02 September 2010

Light, Beauty

The kitchen counter
I have this vision of my head of a home with lots of windows and lots of natural light. The home is filled with shabby antiques, lots of white, and bright patterns. It is cozy and cheery and warm. I'm afraid it's reaction to the lack of natural light in our home now. I've known it's quite dark in here, but when I picked up another roll of film, one that was mostly shot in the house on 200 speed film, it was painfully apparent -- a lot of blurry, underexposed shots.

But then there was this photo. I shot it at the end of the roll, unsure how many shots were left. The more I look at it, the more I think it embodies my vision. This corner of the kitchen at around 5 o'clock, where it's often imperfectly balanced with light and dishes waiting to be washed.

I used to think that beauty was nice but not necessary, and that having beautiful things was materialistic. It never occurred to me that enjoying beautiful things was important in learning to enjoy God, even in imperfect circumstances (or a lack of natural light). So I'll keep searching for the light in this house, wherever and whenever it might be.

7 comments:

Bethany said...

I love this post, and this photo. Keep looking for beauty and sharing it with us.

Sarah said...

Amen to beauty, and to seeing God through it. Everyday beauty is hard to find but, at least for where I'm at, the best kind.

julie said...

thanks for your thoughts on beauty. i also have trouble not feeling guilty over appreciating beautiful things or having a vocation as frivolous as aiming to create beauty. and you've piqued my interest in shooting with film -- your photos are gorgeous! still seems intimidating, but your pictures are making me curious... :)

Lindsay said...

Much thanks to you all. :)

Julie, if you can shoot film, do it. It will change the way you take pictures, I promise.

Christine said...

I do believe that beauty, in its many forms, does point us to God! Beautiful photo, I love the light and the feeling it evokes.

kate o. said...

i'm lovin' that there is a glass of wine on the counter at only 5 ;)

Lindsay said...

Christine, I think that's what I love about film -- the feeling it evokes.

Kate, you caught me. We tend to celebrate "cocktail hour" at 5 most days. And sometimes at 6, too. ;)