Photography Has Brought So Much To My Life

Porch in Spring;  This is an example of the kinds of images I would make that would help offset the stress of work  This was
a porch on one of the city streets that I noticed while working so I stopped for a moment and recorded its fleeting beauty.
(click to enlarge)

Words alone cannot adequately express what photography has meant to me over the past 45 plus years that I've been seriously practicing it.  Photography has brought so many positive things to my life.  Photography has allowed me to exercise my creative juices, provided a means to keep life in perspective and has allowed me to meet and become friends with some of the finest people I've ever known.  There are many, many benefits photography has brought to my life but I want to highlight just three that have been most impactful on my life.

Hot, humid summer sunset over a small
inlet (click to enlarge)
Normally, no one would have noticed this
but it caught my eye one hot summer
evening when working.

First, photography has brought me peace of mind. Let me explain.  I was a police officer, detective and police chief for over 30 years.  Not in some rural setting, but in good size cities with high violence and crime rates.  Additionally for another 12 years, I have worked in other aspects of law enforcement after my retirement as a police chief. Almost everyday of that time, I dealt with everything that is ugly about life, how badly human beings have treated each other, death, destruction and human misery.  Yes, there were times when the best of people were realized, but mostly law enforcement officers daily deal with the bad. Photography was my escape.

A Quiet Afternoon (click to enlarge)
I made this during a lunch break at a business conference.  I was carrying a
small 35mm Leica Minilux point and shoot camera with me.

Photography allowed me to have a distraction from the bad that surrounded me for all of those years. Photography provided a avenue for being creative. Photography gave me a way to create images of beauty, joy, wonder, and fed my interest in history in allowing me to create images of historical 
significance.  Photography was my escape, my refuge, my avenue of retreat and represented all things good.  During my early career, I investigated over 100 deaths in all manner, hundreds of rapes, robberies, burglaries, etc.  I tried very hard never to bring what I did at work home to burden my wife and children with the results of the senseless acts of violence I witnessed almost every day. But I take joy in creating photographs of nature, wildlife, my family and family events.  I did show and share those images at home, with other family as well as friends and now electronically.  There was and is great joy for me in creating something beautiful or meaningful or interesting and sharing that with family, friends and all of you.

Another example of an image I made at lunch one day. (click to enlarge)
I was always on the lookout for subjects that reflected beauty in
my community.

Photography was and is a wonderful psychological tool for me to keep proper perspective on my life and the world around me. Photography provided a means for balance in my life for so many years. In fact, I carried a camera with me almost every day as a police officer.  As a street officer, I carried a camera and tripod in the trunk of my patrol unit.  When I worked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. I would try to make images at dawn or nighttime city street shots.  Of course, I could only do this if things were quiet and no calls for service were waiting and my work was largely done.  (that used to happen in the 1970s but no longer; the streets rock and roll all night long now) Later in my law enforcement career, I was a forensic photographer, was in charge of the police department's darkroom and had the benefit of officially photographing as part of my job responsibilities.  Also, because of my interest and talent, the city engaged me as the "official city photographer" as additional duties.  I loved it!  I got to photograph at work everyday! 

As a chief of police, I carried a Leica with a 35mm f/2 Summicron lens in my briefcase every day.  If I didn't have a lunch meeting or other lunchtime engagement to attend, I would skip lunch, drive the streets and look for images in the city.  A nice, occasional small break from the stress of the job and all of the things of which I had to deal on a daily basis.  Carrying a camera gave me another reason (beside situational awareness and safety as a police officer) to keep a keen eye on my environment and look for things others may not even notice.

On the way to work one morning (click to enlarge)

The second aspect of photography that still brings me joy is that I am left handed—right-brained—which is the artistic and creative side of my brain.  Yet, I find myself extremely interested in all things technology related, mechanical, etc.—left-brain, so to speak. Photography is the passion that allows me to quench the thirst of both sides of my brain. I love the technical aspects of photography, especially back in the day learning the Zone System, darkroom work, etc., as well as the gear itself with all of its associated technology.  I love fiddling with things, not just photo gear, but all sorts of objects, dissect them to understand how they work and get the most use from them.  On the other hand, photography allows me to be creative and scratch that right brain itch. Photography, again, provides me with some inherent balance of technology and creativity. Wonderful!

As a chief of police often times I was in a parade. (click to enlarge)
This is what it looks like when you are "in" a parade and looking back
at the crowd watching you.  This was made with Kodak Tri-X ISO 400
black and white film in the mid-1990s.

Third, photography has allowed me to meet and become friends with some of the finest people I've every had the pleasure to know. These men and women, whether met locally, in places I've traveled to photograph or over the internet through this blog or my website, are knowledgeable, helpful, generous, caring and will go out of their way to share any and all knowledge they have acquired so others can enjoy creating images as much as they do.  Wonderful, wonderful friendships have developed for me due to my practice of photography.

Recently, while thinking about what photography has meant for me, I discovered an internet article by Lauren Lim, entitled, "54 Reasons Why YOU Should Be A Photographer." I found some of what she wrote resonated with me and may with you as well.  If you are interested in her entire article, you can find the entire article here.

As for me, here are some of the other reasons I love photography.

Make memories
Travel/discover/explore/approach and talk to people wherever I go
Gives me a purpose
Discover things others don't see;  Forces me to really see my environment
Create something that evokes an emotion in oneself and others
Record posterity—those things in our culture that are going away and will never be seen again
A reason to continue to learn on life's journey; Photographic discovery is never ending
Takes me to new places through wanting to discover and photograph
New ways of seeing the world
Gain an appreciation of others and their talents
Just makes me feel good
Gives me a way to give to others; To share
Makes me think
Presents challenges

Trying to traffic to stop! (click to enlarge)
Sometimes I would photograph officers just doing their jobs.

As I age, I find I become more introspective in most aspects of my life.  I try to think about the things that made me who I am today, what really is important in my life and why as well as 

Additionally, and I think this is something about me that is important, I have been and remain the eternal optimist.  I always try to look for the good things about every situation, about all people and, as they say, "make lemonade out of lemons."  That optimism keeps me smiling, youthful in attitude and always hopeful.  Try being optimist about all things in your life.  It can be contagious.

I have been blessed in more ways than I have deserved and I know that.  I live a grateful and thankful life.  Everyday is a gift.  Photography has been one of those major gifts that have come my way and I am surely very thankful.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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