Dad was the photographer in our house and I mean steeped in photography ~ not so much obsessed with equipment but a student of the subject.
He was bed bound for the last ten months of his long life in 2010 and it was only then that I started to take a few shots as a way of bringing the natural world that he loved so much into his room.
He had dementia but mercifully he retained the analytical part of his brain and was delighted to be able to advise me about aspects of taking photos.
It was on evenings like this that I would bring down five or six photos for him to critique and he spread them out carefully on his bed and assess each of them like an external examiner. I would wait for his comments like a young student and know that I would get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth from him. He always believed in being honest when it came to teaching but he always managed to find some redeeming features, to use one of his favourite turns of phrase.
He’s very much on my mind tonight as his 97th birthday would have been tomorrow (June 10th).
I was looking through some recent shots and wondering which ones I would have brought down to him for our birthday chat. These are the ones that jumped out at me:
I’m not a bit sure which one he’d like the best but I know we’d have a good laugh over them as I was put through my paces!
SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 
Jean he’d of loved them all!
I’d like to think so but he’d have found ways to teach me how they could have been better.
Yes no doubt he would
No doubt, indeed!
What a lovely tribute to your dad Jean, and his beautiful photos, so lovely to see them. Thank you for sharing this with us.
My pleasure, Agnes.
I believe each one spoke to him and he looked at each one assessing with a critical eye and was very proud of your accomplishment with the camera. We all have a minds eye to be able to see things that made an impression on us throughout our lives..All of them are beautiful in their own right…
Thanks for this interesting perspective, Joni.
They are all beautiful Jean. I’m sure your Dad would be well pleased. Lots of redeeming features. 🙂 I’m partial to action pictures so the swimming dog is my favorite (although Harry is very very handsome 🙂 ) The color and texture of the water is very deep – it says there could be miles of water underneath – for me it represents the superficiality of our conscious life. We are always paddling on the surface, busily going here and going there but only in two dimensions in a medium that has three dimensions. I once saw a young woman with a tattoo of a nuclear submarine on her ankle. When asked why she had the tattoo, she said that it was to remind her of the power that lies deep.
Hi Paul, I wonder whatever became of the girl with the tatoo?
I don’t know, she wasn’t an acquaintance of mine – I would like to think that she did well.
I hope she did too.
I can imagine your Dad examining the photos, how lovely that he could retain that always, the ability to be analytical…and giving you his loving advice. I love your photography and this collection is no exception. If I HAD to pick one, it would be the first, that stunning poppy. The clarity, the sunlight upon it, the depth of the shot, the fine details and the colours… they all give such an impression of life and promise of all to come in the pods.
Thanks so much!
I love your take on the poppy.
I have included your blog in Interesting Blogs, Friday Fossicking as below…
http://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/friday-fossicking-17-june-2016.html
Thank you, Chris
They are all lovely but being a Granny to a lovely Grandson
I think your lovely Dad would love
them all but maybe linger and flick
Back to Harry ! What a lovely way to
Share his birthday
Teresa
I suspect you could be right, especially as H has the same colour hair as Mother had and Dad loved it.
Great post. Lovely story. It’s so nice to share a hobby with someone special.
I agree so much with you about the hobby sharing. We liked lots of the same activities and sports.
A wonderful post about your Dad, Jean. What great memories to have. I love the poppy, it has the feel of movement about it.
Thanks, Jean. Must say I like the fact that there was the one in bud beside it.
The photos are wonderful and how lovely that you are still seeing your Dad through loving eyes:):)
Hi Olga, I was beyond fortunate to have him for so long.
Wonderful to get a critique from a beloved parent – he must have been tremendously proud of you. (love them all but the poppy especially, for childhood memories of those funny hairy buds)
Hi Sandy, his sense of humour always had a way of hiding his pride in us but we knew it was there, especially when he quipped more than usual!
Perhaps your dad would have liked them all! What a wonderful way to have connected with him even with his illness. He taught you well, Jean!
Hi CC, it was great to have that connection as it could so easily have been lost.
What a beautiful tribute, Jean! Your father certainly taught you well, judging by these and many others of your lovely photographs. I especially love the one of Harry. xo Nancy
Ah thanks, Nancy.
What a wonderful memory.
Beautiful tribute to your father. Honesty without ‘redeeming features’ is not what we expect from the people we are close with.
Thanks Inese.
I guess most things, people and places have redeeming features but it takes a certain mindset to be able to see and acknowledge them.