Outdoor Cafes, and Always Being the Photographer

By Geek Goddess on June 5, 2012 • ( 0 )

Seems like I have always been the family photographer. My first SLR camera was a Vivitar I bought at Montgomery Wards about 1979. It was completely manual, and my ex was never interested in learning how to use it, and as I gradually upgraded, he didn’t care to take pictures.

I’m spying on my friend Chip, in Istanbul

My family vacations are photos of him, the sights we visited, him, friends. Later, the pictures were of our children and him. As a result, I have few pictures of me, with my family or otherwise.

At a cafe in Montmartre

Now, I take pictures of my friends, of the places I visit, of the things I experience, that are more geared towards creating ‘memory pictures’ for me. I put them into albums sorted by location or event. They are there to help me recall good times, good friends and family, good food, beautiful places, historical sites. I don’t buy souvenirs on my trips, I acquire memories. I especially like to visit outdoor cafes, where we can sit for hours, sipping wine, coffee, or Turkish tea. You can watch the locals, the tourists, see the monuments and the street scenes, all unnoticed.

Turkish tea in the traditional tulip glass

We were waiting outside a shop in Jerusalem, while a friend conducted a tea ceremony during a haggling session

That being said, I’m still in almost none of the pictures!

Very tired but happy, after a long day of walking at the Parthenon, and dealing with Greek strikes for both garbage (ewwww) and all public transportation.

Visiting my son a few years ago, at the USS Boise

It helps that I get to travel with a varied group of friends that I met through the JREF, TAM, and Skeptours. Fortunately, many of my ‘tribe’ are much better photographers and don’t mind me ‘stealing’ some of their pictures. Since everything is digital, it’s easy! At the risk of appearing self-promoting, these are a few of my vacation photos. I hope my grandchildren see them and say “What an old rip Grandma must have been!”* and then try to be like me.