Can Photographs Find You?
Something I’ve been thinking about the last few weeks is whether some photographs were meant to find certain people. I know that sounds rather metaphysical, but it’s the best I can come up with in light of a few interesting encounters I’ve had over the last few months.
First, we raffled off a smaller version of this photo at our local coffee shop.
A guy I’ve known for a few years – he’s both a musician and a painter – fell totally in love with it. Well, a few people have been in love with it, but he kept going on and on about how much he loved this photo. He of course put his name in the hat, but told me he had never won anything in his life. And wouldn’t you know it, he actually won the thing. No, they all swore it wasn’t rigged!
Yes, he could have bought the photograph off of me, and it would naturally have been nice to make some money. Yet, I am happy this picture went to someone so attached to it.
Then a few months later, a friend of ours saw this photo at Local Roots. It happens to feature his son’s arms.
He actually teared up when he saw it and told me those were his father’s arms. It was really moving. He apparently tried to take a photo of the photo on the easel even. Again, yes, he could have bought it.
I WAS going to give him a copy of it for his birthday next year (he’ll turn 84), but fate would have it otherwise. We again raffled off a small version of it, this time at Local Roots. The person who ended up winning it turned out to be his wife’s niece, and she told me today she wants him to have it. He was basically beside himself when I called him. No, again the drawing wasn’t rigged.
I think it was just meant to be. So, can photographs find you?
