When my friend went to Europe last summer, instead of snapping photographs of the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge, she brought back 32 rolls of...cathedral ceilings.
When
my
friend
went
to
Europe
last
summer
,
instead
of
snapping
photographs
of
the
Louvre
or
the
Eiffel
Tower
or
Stonehenge
,
she
brought
back
32
rolls
of
...
cathedral
ceilings
.
Ceilings.
Ceilings
.
For the 10 years I've known her I had never suspected that she was this passionate about stained glass.
For
the
10
years
I
've
known
her
I
had
never
suspected
that
she
was
this
passionate
about
stained
glass
.
Still one of the best things about such pictures--despite their obvious narrow appeal--is that they can't help but tell us a great deal about the people who took them.
Still
one
of
the
best
things
about
such
pictures
--
despite
their
obvious
narrow
appeal
--
is
that
they
ca
n't
help
but
tell
us
a
great
deal
about
the
people
who
took
them
.
So I shouldn't have been surprised when I got the roll of film back from my 5-year-old son's first camping trip.
So
I
should
n't
have
been
surprised
when
I
got
the
roll
of
film
back
from
my
5-year-old
son
's
first
camping
trip
.
I opened the envelope, naively expecting to see pictures of the nightly campfire, the sun setting over the forest, and possibly even a deer or two.
I
opened
the
envelope
,
naively
expecting
to
see
pictures
of
the
nightly
campfire
,
the
sun
setting
over
the
forest
,
and
possibly
even
a
deer
or
two
.
Instead, I saw an off-center picture of tennis shoes.
Instead
,
I
saw
an
off-center
picture
of
tennis
shoes
.
Not even his tennis shoes, mind you, but a pair someone had lost and left in the cabin.
Not
even
his
tennis
shoes
,
mind
you
,
but
a
pair
someone
had
lost
and
left
in
the
cabin
.
Mystery shoes.
Mystery
shoes
.
And that's not all.
And
that
's
not
all
.
As I went through the stack, I found that my son had also taken a picture of his sleeping bag, a penny he found in the gravel next to the car, a leaf, an orange sock, a close-up of his father's ear, a burned hot dog, his thumb, a piece of gum, and many other similar things.
As
I
went
through
the
stack
,
I
found
that
my
son
had
also
taken
a
picture
of
his
sleeping
bag
,
a
penny
he
found
in
the
gravel
next
to
the
car
,
a
leaf
,
an
orange
sock
,
a
close-up
of
his
father
's
ear
,
a
burned
hot
dog
,
his
thumb
,
a
piece
of
gum
,
and
many
other
similar
things
.
There was barely one sign of nature in the whole stack.
There
was
barely
one
sign
of
nature
in
the
whole
stack
.
I couldn't help thinking that if he'd wanted pictures of assorted junk, it would've been cheaper had he spent the weekend in our back-yard.
I
could
n't
help
thinking
that
if
he
'd
wanted
pictures
of
assorted
junk
,
it
would
've
been
cheaper
had
he
spent
the
weekend
in
our
back-yard
.
AT LEAST that is what I thought until I showed the photographs to my ceiling-snapping friend, the mother of three teenagers, who said simply, "There's nothing wrong with these."
AT
LEAST
that
is
what
I
thought
until
I
showed
the
photographs
to
my
ceiling-snapping
friend
,
the
mother
of
three
teenagers
,
who
said
simply
,
``
There
's
nothing
wrong
with
these
.
''
But of course, this is just the type of answer you'd expect from someone who photographs ceiling.
But
of
course
,
this
is
just
the
type
of
answer
you
'd
expect
from
someone
who
photographs
ceiling
.
Then she told me about the time her daughter went to Yosemite Valley and returned with rolls of photographs of the hotel, restaurant, and gift shop.
Then
she
told
me
about
the
time
her
daughter
went
to
Yosemite
Valley
and
returned
with
rolls
of
photographs
of
the
hotel
,
restaurant
,
and
gift
shop
.
