as printed in the Black Mountain News Column October 2013
About ten years ago my sister and I worked a few summers as wedding photographers. Not a profession for the faint of heart.
As I was dashing around trying to document every moment at least one guest at each wedding would start the following conversation: “I was thinking about buying a camera. What type of camera are you using? What kind do you think I should buy?”
At first, I wanted to be helpful. Where did they want to use it? What experience did they have? But soon I realized they thought if they choose the right camera they would instantly have excellent photographs, no skill necessary. Um, really ?! No one asks a chef what kind of oven they use, right? Trust me. You could Williams Sonoma my kitchen right nowand my food would still taste bland and be slightly burnt. Anyway. The camera question lead me to wonder what kind of questions/comments others encounter in their daily life, here’s what you said:
“Don’t those shoes hurt your feet?” Sara Lynn Miller, Black Mountain
“Do you only have one???” Amy Sperry (Regarding children), Black Mountain
“How old is your baby?” Shawn Sutton, Old Fort
“What in the world possessed you to marry him?” Katherine Counce, Black Mountain
“What?….what?” (my 2-year-old has figured out that you can get people to repeat themselves if you say “what” multiple times. Ah, the joys…) Cortney Pauly, Black Mountain
Jason (my husband who is 6’ 7’’) gets “wow you’re tall”… I mean come on people, if you’re going to make a comment about how tall someone is – then get creative. I have also mentioned to Jason that he needs a creative comeback… Hope Burk, Black Mountain, NC
Jenny Schermerhorn 