life is this... Accept and embrace your present circumstances, find the positive aspects in all that you do and paint yourself the best possible picture because for all the smiling faces, white beaches and turquoise oceans, packed bags and goodbyes are a necessary evil, there really is a price for everything, the grass is never greener on the other side.