The Eye Behind the Camera

I have so many photos, I don’t want to count them. Suffice it to say they number in thousands. There are photos on my computer, on my zip drives, and in the cloud. These are often scans of basketball and science fair photos in bins in the basement. There are also many more is photos boxes stored in the basement.

The photos are of cherished memories. They are from Albany Grade School, Saybrook-Arrowsmith, and Irving Elementary School. In addition are photos from high school and college, from family vacations, and family get togethers in Collinsville, Bloomington and Geneseo. There are photos from weddings in many other locations. There are photos from Chicago, Santa Fe, New York and San Antonio.

Almost all of these photos have one thing in common. The person taking the photos is missing. The eye behind the camera, who carefully frames everyone else, is not herself in the frame. So today, I am showing the few in which we managed to get her on camera.

For the almost 55 years, since 1964, I have had her in my life. Connie has recorded memories for all of us. Today, is more than Mother's Day. Today as she reaches her 70^th birthday, I want to honor her. She has given nothing but love and care for all of us. She has made our lives better. She is Mom and Nana, and spouse. 

She is also one hell of a photographer. It was her photo skills that landed her first job as editor of the Erie Review. Today I want to thank her for all she has done for all of us and show just a few photos were she was in the frame. These are the very few shots of her individually. They begin in 1964 at age 15,  and are from her bookstore (first and last day), and the day she climbed alone to the top of Enchanted Rock in Texas (and she even took that one!). 

Thanks to you, Connie Lee Carter Laleman, for being part of our lives and for creating a record of the good times.