Yesterday Tracy and I stopped by my aunt’s home to return the photo album I used to prepare the slide show for Harvey’s funeral service. It was a glorious day and we stood outside on their front lawn to take in the view of San Pedro Harbor and Catalina Island. Afterward I told my aunt that I wanted to photograph her in the dining room area where we had shared countless Thanksgiving dinners. I asked her to hold the flag she received on Saturday at my Uncle’s service. If you recognize her hands and signature Timex watch, you may remember the image I took of her hands during my aunt Chiz’s funeral service. It was even more poignant, as I was shooting my aunt’s image with one of the three lenses owned by my uncle, a Canon EF 28-70mm f2.8 L lens. I had one like it, but gave it to Tracy a few months back. That lens held a special significance to me, as I took one of my favorite images of Eugene’s hands with that lens.
Throughout my photographic life, I have been a bit of a snob of sorts, only considering Canon’s L lenses. I saved money by purchasing all of them second hand either through craigslist or Ebay. I was shocked when I saw that my uncle had three Canon L series lenses in his study, the aforementioned lens I used to shoot Kazy’s image, an EF 17-35 f2.8 L wide angle and an EF 70-200 f2.8 L lens. Whenever I saw Harvey with his Rebel DSLR, he always had his kit lens attached, a simple EF 18-55 model. When Kazy offered his lenses to me, I was both excited and touched. More so than the vigorous use all of the lenses will receive, the sentimental value of the glass is what holds their real value.
So I will take all of them on an upcoming trip to Europe and in a symbolic way, will have the chance to look upon the people of that continent through the eyes of my uncle.
