Final Blog Post

 Emma Straus  

21st Century Literature and Time  

Final Blog Post  

December 2022 

 

Over the course of the semester, I have grown more and more attuned to time. Specifically, time behaving in ways that we have discussed in class. We have explored the various natures of time, as it is not restricted to one depending on the context that it is examined. One quality of time that continually stood out to me was the way in which time behaves in art, whether in writing, photography, or painting. As a creator, I have gravitated toward this idea the most, and I have loved the way in which these creative outlets have become a preservation of time.  

I have practiced photography for nearly six years now and I am constantly experimenting and learning. So the idea as photographs as a preservation of time has always been part of my experience. There is a saying that people photograph the things they do not want to lose, or the things they love the most. And I believe this contributes to the way time works in photos. Of course, with every photo I take or every photo series I do, I look at the photos and can associate a memory or feeling. But one example that was exceptionally powerful was a simple photo I took of my grandmother’s hands a month before she passed away. I had taken a few photos during golden hour one day, framing her hospice equipment in the light that was filling the room. I became interested in end-of-life photography, and tried framing things in a way that was beautiful.  

Of course end of life photography is sad and somber. But there was also a quality I wanted to show that could still be beautiful. The sunlight glinted off of her wheelchair, the curtains breathed gently with her in the summer breeze, and the golden hour was filling the room with picturesque lighting that echoed baroque paintings. I took a picture of her hands as one of her many books rested underneath. It was one of the simplest photos I have taken. But every time I see it, I am overcome with emotion. But also with memory. I remember that exact moment, what we were talking about, what show she asked me to put on the television. The smallest little details. Before she passed we had had lengthy conversations about many things. But because of this photograph, I can step back into one of them and specifically remember. Contained there was a feeling, a memory, an emotion. And the picture did not even explicitly feature any of these.  

There was a window of time long before the moment had passed. It’s a small window I can climb through and spend time with just for a few moments. The preservation of time in a photograph is truly a powerful tool.  I have always been interested in photographing the things, people, and moments people really don’t ‘see’. And the photo I took of my grandmother’s hands was one I didn’t fully consider the impact of while I was snapping the picture. I was just snapping a few around the room, trusting whatever the frame found to include. There are certainly times where I plan out my shots depending on the project, but here I moved freely through the space. And when I went back to look at the photos, I had captured a tiny window of time there, something I could go back to whenever I looked. And though the subject of the photo is one I can never get back, I still am transported to that moment every time.  

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