The news stories and pictures coming from Haiti have made me restless and antsy this week, and I know I’m not alone in wishing I could do something meaningful to help the Haitian people.
At first I blamed my cameras and my background in photojournalism for my feelings -- after all, I have nearly 30 years behind me of believing that photography can often illuminate many of our world's needs. If only I could be there, maybe I could use photography (or my strong back) to be of help. Then I realized that it’s not my cameras that ached for the Haitian people, but my heart, and I got it that I’m not alone in the way I feel...that compassion is a human trait that we all share.
It occurred to me that even my simplest, everyday pictures are made with an open heart and compassion. Photography communicates because others view pictures with those same two qualities.
Several years ago I attended a lecture given by a much-respected, veteran journalist, who said: “I see things feelingly and sometimes it hurts.” People in the auditorium nodded in understanding, not because they were all journalists (they weren’t,) but because they were human.
This week I'm thinking it's important for us also to remember that we see things feelingly, and sometimes it brings joy.
I shot the two pictures you see here last spring when new lambs were born at my neighbor’s place. I didn’t post the pictures then but today feels like a good time to share them. I suspect we can all use a bit of innocent joy.
