Hometown History Photography Assignment

/ Elisa

The following is a response to: Get your Hometown History assignment in before the Rapture, please. from Kathy Drue, over on Lake Superior Spirit

Ok, I went out yesterday with two cameras.  I am still fortunate enough to be using a borrowed Sigma SD10 and lenses and my own.  The life at the very large city park was amazing and I am glad I was able to attend to it.  I grabbed a few shots in the park of structures, and, they simply had NO life to them.  I felt it when I was taking them.  My insides said Screw assignments, your own history is and was created by LIFE and your sensory tactile approach to it.  Nature and surroundings in public places carry all of the feelings and emotions of the humans having walked there before me.  THAT is what makes a Hometown to me.

That being said, part of me wonders if there is something about building images that has to be juuuuuuuuuust right for me to consider it more than a flat and one dimensional shot.  I DO have wonderful images of barns and walls, which usually have a great deal of history connected to them, if I can find an elder to share stories about my chosen subject.  I keep coming back to the idea of NOT having a hometown and either attempting to join in and force one upon myself or enjoying seeing what creates such a feeling and expression from OTHERS.  Share their stories and feelings within a single image.

So, I will share here some of the images that I have taken over time, and then some of the nature ones from Brandon Park, which is of historical value to the town where I live and a place of gathering for growing and sharing memories.

Little League World Series Opening Parade

Parade Glamor

Mrs. Styers Queen of Blueberries

Montgomery Patriot--by Elisabeth Connelley

Beckonings--by Elisabeth Connelley

Well, go figure!  I got to the end and I had plenty, silly me.  I’ll post Brandon Park images another time.

Please visit and Scott Thomas at Views Infinitum if you would like to view or are interested in participating in more photography assignments.

8 thoughts on “Hometown History Photography Assignment”

  1. I like this post very much. the photos are exquisite! I love how you captured the spirit in the faces of the people and so much more. What an eye you have for photography! I am glad you overcame any reluctance and were oh-so-brave. Did you add your link on Scott’s page to say you participated? If you did, he will write a blog and add all of our hometown additions and folks near & far will see your beautiful entry.

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    • My insides are clapping and hopping up and down at receiving pats! I’ve been working on those portraits since the last assignment that I quietly fretted over. It seems to work best for me if I do NOT try to get people to pose, but rather ‘catch’ them. It seems to help them to forget that I am pointing a camera at them if I begin a conversation with them while I take images of things around them first. They get absorbed in sharing their joy or whatever their own passion is in that moment and I get snapshots of life. Yes, I commented and linked to my post on the original assignment 13.

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  3. Pingback: Assignment 13 Recap | Views Infinitum

  4. I used to be shy about posting people’s photo on the Internet at first, and realized later that people don’t mind so much, especially if it’s a candid shot. You have a nice collection of Hometown photos.

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    • I have been pondering what you said. I am confused by your word choice of shy, as the rest of your message seems to say to me ….worry over expectations of others and/or ensuring their own rights of privacy and image use. If I have made some error, I would like to understand you better, so please try sending the message again. 🙂

      I learned from a local newspaper photographer that releases should be done before I take any people images, so I don’t think that I encountered any worry of permissions. If I get a good candid shot, without having spoken with the subject(s) ahead of time, I go back and ask the permission, let them view the image on the camera, and if they do not wish it or care for the image, I delete it.

      Thanks for viewing the photos! I have decided to do evening series of things around that are Midsummer Evenings, for at least the month of June.

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