I am a quoter.

Over time I’ve come to realize that I am a quoter by nature.  I’ve never thought of myself as particularly smart, or clever, or creative, but at least I’m intelligent enough to recognize bits of brilliance or genius when I see it.  So I quote things, noting them down or annotating them when possible.  

I’ve even characterized my photography as an act of quoting the world.  Seeking to learn what the world has to offer, and bringing to it diligence and earnest work in quoting it through photographs.  I see my emotions in response to, let’s say, a beautiful landscape, as no different than anyone else’s.  All I am trying to do is to replicate that in imagery.  Or when I see something truly unique, that image doesn’t come from me, it is merely me freeing myself enough to see what is and to photograph what is already there being offered to everyone.  More so than an expression of my “self” I see photography as a letting go of myself and of quoting through photographs what simply is. 

My library consists in large part of books I can’t let go of because of my annotations along the columns of significant passages.  I have a way of annotating books that is less commentary or analysis (in fact, rarely so) but merely indications that what is said here is important.  At least to me.  I even have two copies of Albert Camus’ The Rebel, purchased in 1981 from Books Strings and Things in Blacksburg because of a printing error.  Imagine my shock when, finishing page 150 it went back to 119 to repeat the pages back up to 150, and then to jump to page 186 and on through to the rest of the book!  And then the dilemma I faced that, to get the extra pages I either had to exchange my annotated copy for a new one (which BS&T was willing to do), or I had to buy a second copy.  Despite being a poor college student, I bought the second copy.

Now I keep my quotes (and all other reference materials) electronically in Evernote.  Now I have my quotes with me everywhere because, being internet based, once I’ve added a note it syncs with all of my electronic devices - computer, laptop, iPad, iPhone.  Often it’s as simple as sending an article to Evernote, or cutting and pasting a quote to go into my quotes folder.  Other times not so much.  

I found the passages in the Paul Caponigro Aperture Monograph so compelling that on Sunday morning I sat down and wrote them, all of them, down in a new note - Paul Caponigro Quotes - From Paul Caponigro-Aperture Monograph.  Now, it was only recording notes from 5 pages of the book, but every quote had meaning in relation to the way I work and think about photography, nature and life.  

So before I set aside Paul Caponigro to wholly move on to December’s photographer, Ansel Adams, I want to share with you one final quote that captures what Ann and I have been feeling as of late.

“Who has the time today, really the time, to grow, to unfold, and develop in an activity or even to contemplate properly what others are doing?  Life ought to be lived more like harmonious music.  The pressure of hastening things, of skimming superficially, only destroys that sense of music in life.”  Paul Caponigro