This is one of the photographs my Great Papa Baker took while training in the RCAF to become a Reconnaissance Photographer during bombing missions in WWII.
While this self portrait is one of his firsts and is tiny, grainy and over exposed, there are too many things I love about it not to share. The fallen tree. His suspenders. His socks and shoes. The way the waves are. Just him in general.
The RCAF taught him the ins and outs of photography. His notebooks are riddled with reminders, notes and covered like art with his immaculate hand writing. They cover exposure, timing, developing film, processes, lists and measurements galore.
His “classmates” at that time were many other photographers that each represented one of the Canadian provinces. Sergeant Douglas William Baker had an eye for photography & spent his spare time at the cottage, by the lake, taking photographs.
We’re just lucky enough to still have his collection of these memories to share.
