Love Me In Focus

I've been asked a few times where I got Image's "official" name, so I'm going to break away from the beginning of this saga to explain it to everyone. "Love me in focus" is actually a quote from a movie (I know, wicked original, but bear with me!). For Lovers Only is a movie starring Mark Polish and (for those who know me well, this is no surprise) Stana Katic, about a couple who splits up and then inexplicably reunites in Paris on separate business trips eight years later. In the span of an hour and change, these two characters undergo an incredible amount of growth. It is brilliantly written, impeccably shot, and perfectly acted. Hell, there IS no acting in this movie -- Katic and Polish ARE their characters. What's even cooler about this film, is that it was shot with one camera. Katic, Polish, and Mark's twin brother took turns behind the camera, depending on who was in the scene. There was minimal editing done. It was very low budget, but it spent a few weeks at the iTunes top ten movies.

World's most perfect woman, right there. Ahem. Still from For Lovers Only.

Granted, I originally rented the movie because...well, Stana Katic. If you don't know who that is, go Google her. Then you'll get it. Anyway, this isn't about her. Both the main characters are involved with the literary world -- the male lead is a photographer for magazines and newspapers, and the female lead is a journalist. There was one scene that was playful, with light music and quickly changing frame, and snippets of conversation. I rewatched this movie shortly after deciding to take the plunge into horse ownership, and was struck by how I interpreted this scene and the line "love me in focus".

In my spare time (whatever that means!), I like to play amateur photographer. I've been published in a few small magazines, have a couple of regular clients, and dream of supporting myself as a photographer some day. When I look through my viewfinder on my camera without pressing any buttons, leaving the shot out of focus, there is so much missing. Sure, I can see some of the potential of what a shot may be, but not enough to really see what I've got. Then, the second I press my focus button, the scene becomes clear. I still have to position myself, get the correct lighting, find my white balance, adjust my shutter speed, and fix my aperture...but the potential is there, and I can see it for what it can become.

When I looked at this little black horse for the first time, it was like looking through the lens without focusing my camera. I could see, just by looking at him, that there was a lot he could be. Then I got to work with him. I got to move him around, ask for his respect, and see how he interacted with me. That was pressing the button on the camera that asks the lens to focus. That first glimmer of "Well, he could be..." turned into a "This horse has so much potential. It's just a matter of uncovering it." Now it's just a matter of putting all the other proverbial ducks in a row to turn that potential into reality, just like setting up for that perfect shot.

Loving someone in focus is not only loving them for who they are right now, but loving them for all they can become. It can take a long time to get to where you need to be, but someone who sticks by you during that journey is an irreplaceable soul in your life. It's acknowledging the trials and tribulations of right now, and knowing that tomorrow will bring a better, brighter, whole-er being. It's loving someone despite their past mistakes.

I chose this name because I felt it represented who this horse was going to become. Right now, he's a little damaged. He deserves to be a little damaged, after the things he's endured. However, underneath all that damage is a horse that wants to trust someone again. I see glimmers of this every time I work with him. They are small -- sometimes minuscule -- but they are there.

I can't wait to help him along the way.