"Just as a poet reclaims overused words, the creator of images also challenges everything that has become too familiar. He wants to restore the power of ordinary, disregarded things, to surprise us with what we are tired of seeing every day, or which through habit we no longer even notice; for me, this is the role of a 'creator of images'." Brassai 'No Ordinary Eyes" pp151-152.
Friday, 30 August 2013
Brassai: creator of images
"Just as a poet reclaims overused words, the creator of images also challenges everything that has become too familiar. He wants to restore the power of ordinary, disregarded things, to surprise us with what we are tired of seeing every day, or which through habit we no longer even notice; for me, this is the role of a 'creator of images'." Brassai 'No Ordinary Eyes" pp151-152.
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
The attraction of Instagram
"What matters now is Instagram. It’s intoxicating. I’ve recently become hooked. It’s nectar for visual people, like having a poem in your pocket. Just the act of looking for Instagrammable pictures has opened my eyes more widely. I see all kinds of things I didn’t see before: from the big landscape to the tiny, intimate moment, it encourages a closer engagement with the world - tiny visual meditations throughout the day. It’s the perfect medium for ridiculously busy people who feel the urge to create and communicate, but need to do it on the run. For visualists, it is also the perfect way to check in on friends and keep up on them - no need to write the umpteenth email of the day!
It also raises the bar on what makes a good photograph, because there are so many good photographs on Instagram. It’s a reminder that photography is a weirdly democratic medium and that a photographer has to be incredibly disciplined about his craft. On the flipside, Instagram is so friendly and forgiving that anyone can post images without having to worry about whether they are great. This kind of loosening of restraints is surely good for the creative process, as can be seen in all those good Instagram photographs."
—Kathy Ryan, director of photography at the New York Times Magazine. Ryan is also editor of The New York Times Magazine Photographs [Aperture, 2011] [As quoted from Aperture 210, Spring 2013, p15].
@kathyryan1 on Instagram.
Thursday, 28 March 2013
#Ironworks, tatts and getting old...
On the way from work this week; as I was standing & reading my copy of mX, I was asked by a woman if I wanted to sit. Being a bit of a 'macho' and not wanting to take her seat [as I noticed that she was sound asleep on most part of the way...]. I was tempted to ask her whether I look old or feeble to warrant such kindness; but obviously I didn't to avoid embarrasment - mostly on my part, I don't think I want to know the answer. I think, as a middle-age person that I look fit than most since I walk a lot taking photos [as an excuse]. From time to time, I take public transport - one, to avoid the traffic jams; two, to people watch & take more photos - mostly for Instagram and three, to avoid contributing to the pollution & at the same time save a bit of money by commuting.
Today, one of the students saw me on my computer browsing my Tumblr #ironworks. There were a couple of tattoos on the hashtag & the student commented whether I was looking for a design & update my tatts. he proudly showed me his tatts & his recent addition - his family crest. I said I was too old for tatts of any kind but he, being a young 'tattooed person' - meaning open & more accepting of quirky stuff, said that no one is too old to have one or two. Nowadays, tattoos are no longer the domain of artsy people nor of criminal & gang members... 'alternative' lifestylists & real artists [including hipsters!] sadly lamented the fact.
It's funny how we perceive ourselves; our looks, how we aged or how we project ourselves in public as well as in various social media. Also our pre-occupation in being young, looking younger, acting younger. The problem with being young is the absence of experience & important life experience! As george Bernard Shaw said that 'Youth is wasted on the young'. Now I finally fully understood what he meant!
As I just heard on the radio this morning from one listener who is celebrating her birthday today: 'Today will be the youngest I will ever be in my whole life!' Carpe Diem I say! Maybe one of these days I will get a tattoo when I am good and ready... talking about that second mid life crisis! Just waiting & needing that excuse!
By the way my Tumblr link http://jayashkal.tumblr.com/ just in case you are not on Instagram!
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Wild flowers
"Where the path meets... I'll always take the one with the wild flowers."
Quote from this movie I was watching last night...
Quote from this movie I was watching last night...
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Homage to Eugene Atget
Self promotion update Nov 2012: My winning entry is the one above... taken with a Samsung Galaxy 2 and edited with an Android app called OldPhoto. This is the main archway at the NSW Art Gallery; inspired by Eugene Atget's penchant for recording everyday life in the Old Paris, its people & architecture. Thanks for the NSW Art Gallery staff for the prize - a photobook about Eugene Atget; now a much treasured memento.
Congratulations to Garry Trinh (@garrytrinh), winner of the Atget Instagram competition! Garry has won a night at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, a Eugene Atget merchandise pack and a gift card for the Gallery restaurant.
The five runners up are:
@g1212, @angewichmann, @hayleswhales, @picturette, @jayashkal [that's me!]
Highly commended:
@occular, @sarahjeanz, @callum_1999, @vanessahatfield, @pcn059, @monochrome42, @aquilochan
Of the winning works, Judy Annear, senior curator photographs and competition judge, said:
Of the 13 finalists, it was very hard to choose the winner and 5 runners up. It was clear in shortlisting from the 1,600 entries that many participants had really thought about what they were doing. The consideration that went into the technical aspects, location, meaning, and how all of these might relate to the parameters of the Atget competition, as well as the inspiration gained from looking at Atget’s photographs, was in many cases considerable. Hence a third category of highly commended.
In all cases Sydney’s charm is revealed as mysterious, the streets enigmatic, the gardens a little melancholy, passersby engaged in their private worlds. Familiar environments become haunting as the everyday comes into focus.
The winner is commended for the depiction of an ordinary street where the intersection of human and natural environments gives the viewer the frisson of the uncanny."
Friday, 17 August 2012
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Ode to the last day of autumn 2012 [#lookingup]
'When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.' ~ Ansel Adams
It's another end to something... and this time it is autumn of 2012. Obviously one can't record the whole season how much one would try... one can only attempt to record those fleeting moments. In this case, I tried 'quoting' the end of autumn 2012 in between lunch. The weather is sunny, not too cold & the shapes, shades & colourss provided by nature are spectacular. Please enjoy...
#lookingup #autumn on Instagram. Taken by my trusted iPhone4 & edited with Instagram [@jayashkal]
It's another end to something... and this time it is autumn of 2012. Obviously one can't record the whole season how much one would try... one can only attempt to record those fleeting moments. In this case, I tried 'quoting' the end of autumn 2012 in between lunch. The weather is sunny, not too cold & the shapes, shades & colourss provided by nature are spectacular. Please enjoy...
#lookingup #autumn on Instagram. Taken by my trusted iPhone4 & edited with Instagram [@jayashkal]
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