A camera is a kind of clock, to borrow a metaphor from Roland Barthes, in Camera Lucida.  Photography is about catching light, a blink of light, measured in time. As I prepare for the last book signing of 2013, the year becomes an image of time passing, almost as quickly as “a blink of light.”

I remember starting my book a year ago, selecting 82 images from 26,000 taken over eight years.  Then came the writing, formatting, image proofing, the editing…and more editing.  Finally, the printing.  The hours seem like seconds, in memory.  Now the year closes with a final book signing.

Pleasure comes from holding the book in my hands, remembering when I captured the images and what inspired me… those magical feelings that come from photographing nature.  Sharing the images adds to the enjoyment. Unlike photographing a brief moment, a book lives on in time.

I look forward to tomorrow’s book signing as the year draws to a close.  For those of you who haven’t attended one, it is a celebration of sorts, regardless of how many books are sold. The conversations and camaraderie between authors and readers are festive occasions, paying homage to creative words and images, in my case, on paper. It’s a respectful way to celebrate the year.

If you’re in the area, join me and nine other authors, for a festive holiday “Authors Night,”  tomorrow (December 18), at the Kent Island Library, from 6 to 8 p.m.  We’ll celebrate books, writing, and photography. The library’s address is: 200 Library Circle, just off Main Street, in Stevensville, Maryland, on Kent Island, the Chesapeake Bay.