How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I took the picture from TJ and examined it more closely. There were bags under the Colonel's eyes. He was carrying a briefcase, but by the slump of his shoulders, you'd think he was carrying a suitcase full of cement. (8.43)
As far as Jamie's concerned, her dad loves his job and the army… until she sees one of TJ's pictures. Jamie only realizes her dad's true feelings through the pictures that TJ takes where the guy looks tired and overworked. Pictures are a way of expressing stuff that's hard to say, especially in this army family.
Quote #8
But once I'd gotten into the darkroom, I took my time developing the film, working carefully as I could so the negatives would be perfect, no marks, no scratches, nothing to get in the way of what I wanted to see. (16.2)
We get to hear a lot about the process of developing film. It's an art form in itself, and one mistake and an entire photo could be scratched or altered. It's not that Jamie wants to see the pictures her brother sent as quickly as possible—developing film takes time, focus, and a whole lot of patience.
Quote #9
There's a moment in the darkroom, when you hang your negatives to dry, that you finally see what occurred the moment you opened your camera's shutter to let in the light and make a picture. I was learning that half the time me and my camera had been looking at different things. (16.4)
The camera comes to life through the film here. Jamie draws a distinction between what her camera sees and how she views things, and we like the idea of the camera having a mind and eye of its own. She reminds us that pictures capture a split-second of life, and sometimes, they aren't an accurate portrayal of what's happening. They are more artistic and abstract than reality.