Photo double-take

Last fall, we decided to walk through an outdoor art show near our apartment.  The streets were lined with food vendors, local artists trying to sell their prints and creative art and even a guy yelling to promote a Medieval revival "battle" that was going to take place around the corner.  We did not attend the fight ... but we did step into the tent of a local photographer (whose name I never thought to remember at the time).  Looking back, I wish I had. 

Anyway, her work was a myriad of photos taken from trips all over the world -- some near, some far.  They were OK photos, nothing too spectaclar, except for one.  On a canvas about 30 X 40" or so, was a photo of a long rickety pier that was roped off as too dangerous for pedestrians, overlooking a tropical blue ocean, sandy beach and white puffy clouds.  I was blown away.  Not by the beauty, but because I knew I had taken the *exact* same photo from the *exact* same spot not even a month earlier.  I had to ask this woman where this was taken.

It turns out it was true!  She'd stayed at the exact resort we stayed at in Mexico on our honeymoon, only she was there a few years before.  El Dorado Royale.  Talk about a small world.  I stood in nearly the exact same place in the sand to take an identical photo from the same point of view as did the legit photographer.  I (someone who has always dreamed of becoming a photographer someday) was in awe of the situation. 

Her canvas print was for sale for almost $500 that day, and that got me thinking ... why can't I sell my travel photos too?  I personally thought my photo was taken on a nicer day, so the quality was even better than hers ... I had to check out how much it would cost to get a photo blown up to that size canvas.

There is another photo I took in East Hampton on a stormy day at the beach in April.  The beauty of the natural setting on such an ominous day was breathtaking, so I just had to snap a few pictures.  To my surprise they turned out awesome.

My husband chose his favorite, and I had it blown up on and stretched on a canvas to surprise him for Christmas.  Now, my photo is a focal point in our living room -- a conversation piece -- my work!  To think, that photographer in the tent was selling hers for $500, and I had mine blown up and stretched for ... let's just say ... less than that (wink).

The plan for our Hawaii trip is to bring a good camera along to take some great photos.  Maybe some day I'll be able to sell my stuff too.  That'd be a dream come true!  In the meantime, my canvas print is a constant reminder that my dream could be realized some day.  But first I need to travel and actually take the photos ... and that I'm completely fine with!