Image: Su Leslie
“Photography is the story I fail to put into words” — Destin Sparks
One of the things I’ve learned about photography — in part from the sharing of images here on WP — is how much everyone who views an image brings their own stories to what they see.
We all make sense of the world in different ways. Sometimes words help us understand; and sometimes it is enough to read light and colour and shape and composition.
What served in the place of the photograph, before the camera’s invention? The expected answer is the engraving, the drawing, the painting. The more revealing answer might be: memory. – John Berger
Image: Su Leslie
Shared to Debbie’s weekly quote-inspired image project at Travel with Intent.
Zimmerbitch 
Your tea cup almost has the same leaves that are on your cushions….
all charming photos, Su.
Leslie xoxo
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Thanks so much Leslie
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I loved that image of the brown chair and a cup of tea. That soft focus and light really evoked a feeling of wistfulness Su.
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Thank you Aggie. I originally took that shot for a post I was writing about the impact of electronic communications on family history research, and it turned out better than I expected.
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hence the wistfulness! It’s like someone has just stepped away from the chair for a bit and hasn’t come back.
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Yes,we bring our own experiences to all these photos. It adds real richness.
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Ever so good Su 🙂 My imagination just soared looking at your images. So many stories.
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Thanks Brian. Sue at Words Visual (https://suejudd.com/) has a real talent for taking photos that invite story-making.
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Yeah I follow Sue 🙂
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Thanks for the plug, Su!
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You’re welcome. I’ve lost count of how many times I comment on your photos that I can imagine so many stories around them. Shame I’m not a writer of fiction really.
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😊😊😊
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Oh yes, the minute I saw that first photo I had a vivid image of my dear old Mam, now long gone, sitting with her morning cuppa reading letters I had sent from when I lived in NZ and she was thousands of miles away in UK. Memories still strong in my mind.
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Wow! The letters in the photo were sent to my mum by her mother and sister when we first came to NZ.
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How long ago was that? I sometimes wished my letters had been saved
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We came here in the late 60s. A few years ago when I started doing family history research Mum gave me some letters she’d saved, including one she’d written to a sister. My aunt had kept it, and gave it back to Mum.
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I came in 61 so about the same time
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That is the joy for me, Su–making up the stories. I follow a couple of street photographers and tell them my story. They tell me the real story. Always so different, but that is the fun of it.
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How cool.On Instagram? Or WP?
My brother and I used to make up stories about strangers we saw — never did get to know how close we got to the truth though 😀
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WP. I’m not on Instagram. The street photographer snaps this image and he sees the rest of the picture. I only see that split second. And the imagination goes wild….knowing the truth is probably the most fun. It’s never anywhere near what my wicked mind produces!
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Su, I agree wholeheartedly. I really enjoyed reading this. A heartfelt one.
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Thanks so much Suzanne 🙏
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Gee, those photos turned out well, Su. I can hardly ever remember conversations, but images … They are difficult to forget.
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Thanks Tracy.
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There is a comfort evoked from that first photograph and a restlessness from the other.
I’d love to know more about how the first one related to family history research!
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Thanks Amy.
I took the photo to accompany this post (https://suzysu.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/on-letter-writing-or-how-will-the-future-remember-you/) in Shaking the Tree. The letters are very special to me, but I can’t really write about them as writers/senders are alive.
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I will take a look. I bet I saw it back in 2015.
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I love both of these, Su, but the first evokes “Bring out the comfy chair” which always sets me to laughing, inside if not outside and sometimes both. It would take a braver woman than I to balance a cup and saucer on the arm of my chair, even one with arms this wide. But it does make a lovely shot, especially with the letters. (Letters? What are those???)
janet
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Exactly! I have noticed a trend towards sending physical cards, but letters are a rarity. The closest I get is sending cards.
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I like to send cards and postcards, but don’t do letters very often. I may reconsider that just for the fun of it. But getting any sort of real mail is so rare these days that people really appreciate it.
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I’m thinking the same. I bought a really lovely fountain pen recently and should use it and write some actual letters instead of emails.
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One of my s-i-l’s gave me a fountain pen years ago and I was just thinking about getting it out again.
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They are so nice to write with!
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They really are.
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Lovely images, Su, beauetifully and sensitively captured
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Thank you Sue
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😊
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All are so beautifully capture. Great lighting capture!
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Thanks so much Amy 😀
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Beautiful, thought-provoking post, Su.
Images are indeed so powerful (as is all art) as it allows us to connect with the creator from where we are, allowing us, the viewer to cross this bridge into another world!
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Thank you 🙏
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I love this shot! Reminds me about an old friends place.
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Beautiful post and sentiment.
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Thank you so much
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I love these images Su. The first one is somehow very comforting and I can imagine an old fashioned clock ticking in that room.
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Thank you Darren. Actually it’s a slightly wild purple ceramic take on a mantlepiece clock. Not quite in keeping with the mood here 🤣
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A beautiful, thoughtful and wistful post, Su! Your pictures tell whole stories!!
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