“The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”
― Vladimir Nabokov
While revising Meandering Passage and my photo galleries I’ve been thinking of photography, what its relationship is to me long-term and life in general. Most of us who go to the trouble to publish our photos on a blog and to maintain that blog must have some reason, right? None in my circle of photographers/bloggers make their sole living in photography that I’m aware of (speak out if I’m wrong.) A few may earn extra money selling photos, but I don’t suspect anyone’s getting rich from it. The days of being able to eke out a decent living purely from photography seems to be diminishing perhaps along with becoming famous as a photographer.
Is notoriety or fame a motivator? Notoriety or fame may last a number of years for a few but eternally for none. Individual lives are but a blink-of-an-eye on an earthy time scale. We are born, we live and then we die, a crack of light in the surrounding darkness fading and never seen again. A record of our existence may be on a photograph, marker or tombstone or perhaps in some book or database incorporated in a family tree, but eventually either in human years or astronomical eons it will all be dust, it will be all forgotten. I have but only a few of my photographs in printed form and as for the electronic archives I doubt they will survive long after I’m gone. If we have children, they will remember us and perhaps that we enjoyed making photos and perhaps children of our children will have memories or maybe a touch of our influence and a picture they no longer know anything about but even their light will eventually fade and be forgotten. Most of the genuinely famous photographers were among the first, the pioneers, and it will probably always be that way. With the thousands or millions of photographers of today and tomorrow diluting the art form, long-lasting fame will find few.
Yes, a gloomy stated perspective. One which at the surface seems to offer little inspiration or purpose to our efforts. And people without inspiration or purpose are usually not fulfilled or happy members of society.
Could our photographic efforts be a struggle to touch or believe we can achieve an effect beyond the dark edges of the crack of light which is our life? Or are our photos an effort to preserve moments of “our light” even after it’s extinguished? It strikes me this is the same fertile ground in which religion takes root….a hope to reach beyond death, to defy the darkness.
It could also be we have little choice in the matter. The art we express either in images or words may be “finding their way to us” and demand to be expressed. Yes, a little abstract and I certainly can’t do these thoughts justice. To expand upon this, I recommend following Cedric’s recent blog post series from the beginning here.
I know there’s more than one answer to these thoughts and questions and I’m sure I haven’t even identified all of the questions.
I’d say my motivation comes from the work and the resulting self-growth when pushing beyond where I’ve been before, the effort/exercise itself. I do it for me and if someone else enjoys the results, it’s icing on the cake. This world is pretty astounding and remarkable, even with all the damage we’ve done to her, and there are unlimited growth opportunities for us. I believe happiness comes down to how creative or how worthwhile we choose to make use of this short period we have, our crack of light.
I have to start with the image. I like it a lot and has me transfixed. In no small part because it is rather unusual to see this sort of imagery on Meandering Passage. I like the light source which looks like it’s coming out of a polaroid photo inside another polaroid photo, inside another (I see three edges that look like white frames, the inner one is white, as is the second and the outer one is dirtied with age). Very cool. and so perfectly appropriate for your post.
I certainly don’t make any money from my photography, nor would I want to. The business side of it would do my head in. As for fame and notoriety, having experienced neither, I can only imagine that I would not enjoy either one but who knows. I’ll keep you posted if it ever happens. But in the matter of wanting to leave a mark, I see things much like you, especially when thinking about the bigger picture in which our individual stories do not even register as blips.
However, my reasoning is somewhat less bleak than what Vladimir Nabokov would have us believe. I do not care if the story of Cedric is remembered for an eon or for one second. It is merely a story, a character in a movie. When a character dies in a movie, the actor still gets to go home. In the bigger picture, where we find ourselves, there is only one actor playing out all the characters. Call that actor what you will, consciousness, energy, God, Tao, the Matrix. As I see it, we are not born into the world but rather, out of it; like a wave out of the ocean. Death only marks the end of a story (a wave), while the ocean remains, and it never stops playing.
