Our self perception is shaped by the way we see ourselves reflected back in the reactions of others. They smile at us and speak to us and we know we are valued and wanted. They look hurriedly away or move hurriedly on and somewhere inside we note the sinking feeling that accompanies a diminishment in our selves. Of course when we are mature and robust in our self perceptions these things matter less, but we are never unaffected. This is why the most important skills we can teach children are social. This is why isolation exacts such a toll. This is why the Western fetish of individualism is such a destructive idea, and why we need each other: our very sense of self depends on it.
Of course reflections are not always accurate. In fact they are not usually accurate and have as much to do with the current inner state of the other as they have to do with us. Which is why discernment and the ability to reflect on ourselves are right up there with social skills as necessary human tools for survival, stability and flourishing.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them the short prescription we now label "The Lord's Prayer." It contains no singular pronouns. When we stand before all that is most real and most true, we are what we are made by our presence in community.
What do the reactions of others tell us of ourselves? And more importantly, how do my interactions with others reflect back to them the beauty and power of what God created them to be?
Photos: Nikon D750, Tamron 150-600 zoom @ 600 mm, 1/1000, f10. I set the shutter speed and aperture to compensate for the shortcomings of the Tamron lens, which I was hand holding - it's physically very large and thus hard to hold steady, and it's slightly soft at its widest apertures. The iso was chosen by the camera and was, in these cases around 1000.
Comments
As a teacher of over 40 years I have observed similar isolation and rejection in the playground and know how devastating this can be for children and am aware of the long term effects for some.
On a different tack ...... I think the photo on this post is excellent. The ripples from the tide on the legs of the Oyster Catcher? give just the right balance with the stillness of the mirrored surface of the water. The image is crisp and clear, with a minimum use? of photo shopping type of software (which I prefer, but that's a personal preference).
I guess the limitations of Tamron lenses are something that you get used to working around? I am surprised by the price of lenses - The dilemma of purchasing a complete high-end lense set would be; do you buy the lenses or a new car?
Yes, the photo has had minimal work. But actually, the post processing is an important part of it all, given the limitations of even the best cameras. I probably spend as much time in front of the computer as I do behind the camera, which is about par for the course. In this case, I trimmed away about half the picture - the unnecessary bits - removed a lot of distracting splodges from the water and lightened the reflection to make it more closely echo the bird. None of this is tampering so much as trying to reproduce what I actually saw.
Yes lenses are a fearsome price. Thats one reason to buy a Nikon as opposed to other brands. Nikons lenses are as pricey as anyone else’s, but my camera - unlike any other brand, including arch rival Canon - will accept any lens made by Nikon right back to the 1950s. This means that if you know what to look for you can buy some second hand professional level gear for very very good prices. The second level lens makers once made cheap, good enough gear aimed at the consumer market. Their stuff was great for backyard photos of the kids but severely liimited for much else. but now they are equaling the best that Canon or Nikon produce. Particularly Tamron, Sigma and Tokina. You can get pro level lenses for half the cost of the real thing, or sometimes even less.
I hope I'm not overstepping the mark here, but whenever I've met you I've been left with the impression of someone at peace with themselves and with good reserves of strength and resilience. You seem, iow, to have your shit together. Which is a reminder to me that you never know what lies in someone's background or present circumstances, and the way we treat even the most robust seeming people needs to be tempered with the knowledge of the unknown effects of our words and actions on others.