the saddest story ever told
This is the epilogue to "Twenty-two Photos..."
When I took my film in to have it put on CD, I had three (3) rolls. One was a roll of black and white film that happened to already be in the camera.
I started taking pictures on our first morning, in Times Square. My dad really wanted to see Santana on Good Morning America's birthday show. So we went. And we watched. And then we walked around Times Square.
It was then that I came across that which would validate the morning's adventure.
A giant billboard of Stephen Colbert, with an eagle, much like the falconer, standing on a mountain (or something).
Steam rose in front of the billboard. (Actually I never figured that one out. It wasn't from a subway grate, there weren't any hot dog stands or anything. There was some truck or structure in front of the source of the steam, but it was still very mysterious. Surely an act of God.)
It was as if the stars had aligned in my favor, the gods smiled down upon me. I felt the warmth of the sun on my cheeks, could hear the hobo around the corner singing.
Time stood still as I took the shot.
I took two or three. I hoped one would be salvageable!
And now, the cruel twist in the plot. When I went to retrieve my three (3) CDs of photos, I was handed only two (2). The other roll had been exposed. There were no survivors. All was lost.
I knew, I could feel it in my gut, that the ruined roll of film must have been that containing the blessed images.
And I was right.
Scorned by the gods, I beat my brow and cried out in sorrow. Smeared ash on my face, tore my robes, pounded the earth with my fists - asking, begging for it to not be true. To be given such a gift, only so it can be taken away.
Now that a week of mourning has passed, I can share the story. The saddest story ever told. If only I could be posting now to share the most beautiful and poetic photograph known to mankind.
But we must learn from this and move on. Do not mourn what was never meant to be. And do not borrow your parents' 10-year-old camera that probably cost not even $30 at the time of purchase.
When I took my film in to have it put on CD, I had three (3) rolls. One was a roll of black and white film that happened to already be in the camera.
I started taking pictures on our first morning, in Times Square. My dad really wanted to see Santana on Good Morning America's birthday show. So we went. And we watched. And then we walked around Times Square.
It was then that I came across that which would validate the morning's adventure.
A giant billboard of Stephen Colbert, with an eagle, much like the falconer, standing on a mountain (or something).
Steam rose in front of the billboard. (Actually I never figured that one out. It wasn't from a subway grate, there weren't any hot dog stands or anything. There was some truck or structure in front of the source of the steam, but it was still very mysterious. Surely an act of God.)
It was as if the stars had aligned in my favor, the gods smiled down upon me. I felt the warmth of the sun on my cheeks, could hear the hobo around the corner singing.
Time stood still as I took the shot.
I took two or three. I hoped one would be salvageable!
And now, the cruel twist in the plot. When I went to retrieve my three (3) CDs of photos, I was handed only two (2). The other roll had been exposed. There were no survivors. All was lost.
I knew, I could feel it in my gut, that the ruined roll of film must have been that containing the blessed images.
And I was right.
Scorned by the gods, I beat my brow and cried out in sorrow. Smeared ash on my face, tore my robes, pounded the earth with my fists - asking, begging for it to not be true. To be given such a gift, only so it can be taken away.
Now that a week of mourning has passed, I can share the story. The saddest story ever told. If only I could be posting now to share the most beautiful and poetic photograph known to mankind.
But we must learn from this and move on. Do not mourn what was never meant to be. And do not borrow your parents' 10-year-old camera that probably cost not even $30 at the time of purchase.
posted by lauren at 11:00 PM
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