The Front Room Links

10 January 2011

lifted from a moment


Today I took photos with a roll of film which I might not have wound correctly. Every time I pressed the shutter to trap an image in the viewfinder, I had to make peace with the possibility that I might never see it again. We rely so much on cameras and videos to capture our life and the world around us. But whatever happened to imagination? And memories? And daydreams? The picture is only ever the trigger. You were there. Only you can remember the heat of the sun on your bare arms, the smell of someone cooking dinner in an apartment with an open window, the sound of buses rumbling  past. Yet, as soon as you lift the viewfinder to your eye, you've ceased to participate; you've became an observer and you've lifted yourself right out of the moment and out of the picture. What compels you to document what you see? Do you ever stop and think, No. This time I won't take that photo.








Photos by Rob shooting on 35mm film (expired Kodak Portra 160NC) and (expired Fuji Pro 160S) 120mm film  with a Yashica 35GSN and an Agfa Isolette II ♥ One-piece swimsuit from Cotton On ♥ Location: Secret swimming spot along an unnamed Wellington Bay. We'll never tell 

26 comments:

  1. oh beautiful. am looking forward this coming summer.

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  2. ah lovely. you make me want to go swimming so badly!

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  3. Oh really? Hehe~ well, Krispy Kreme is such a delightful treat! You should try it sometime. ;)

    Btw, I'm your new follower. I hope you'll follow me back. Lovvee~ ♥

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  4. It looks like it would have been so relaxing swimming in such a beautiful spot, and even better its a secret spot!
    Love the photo of the seaweed around your neck :).
    Its a shame you were dissapointed in yourself last year, I think sometimes we expect too much of ourselves and we can only do what we think is right at the time.

    Rose

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  5. i've actually worked on putting the camera down to live in moments more often recently. it's hard, but i never regret it. it's better to solidify internal memories, sometimes.

    gorgeous shots!

    xo Alison

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  6. Wow, you look so relaxed and happy Ana! It makes me want to go to the beach now! Yeah, I know what you mean about people constantly talking on the phone or texting (in fact, I'm guilty of it myself) and don't look around much. I think I'll deliberatly leave my phone and camera next time I go out :-) xxoxoxoo

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  7. Oooh summer, I am jealous!


    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

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  8. love the shots!

    what you wrote is so true. i love taking pictures. i just love it. but sometimes i know i am missing out by trying to CAPTURE something...i am catching one thing, but missing another. it is weird.

    i have the same problem when going to museums and galleries. i love looking, but i want to take it home where i can study it. of course this is impossible, and catalogue reproductions are never as fun as the real thing. but whaddya gonna do.

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  9. Hahaha! Love that ¨We´ll never tell¨ warning. ;)

    Looking at a lush scenery always makes we want to take photos even if it´s raining.

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  10. Yes, sometimes I deliberately "forget" to take my camera because I just want to look with my eyes and have an experience rather than run around getting hot and bothered about the perfect shot! Still, I do love to take my camera ore often than not!

    ...swimming - it looks so good!

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  11. Very interesting and true. A few days after Christmas I was taking some photos but around half of them didn't save because the memory card was faulty and, even though that might mean I have one less blog post, it is ok because like you said there are memories and some forms of experience that cannot be captured by a camera. Regardless, I think your photos are wonderful and it looks like a beautiful place to swim.

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  12. So true! We had a similar conversation with Diana a while ago. I did so the first days in New York: not taking any photo but using my own eyes to watch people, buildings and enjoy life.

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  13. oh!!! amazing!

    xoxo from rome
    K.
    http://kcomekarolina.blogspot.com/

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  14. oh, i love the way these turned out! haha i can't believe that seaweed, though. it's so true about cameras!! sometimes i make a conscious effort to be more present

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  15. This blog is grogeous.

    http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/
    Ari

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  16. Oh my! These photos are absoluely beautiful. Love the effect of the 35mm! <333

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  17. woahh(: lovelyy photographss! soooo inspiringg! as well as your blog! its so wonderful and charming(: i just happened to find you by accident and so glad i did! definitely dropping by again soon(:

    -maebell(:

    www.maebellx3.blogspot.com

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  18. These are gorgeous photos! When I've been out taking pictures, I have thought that from time-to-time though: just put the camera down and enjoy the moment!

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  19. I love the way they turned out. One of them looks like a half camera!!

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  20. Oh, right, you have summer there now right? I'm jealous ;P
    neat pics !

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  21. I once heard someone say that "photographs are for people without memory". So if that's true, what's left for us, people who take pictures almost daily and have them compiled on a virtual space? To each their own, but i'll have to disagree with this quote. I think photographs capture not only a moment, but also feelings, circumstances, surroundings, and all those little details that we sometimes don't get to see.
    Do i have to say that these pictures look awesome?

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  22. Participating. Observing. Documenting. All three actions are connected yet distinct & separate all at once. The urge to whip out a camera is ever-strong, but sometimes letting your eyes and memory do the work instead is more rewarding.

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  23. ha ah the seaweed picture makes me laugh x

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