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.
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.
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.
Landscapes, motion shots, crowds, portraits, nature, close-ups, color, black and white, animals…
He captured it all.
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!