And, not a moment too soon, for many of us. All of us? A difficult year for humans, for the planet, and for the creatures of the natural world. Yet, in the midst of all this wrenching setback, I find myself grateful for so many things. Annie, most of all, and having dinner with her every night. Our sofa, where we gather as the day fades. A year’s respite from airplanes. Longest time for me to not be airborne in over 40 years. And many others things as well. Thankful for friends, family, Italian takeout, and a renewed and wonderful relationship with Sammy, our cat, who now climbs to the top of one of our chairs at pretty much precisely 5pm everyday and commands me to give her a rubdown and some ear scratching. Because, well, I’m home. And Sammy has another human to bend to her furry will.
And, thankful for the next day’s breath.
And, photography. Even though I didn’t really do much of it this year. Thankful for the community of photographers, and camera makers, and camera clubs and stores and the many ways we hung together this year. Memories of this year will be long, and will not fade anytime soon, as we lurch ahead in the calendar, as we must. The ruckus of this world of ours arrives on the doorstep of 2021, like a bunch of uninvited, unkempt, drunkenly obnoxious revelers who aren’t really getting along very well and annoyingly banging on the door to be let in. Given our state, 2021 might be better served to just keep the door locked. There will be welcome vaccines for COVID in the new year. Sadly, not ones inoculating us against mean-spirited behavior.
Memories and pixels go together, of course. Memories limned in light, gesture, oddity, raw anger, melancholy, and despair, commingled with joy, forgiveness and hope. Those beautifully saving graces which this year, at no predictable times, have burst the surface of our meditative pools of lockdown like a swimmer who’s been underwater too long and is overdue for that first, desperate, raucous intake of air. Such magnificence this year on the part of so many, as we were reminded of those who are essential. Medical personnel. Scientists. Truck drivers. Delivery people. The post office. People who make, ship, stock and offer food and the things we all need to live. People who reached out to the neediest of us, so deeply afflicted by isolation. Many, many people gave each other the best of themselves in this desperate year.
Photographers are resilient sorts, and we seek to express even when isolated. Wonderfully welcome and worthwhile photos were made by photographers all over the world in 2020, who, forced to look around their rooms, or out the window, saw things in new and deeply personal ways. It has been often said that to photograph is to question, to understand, to explain, to soothe, to jolt, to scream and to whisper, perhaps all at once.
It is also to remember. So, in this last blog of the year, I thought of this set of photos I made in March of this year, in Romania. I was still traveling, just prior to the jaws of COVID slamming shut. Romanian actor Octavian Ghety posed for me for a project. I wrote of him on Instagram:
Such a kindly man, with a face for the ages. He was so enjoyable to talk with, that, despite our language differences, we did well in conversation, settling on French as our common ground for discourse. Trust me, my rudimentary French is certainly painful to a French person’s ears, but he was so patient about it, I felt the language coming back a bit, from my school days. It was a good day in the field. I found this old factory room, with a window, and long lost records of personnel and activities, abandoned to the ravages of time. He sat for me here, and simply owned the camera. Quiet, simple pictures often speak the loudest.
The pictures speak to me of memory, and are very soothing, personally, in the spin cycle of a cataclysmic year. Past all the stormy headlines, and nattering doomsayers with microphones and agendas, endlessly poking at the same, tired hash of it all, there remains the magnificence of people, all people, everywhere. Quietude, dignity and strength. Perseverance. People all over the world were heroic in the simple act of greeting another day, even when those days seemed endless and the world around was screaming at us nonstop, like a bad set of heavy metal songs, the kind the authorities blare endlessly over the walls via loudspeakers in a hostage situation, just to drive the bad guys crazy.
Here’s to making more pictures, and memories in ’21. Hope is the reason to keep slinging the camera.
Signing off for the year. Best wishes for health, safety and happiness to all. More, as they say, tk……
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Ken Hackman says
Beautiful commentary on this year that thankfully is fading, the likes of which we hope to never see again. It was a year that revealed to many of us the fragile nature of our lives and our democracy. Cheers to you, Annie and Sammy may 2021 be a wonderful year filled with creative challenges and accomplishments.
James says
Wishing you all the Best in 2021, Joe!
James Haverstock says
Your ability with words matches your amazing ability with a camera … both come from the heart. Thank you for these sentiments and the hope for a joyous 20121.
Buz Bragdon says
What happened to Nigel?
Santa DeNella says
So beautifully expressed and so glad I’ve gotten to know the person, Joe McNally.
Dwayne Reaves says
Happy new year!
Joe Duty says
Great blog Joe, you are a wonderful soul and I wish you an Annie the best for the new year!
Joe McNally says
Same back to you, Ken. It’s been a year of reflecting on all that fragility, as you say, and being thankful for what we have. All the best for 2021! Joe
Joe McNally says
Same back, Jim! Here’s to a year when we will see each other! Best, Joe
Joe McNally says
Ahh, the gentlemanly Nigel. He was Annie’s cat, but he was my buddy. He departed years ago. I will see him on the other side.
william h carter says
Nice words. Nice images.
Joe McNally says
Same back!
typhoon tv says
Thanks for the best share and i love it.
David Taranza says
Beautiful words with even better set of pictures. 2020 was weird and crazy. 2021 will probably be quite similar. At least we still find reasons to pick up our cameras, and good pictures that we treasure keep coming despite all those things happening around.
Wish you and your family all the best in 2021, good health most of all!
Jorge says
Joe, this images are fantastic, what a wonderful subject, I bet you had a blast doing this shoot. And the light from the windows is so beautiful, what a nice location.
Chris Rexon says
We never really know what’s coming next: 2020 being a case in point – no way to plan or prepare, ergo, all the feelings you so aptly describe. Let me know if you see the vaccine against mean-spirited behavior. I’d invest in that! All the best to you and your family. Take care of that special little corner of CT for me!
Glenn says
Beautiful words Joe. Thank you for doing what you do and sharing your gift with the rest of us. Happy New year to you both.
Rory Isserow says
Hope you have a safe and happy new year, from a man with an eye to an understated genius of light.
Arthur Meyerson says
Great captures, Joe, that succinctly illustrate the past year. Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy 2021!
Joe McNally says
Many thanks, Arthur! Hoping all the best for you and your family for 2021! And, maybe even our paths crossing….be well….Joe
Joe McNally says
Many thanks, Rory….appreciate you stopping by the blog…..best for 21! Joe
Darren Elias says
Happy New Year, Joe! Here’s to a brighter 2021!
Joe McNally says
Hey Darren: Yes! As my mother used to say, “Your lips to God’s ears!” Send us a better year!!! All the Best, Joe
Dominic Manea says
Happy New Year!
Slash Photography says
Awesome! Very nice! Thanks for share!