EXPLAINING PERSPECTIVE IN PHOTOGRAPHY
AN EMAIL FROM A SON TO HIS PARENTS EXPLAINING PERSPECTIVE IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Subject: Some Big News from Iceland…
Dear Mom & Dad,
Before you read this email, I want to make sure you’re sitting down. Really, promise me you’re seated before reading this. Thank you.
I know it’s been a while since I’ve been in touch, so here’s a long-overdue update.
After arriving in Iceland for my 3-week photography adventure, I spent the first night in Reykjavik and left early the next morning to make my way to the southern tip. On route to Vík í Mýrdal, I stopped at the iconic Skógafoss Waterfall. After capturing some incredible angles from below, I decided to climb up to get a shot from above. The upper viewing platform was crowded, and, unfortunately, it gave way, causing everyone to fall onto the rocks below. When I fell, I hit my head on a rock and was unconscious for a couple of days.
The closest hospital was back in Reykjavik, but local medical personnel were incredibly responsive. They arranged for us to recover in nearby homes, and I was taken in by a kind, caring family with a daughter my age who helped me recuperate. The pain from the headaches were intense, and she was there to comfort me through the worst of it. Over these past couple weeks, we’ve grown very close, and we’ve fallen deeply in love. She recently told me she thinks she’s pregnant, so we shared the news with her parents, who were thrilled. We’ve decided to get married here in Iceland before the pregnancy starts to show.
Now, there’s one more thing I need to mention: During the fall, the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Super Telephoto Prime Lens I borrowed got completely crushed. Dad, I know this was your favorite lens, and I did my best to keep it safe. But with the fall and the impact, everything in my backpack took a hit. I feel terrible because it’s beyond repair. The good news is that my headaches are finally subsiding, and I’m able to help my fiancée’s family with their goats and horses as we start our lives together.
Once we’ve set a date for the wedding, I’ll let you know. I truly hope you’ll both be able to attend and be supportive. I’m sure you’ll love Helga, although she had to leave high school to work on the farm, she’s big and strong. —I’ve seen her lift one of the horses! She’s fascinated by my photography and wants to show me all of Iceland. We plan to live in an RV until we can afford to buy part of her family’s property.
Thank you both for always being there for me as wonderful, supportive parents. I love you both very much.
Okay… here’s the truth: I didn’t fall from a platform at Skógafoss Waterfall, I didn’t fall in love with a woman named Helga, and I’m not getting married, starting a family, or living in an RV. But I did drop the Canon 800mm lens, and the lens shattered. I just wanted to put things in perspective.
Your loving son