I have decided to develop a new hobby. Or rather, I have decided to resurrect an old hobby. Once upon a time I loved taking pictures and scrap-booking. Then life got in the way. As usual when I want to try something I wanted to go out and by a fancy camera but I can barely work a Kodak camera now so I will have to learn all over again. I see people taking pictures on blogs and such and I love looking at photos. I also I want to try digital photography. I downloaded Photoshop and it is kicking my ass. I need Photoshop for dummies. I looked on-line and found a bunch of tutorials so we shall see.
I haven’t mentioned it on the blog before but I was a volunteer in Africa for four years. I was becoming really skilled at picture-taking until my camera got stolen by a Voodoo Priest. Yes, you read that right, a Voodoo Priest. Before you think I have lost it, allow me to explain. Every respectable scholar of African culture and the Diaspora knows that Voodoo is just a mix of Catholicism and traditional African Religion. Yes, there are sects that must sacrifice of a still beating heart but alas, when in Rome.
So anyway there I was with a friend. We were walking down the street when I spied a voodoo priest doing…something. What I could see was some beheaded chickens and the priest waving his arms around and people giving him francs. I want to point out here that I did not exactly believe in all of this. Hell, I was kinda iffy on the white traditional God so I wasn’t about to believe everything I heard a bout the traditional religions. At that time in my life, I put my faith in material things, like reason and logic. Aristotle would have been very proud of me. So, there I was and here was something I had read about but never saw. And like every other white person who comes in close contact with anything traditional I had to get a picture. My friend was horrified. YOU CAN’T TAKE A PICTURE!! When I inquired as to why not, his response was well if you do the voodoo priest will make your camera disappear. Let me note that I had purchased one of those expensive fancy cameras that I guarded jealously. No shifty fingers touching MY camera. I laughed and told my friend not to be ridiculous that nothing could make a camera disappear into thin air. So I crossed the road and started snapping pictures. The priest man gave me some evil looks which I thought made for better pics.
Fast forward a few days and take a guess. That’s right my camera disappeared. Everyone was like I TOLD YOU. Me and my boss was convinced they there had to be a logical explanation. We searched high and low but no camera. I finally admitted that OK, Voodoo may be real after all. I bribed someone to get me another one and was careful not to offend any Gods from that point on.
I returned to America and was gonna get my PHD but then I went insane. No, that had nothing to do with the voodoo priest. Least I hope not. Kidding, bipolar runs in my family so my genes were already playing Russian roulette and sadly my genes got the loaded gun.
So I have seen people posting pics on their blogs and such and I really enjoy looking at them. I thought to myself, if I enjoy them then my readers might enjoy them as well. Plus I can learn how to do digital scrapbooks. I am going to the library and checking out books on photography and Photoshop. And I will use my Kodak Easy Share Camera until I get the hang of it.
My whole family will be going on a camping trip for Labor Day weekend so that will be my first attempt at any kind of photography in years. Wish me luck!