She also told me about the time her son took his camera to a Major League Baseball game and returned with 24 pictures of cloud formations.
She
also
told
me
about
the
time
her
son
took
his
camera
to
a
Major
League
Baseball
game
and
returned
with
24
pictures
of
cloud
formations
.
I had a feeling she was just trying to make me feel better.
I
had
a
feeling
she
was
just
trying
to
make
me
feel
better
.
Then again, to a 5-year-old boy, finding a penny is more exciting than seeing a squirrel.
Then
again
,
to
a
5-year-old
boy
,
finding
a
penny
is
more
exciting
than
seeing
a
squirrel
.
And why would he waste good film on something like, say, some endangered water buffaloes, when he could take a picture of cool tennis shoes?
And
why
would
he
waste
good
film
on
something
like
,
say
,
some
endangered
water
buffaloes
,
when
he
could
take
a
picture
of
cool
tennis
shoes
?
Or his shiny new green sleeping bag?
Or
his
shiny
new
green
sleeping
bag
?
Face it: Things like beautiful sunsets and campfires can't compare to a bag of extra-large marshmallow.
Face
it
:
Things
like
beautiful
sunsets
and
campfires
ca
n't
compare
to
a
bag
of
extra-large
marshmallow
.
So I did what any good mother would do: I marked the date on the back of the pictures and slid them into our family vacation photo album--right after the five pages of ice sculptures I took last year on our cruise to the Bahamas.
So
I
did
what
any
good
mother
would
do
:
I
marked
the
date
on
the
back
of
the
pictures
and
slid
them
into
our
family
vacation
photo
album
--
right
after
the
five
pages
of
ice
sculptures
I
took
last
year
on
our
cruise
to
the
Bahamas
.
When my friend went to Europe last summer, instead of snapping photographs of the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge, she brought back 32 rolls of...cathedral ceilings. Ceilings. For the 10 years I've known her I had never suspected that she was this passionate about stained glass.  Still one of the best things about such pictures--despite their obvious narrow appeal--is that they can't help but tell us a great deal about the people who took them.  So I shouldn't have been surprised when I got the roll of film back from my 5-year-old son's first camping trip. I opened the envelope, naively expecting to see pictures of the nightly campfire, the sun setting over the forest, and possibly even a deer or two.  Instead, I saw an off-center picture of tennis shoes. Not even his tennis shoes, mind you, but a pair someone had lost and left in the cabin. Mystery shoes. And that's not all.  As I went through the stack, I found that my son had also taken a picture of his sleeping bag, a penny he found in the gravel next to the car, a leaf, an orange sock, a close-up of his father's ear, a burned hot dog, his thumb, a piece of gum, and many other similar things.  There was barely one sign of nature in the whole stack. I couldn't help thinking that if he'd wanted pictures of assorted junk, it would've been cheaper had he spent the weekend in our back-yard.  AT LEAST that is what I thought until I showed the photographs to my ceiling-snapping friend, the mother of three teenagers, who said simply, "There's nothing wrong with these."  But of course, this is just the type of answer you'd expect from someone who photographs ceiling.  Then she told me about the time her daughter went to Yosemite Valley and returned with rolls of photographs of the hotel, restaurant, and gift shop. She also told me about the time her son took his camera to a Major League Baseball game and returned with 24 pictures of cloud formations.  I had a feeling she was just trying to make me feel better.  Then again, to a 5-year-old boy, finding a penny is more exciting than seeing a squirrel. And why would he waste good film on something like, say, some endangered water buffaloes, when he could take a picture of cool tennis shoes? Or his shiny new green sleeping bag?  Face it: Things like beautiful sunsets and campfires can't compare to a bag of extra-large marshmallow.  So I did what any good mother would do: I marked the date on the back of the pictures and slid them into our family vacation photo album--right after the five pages of ice sculptures I took last year on our cruise to the Bahamas.