Anyway, that’s my weird way of thinking, so let me get back on the topic of your post. I do think that for many people, being remembered is important and for many reasons beyond ego or vanity. The idea of leaving some sort of legacy is a way for us to extend our lives. To make us feel less vulnerable, less finite in a world that is filled with infinite possibilities. I get that and see it as a good thing because if everyone was like me (and you by the sound of it), we would have very little from the past to enjoy. And let’s face it, it is likely that being motivated by the desire of leaving a legacy is probably what has given us the things we all enjoy today ;)
Still, many people struggle to find their motivation or their reason for being, so those for whom the reasons are clear, well, I’d say they’re pretty lucky. By the sounds of it, you have found yours and I’m happy for you. Especially when it produces images like the one above.
Cedric, in full disclosure my view is also less bleak then Vladimir Nabokov’s but his quote “works for me” because I don’t visualize darkness as emptiness or as nothing. It simply marks a change, in opposition to light. I can’t define in the terms of “crack of light” what that exact change into this darkness consist of, either before we’re born and after our death. Maybe I’ll try and let someone know when I make the transition. lol
I can readily accept your analogy of waves from and back to the ocean. Similar cycles are witnessed from the smallest microscale to colossal scale…the change of form but not creation or destruction. We may not understand the forces at work, but I doubt we’d be an exception to universal rules. I do enjoy a notion of our lives as stories…I love reading good stories.
Thanks for the feedback on the image. Yes, not something anyone would have seen here before but something I enjoy experimenting with. Did you recognize a large portion of this image began as a beach sunset photo when you used the ocean and wave story analogy? :-)
I didn’t think you shared Nabokov’s view. I’ve been following your blog long enough to know that your outlook on life is far more cheerful :) But I agree that in the context of this particular post , it fitted the bill because like you I don’t see darkness as emptiness.
I did recognise your image as originally being a sunset and I thought that the cloud-like lumps on the left were of sea foam. In any case, what you did with it was very imaginative, and it suited this post so perfectly.
By the way, I meant to mention this in the previous comment, but I cannot see any way to subscribe to comments on your posts. I know it used to be there but it doesn’t appear anywhere now. I thought I’d mention it.
Thanks for mentioning about the subscribe to comments missing, Cedric. Sometime during the move/revision process that option had gotten disabled. It’s back now!
I’m usually signed in as an administrator/author and never see the option. It would have been a long time before I noticed it missing. :-o
I wish I had some profound words to contribute, but you and Cedric have already covered those bases. I don’t think I have read an analogy quite as poetic to a wave like Cedric mentioned above. But it’s true.
I have often found myself in envy of those that have dedicated their lives in other ways – literally fighting for endangered species or scientists using their lives to find out how corals can survive what we are turning the oceans into. Some find solace just in seeing their children healthy and doing well. I guess it all depends on the energy we use to keep that light glowing, whatever brightness it may be.
It is difficult to find any significance in contrast to the vastness of the universe. One wonders if our entire planet is even significant, if but just for having the right conditions and position in our solar system to support life.
I’d never use the term “profound” for any words I’ve ever written, but yes, Cedric has a talent for finding the right words and fitting analogies, seldom do I find myself far off from agreeing with his mark.
Sometimes I’ll catch a video series on one of the networks called “A Life Well Lived” which in a few minutes chronicles the life of an extraordinary person. Much as you mentioned they may have struggled their whole lives to preserve the environment or rescue disappearing species. Others have focused upon humanitarian efforts with the infirmed, poor, illiterate, refugees or other needs. I always feel more than a little inadequate, and yes a little envious, after viewing these videos. But I’ve come to realize (with effort) a great play doesn’t come about simply because of one stand-out starring actor. It takes a great many people each with different and divergent roles…many of whom are behind the scenes. I guess we can only strive to do what we can the best we can and be happy to have a small part.
“One wonders if our entire planet is even significant”…I guess that depends upon the definition of significant. It certainly is to us, mankind, and that should be enough but it doesn’t seem to be these days. It’s been a terribly hard and discouraging period recently for honorable, responsible, thinking people, what with so many environmental, conservational and human rights initiatives being rolled back by a bunch of sell serving lying crooks. It seems I’m angry most of the time.
Thanks for joining the conversation, Mark!
I think our play has a lot of bad actors and misfits in it! 😀
I know the feeling about being angry most of the time. I know it isn’t healthy. I know there is little I can do to change it. Sometimes the despair is quite overwhelming. I suppose it is those moments we need to rely on whatever brings that light in.
Btw, beautiful photo. I keep returning to it as it reminds me of something primordial.
Thanks, Mark. This image keeps drawing me back to it as well. It does touch on something…