The Joy of Love Day 8
Day 8. Yes, I’ve missed a few. Josh encouraged me to not try to catch up with those I missed (after a weekend of sickness and floor installation on the studio, I had no energy to shoot as well), which is usually what gets me bogged down and makes me feel like giving up. So, I’m continuing forward, even if I miss a few days. =)
Today’s assignment was “Gift From The Heart”, and the image was supposed to be taken in full manual mode. For someone like me (who never uses full auto, but doesn’t feel confident enough with my technical skills to go beyond shutter or aperture priority), this was very intimidating. However, not having a moving subject helped me gain some confidence, and I did remember to check (almost) all of my settings and deliberately set them.
I chose this subject because it was my Christmas present from Josh. You’ll notice that it is, indeed, a Kindle. As a bibliophile, this was definitely a great gift. However, I tried to keep the focus of the shot away from the device and fix the attention on the case. That’s because it was actually the case that had the most meaning to me, and this was for two reasons. First, I was a reluctant acceptor of the Kindle precisely because I am a bibliophile. If you’ve been to our home, you know that we (or rather I) decorate with books, and have more in my living room than most people have in their house. There is something about books, the smell, the feel of holding them, that is very special. Josh did his research and found this case, handmade and from a bookbinder, in order to allow me to connect with my books in a tangible way just by opening the case. And it really does smell like books. =) Second, the case was made in San Francisco. We lived in California for about four years, and were in San Francisco almost every other weekend. It’s one of my favorite cities, and I miss it so much. It holds so many memories for us as a couple, and Josh wanted to incorporate those memories into this gift, turning something that would be a nice gift into something truly special and heartfelt.
