Thursday, December 22, 2011

Whilst We Wait - works

[For the benefit of those who were not able to see our exhibit last December 10.  Thanks for viewing my film photographs here!]


APRIL
 


MAY


JUNE


JULY


AUGUST


SEPTEMBER


OCTOBER


NOVEMBER


DECEMBER


JANUARY


FEBRUARY


MARCH

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everyday’s little things

One camera, one roll, thirty-six shots.  One year of waiting.

That was all I had for this project.  For some that might be too risky; it was enough for me.  I took my camera (a Canon FTQL SLR I inherited from my grandfather) around the house once a month—on a weekend usually—and shot three frames with one go.  My theme when I started out was “what’s new?” but eventually I found myself not wanting to take a photo according to the theme, instead taking photos of whatever caught my attention—the “right-here-right-now” subject—during that one moment.  

It’s a just collection of everyday things, really.  

These things are the ones we often take for granted.  Imagine yourself stuck in a locked room full of these everyday things, and I’m sure you’ll give them a second look, or consider them not-so-common after all.  I think waiting is also an opportunity to appreciate what you have right now and the situation you are in.  It’s learning to live in the present.       

Doing the project wasn’t all a zen-like experience for me, however.  The camera I was using was really old, and I haven’t had it cleaned up in years.  There were times when I doubted the integrity of the shutter mechanism, and I kept on saying to myself, “Three shots.  Just three shots this month—and you need at least one of them to be decent enough.”  I was worried that nothing would turn up at all, and I wouldn’t have anything for that month.  It was a risk, but it’s still part of what I have decided for the project.  It was nonetheless a pleasant feeling to shoot for the project once a month and then tuck the camera away again. 

The project made me realize that it’s not the wait that matters but what you do whilst you wait.  In a way it’s not really waiting anymore, but entertaining yourself by doing something you love.


everyday’s little things
Canon FTQL SLR
Agfa CT Precisa, crossprocessed


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1 comment:

Kayni said...

what a wonderful project. i love the photos and your journal entries. thank you for sharing.