Family Values

Family Values

I had to turn off the computers for a bit as today’s promised thunderstorms blew through. They were impressive as they announced their entry. I took my glass of water off the desk and went outside to watch them from the patio as they made their entrance. Thunder shook, boomed and shuddered the surrounding buildings and the accompanying light show did a good job of trying to reach out and touch a few SW Air Flights as they made their final approach into Hobby for on time arrivals.

Earlier, I had taken the bike out for a spin to scout a few more properties before the storm hit. I was able to get some good inside information from some DPW crews working near one site. Folks are pretty unguarded when a guy on a bike asks questions. "Bond, James Bond."

I watched the storm continue to blow through and gazed across the street at the corporate headquarters of one of the larger corporations in the USA that is still family owned.  I was reminded of a conversation I had earlier in the day with a friend of mine about the 60’s, music, long hair, parents and colored glasses.

Gazing at the logo of this behemoth of a company, I watched as rain dripped off the polished stainless steel. Reflections of adjoin structures kept shifting off the wet black granite walls in various shades of grey as the storm made its way north. I then began to think of the various VALUES of grey, from white to black, as in drawings or photography, and then the number of shades of grey that can be observed at any one time.

We’re also a Family Business, a very small Family Business that now spans three generations. Our members for the most part have a good balance of Black / White ratio and therefore the values remain in the pleasing range, (allowing one can actually reduce human beings to a graphic equivalent).  

Pre-photoshop,  we used to have to adjust the gradient values obtainable on black and white film by the use of colored glass filters, both in the field and in the darkroom. To find a pleasing balance when shooting in difficult or non-ideal circumstances, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and Orange would be used, all yield differing impacts to the final image. More contrast / less contrast, brighter skies / darker skies, there was no one right answer. It was an experiment that could go on and on in the darkroom for hours or days until satisfied, or not.  All it took was time, patience and creativity for the desired outcome to emerge. If the outcome was less than  desirable, then it was time to start fresh and do it again……….with more creativity.

Because we’re dynamic and not graphic images, our values shift and change depending on numerous variables. Often what feels like the brighter side of the scale by one, is perceived by others to be sliding down into the dark side by others.  We also have a collective value that shifts and adjusts as we all engage in our individual lives and then come in and out of each other’s, collectively . Light/Dark and all that lies in-between are always possible if we commit the time and patience to see the desired outcome emerge.

Creativity is also useful.