PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
It was late evening and I was arranging the cassettes that had been lying around carelessly. Things taken out from boxes become a pain to be put back, I thought as I neatly stacked up the cases. My mind was brimming with satisfaction as I had just completed a piece of writing. Of late I had noticed that it was quite a task portraying the thought with the right expression. Often when I read my words it sounded far from the little seed that gave it its first light. A light tap on my shoulder startled me. My husband was amused at the reaction. So engrossed was I in my world that I had not heard him come into the room.
As I walked in with the tea tray, I thought not again! My husband had taken out the entire family of his digital camera, wires, special lens kit, manuals and was pouring over them as if they were special pieces of gem! Men! I kept the tea tray on the little side table with as much force as possible, my way of announcing my arrival. He gave me a slanting glance and gazed back at the silver box with a blunt nose. Oh the cassettes! I went back to them and automatically again my thoughts went back to words and how to get them at the right time.
“How was your day?” he asked while sipping tea. “Fine” I replied giving a glance over my shoulder and seeing that he was inspecting the camera with the eyes of Sherlock Holmes. Silence. After arranging the cassettes, I moved on to the papers and clothes that needed attention. My mind still playing with an equation that would help in throwing up the right words reading the thoughts. Only a chip can do it, I smiled. “Why does it not work at the right time?” he said. “Exactly, why does it not recognize the setting and act appropriately?” I reciprocated almost immediately.
He: “Fine tuning the settings is quite an effort”.
Me: “My sentiments repeated. To coordinate is such a difficult task”
He: “Playing around with it is the only key.”
Me: “That’s what I have been doing repeatedly.”
He: “Sharpness and colour tones have to be co-coordinated.”
Me: “You said it! To get that edge, I have been trying but how does one get the colour
right?”
He: “The light has to be right to get the right tone.”
Me: “Light? Have never thought of that, maybe I make it too heavy.”
He: “You have to be supple with your choice; otherwise the image quality would suffer.”
Me: “I have been fighting with that, imagery is very important for creating that glass
finish.”
He: “You have been doing well, just keep at it; you’ll get the hang of it.”
Me: “Thanks, I thought you never notice. I know you are hard pressed for time”
He: “Busy yes but not that much to ignore someone’s efforts.”
Me: “Honestly tell me what you felt about my work.”
He: “Good beginning, only perhaps it needs a little sharpness.”
Me: “You mean the character should stand out. I too felt it was a bit fuzzy.”
He: “Look at this tiny button here, this needs to pressed and the zoom adjusts by itself”
Me: “What! Why should I look at the camera?”
He: “How would you learn otherwise? Wifey, you need an open mind.”
Me: “Open mind? But you were just appreciating my work.”
He: “Yes, these two pictures of kittens playing are very well taken, only you missed out
on the sports mode so they look a little blurred.”
Me: “Kittens? But my piece was on lessons learnt! Did you not read it?”
He: “Read, where, what and have you joined some classes? Cooking?”
The room looked neat. All clothes folded and kept back into the cupboards and the papers that were strewn neatly stacked away. He too had almost finished placing the camera and its family back into the box. We both did what we wanted to. We didn’t get in each other’s way.
First it was me who burst out laughing then he joined in as our daughter stepped in to ask how we liked the pictures of kittens which she had clicked.
“Shall we?” he asked. “Where to” I questioned. “Dinner, of course” he said. “I just wanted to be sure that we are headed towards the same direction” I explained walking down the stairs. My daughter gave us a quizzical glance but walked away shrugging.
As I walked in with the tea tray, I thought not again! My husband had taken out the entire family of his digital camera, wires, special lens kit, manuals and was pouring over them as if they were special pieces of gem! Men! I kept the tea tray on the little side table with as much force as possible, my way of announcing my arrival. He gave me a slanting glance and gazed back at the silver box with a blunt nose. Oh the cassettes! I went back to them and automatically again my thoughts went back to words and how to get them at the right time.
“How was your day?” he asked while sipping tea. “Fine” I replied giving a glance over my shoulder and seeing that he was inspecting the camera with the eyes of Sherlock Holmes. Silence. After arranging the cassettes, I moved on to the papers and clothes that needed attention. My mind still playing with an equation that would help in throwing up the right words reading the thoughts. Only a chip can do it, I smiled. “Why does it not work at the right time?” he said. “Exactly, why does it not recognize the setting and act appropriately?” I reciprocated almost immediately.
He: “Fine tuning the settings is quite an effort”.
Me: “My sentiments repeated. To coordinate is such a difficult task”
He: “Playing around with it is the only key.”
Me: “That’s what I have been doing repeatedly.”
He: “Sharpness and colour tones have to be co-coordinated.”
Me: “You said it! To get that edge, I have been trying but how does one get the colour
right?”
He: “The light has to be right to get the right tone.”
Me: “Light? Have never thought of that, maybe I make it too heavy.”
He: “You have to be supple with your choice; otherwise the image quality would suffer.”
Me: “I have been fighting with that, imagery is very important for creating that glass
finish.”
He: “You have been doing well, just keep at it; you’ll get the hang of it.”
Me: “Thanks, I thought you never notice. I know you are hard pressed for time”
He: “Busy yes but not that much to ignore someone’s efforts.”
Me: “Honestly tell me what you felt about my work.”
He: “Good beginning, only perhaps it needs a little sharpness.”
Me: “You mean the character should stand out. I too felt it was a bit fuzzy.”
He: “Look at this tiny button here, this needs to pressed and the zoom adjusts by itself”
Me: “What! Why should I look at the camera?”
He: “How would you learn otherwise? Wifey, you need an open mind.”
Me: “Open mind? But you were just appreciating my work.”
He: “Yes, these two pictures of kittens playing are very well taken, only you missed out
on the sports mode so they look a little blurred.”
Me: “Kittens? But my piece was on lessons learnt! Did you not read it?”
He: “Read, where, what and have you joined some classes? Cooking?”
The room looked neat. All clothes folded and kept back into the cupboards and the papers that were strewn neatly stacked away. He too had almost finished placing the camera and its family back into the box. We both did what we wanted to. We didn’t get in each other’s way.
First it was me who burst out laughing then he joined in as our daughter stepped in to ask how we liked the pictures of kittens which she had clicked.
“Shall we?” he asked. “Where to” I questioned. “Dinner, of course” he said. “I just wanted to be sure that we are headed towards the same direction” I explained walking down the stairs. My daughter gave us a quizzical glance but walked away shrugging.
posted by Autumn Leaf | 4:44 PM
2 Comments:
As they say 'A picture says a thousand words', you need to come with many many more such articles to keep up with uncle's phtography skills;) Very O Henry-ish and the fact that so much of photography was discussed made it such a pleasure to read:)
Comments : haha wonderful. This really happens. I know it. Two people talking about two different things and yet making complete sense to each other. I mean, this is one of those ephemeral moments when the genius of the creator above us shines through. He is at play and we his players. Very ordinary situations but amusing moments actually lived.
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