01 // Here, Take This Camera

Two months ago, I was handed a heavy, brown, leather bag. “It’s Papa’s camera,” my uncle said. “You’re the photographer. You should have it.”

I was hesitant at first; my grandma had just passed away and I wasn’t in the mood to start claiming possessions. Nonetheless, I put the bag in the backseat of my car, next to some boxes of photos I was planning to organize, and drove home.

The camera bag sat in my bedroom — untouched — for a few weeks. I figured it was just some old camera… I mean, I would have already known about it if it were worth mentioning. Right?

Well, I was wrong.

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My papa and his camera, 1970s

I always knew my grandpa was creative; he was interested in multiple types of art — music, poetry, literature, metal-work, stained glass, pottery. However, I didn’t understand the extent of his passion for photography until I started to find some pretty cool, “artsy” photos among the piles of family pictures and slide carousels.

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My grandpa’s slides, from the late 60’s and early 70’s

I felt like I had found a long-lost treasure chest and it made me wonder, “why didn’t I know about this sooner?”

Every family event — whether camping or a birthday party — was depicted in an amazingly creative way.

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My grandma, 1968

Landscapes, motion shots, crowds, portraits, nature, close-ups, color, black and white, animals…

He captured it all.

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One of my grandpa’s models

After making my way through thousands of slides and prints, my next steps were clear:

Explore the camera bag and start learning.


View all of my grandpa’s photos on my Flickr!