...in the beginning...

This picture is supposed to be the earliest one of me. Unfortunately I don't have any specific dates assocated with it. Obviously I am in my crib - and looking at the heater that is attached to the wall in the background it looks like my room in our first house in North York. So my best guess is that this picture was taken sometime in 1967 - after May for sure, perhaps as late as September/October - but I have no way of knowing.

Clearly I don't remember this picture being snapped - if I did...I think I would be a mutant! In fact - my childhood memories are very dim in my memory...a few stand out, but for the most part I have a hard time focusing in on the remote past. I don't know if that is normal or not - but thats the way it is with me. Nothing trumatic has ever really happened to me - so its not like I am blocking anything out.

Having said all that - when I look at this picture, it envokes more questions than answers. I have a big smile on (which is par for the course with me...I tend to be more happy than sad) - so something was pleasing me a the time (probably food!).

I don't know who took this picture but my guess would be either of my "uncle Jims" - they were always taking pictures of everything, but my own parents didn't have real passion for the camera - at least that is my recollection.

We all have baby pictures...and as parents we all take baby pictures. I wonder - what are we really trying to capture with that process? Is it purely to document the moment? the individual? I am not trying to be philosophical - but the thing about pictures is that the person taking the picture, does so for a particular reason - what's the reason for this picture...I have no idea since I wasn't the one taking it. Its like art criticism...when people come up with ideas in interpreting artwork (of which photography is a varient). Unless the artist (or in this case the photographer) explicitly documents the reasons...its up to the viewer to provide the answer. I find this process frustrating when I am looking at something becuase how I view it doesn't necessarily reflect what really "is".

Ok - I am rambling...but this was the first post for this blog, and I wanted it to be a good one (I think I failed on that....)

Until tomorrow!