A Kodak Moment!

First published on September 17, 2010 republishing here --simply because this is one of the most read posts, can you believe it----I think it is because of that one famous name here---Elliot Erwitt....even then, I remember it because of the incident and because I was so new here.....

A picture by Elliot Erwitt


A day ago, on BBC/NPR they interviewed Elliot Erwitt about his photographs and new exhibition. I was working on my computer, and the interview provided the background sound. But my ears perked up when the interviewer started talking about two of his photographs. One was that of Nixon poking Khrushchev, in reality over some food debate, but often used to depict the differences in their ideology and the second one of two lovers in a rear view mirror, and the ocean as a background,.

I had not caught the name of the photographer, since I was multitasking but based on the photos described, I found many sites dedicated to Elliot Erwitt, the photographer.

So, I put this here, not just to share the joy of this serendipitous find (photographer), but also a reminder of the ease of finding things on the net, courtesy google and many other search engines.

Ever wonder, with apprehension ofcourse, what people could find about us….or worst, what they could imply with what they found about us……

That is one reason facebook scares me. I use it as a bulletin board to highlight a few news stories, or sometimes to put up short movies that I make. But I want to log out of that place just as quickly as I enter, often to respond to a polite comment. Entering that page makes me feel like entering a crowded room where people are busy throwing pokes, superpokes, casual jests at each other, without making much meaning out of our human interaction.

So, at the risk of being considered technophobe, I keep a very distant relation with FB.

I read an article a while ago ‘Our digitally undying memories’ which hinted at the fact that it will be very difficult to recreate ourselves. If we once identified with an ideology that we will not be able to change, or go back and say, I do not believe that anymore.

Are we giving up our right to change our minds? As Bertrand Russell had responded to *would you be willing to die for your ideas?*

-No, they are only ideas, and I can always change my mind!

I certainly hope not, because that would mean lack of growth, and triumph of rigidity!

And to get back to our picture here, well, I hope that such casual moments are caught on camera to give us those 'Sigh' moments, but I also hope that we .....ah, sometimes a sentence better left unsaid....so that the readers can complete it as they wish.

That's freedom for you!!