I have been thinking about a new Glimpses post for some time – but no image came to mind – until this morning. The image in this Glimpses represents a shift in my experience of photography and creation. As you can see in the small image when I started out on my journey with Shahar – I wasn’t very subtle. I was trying to understand my relationship and position in this space. I was feeling separate for the space – the result was a dramatic intervention – photographically inserting myself into the space. I took an intimate moment and inserted myself into it. That’s one way.
This next image is of Ilay. We got together for some improvisation play in the Raanana (where I was living at the time) city park. This image was one of the last taken. We had been playing for about 4 hours. We were both tired. Before this chapter of our game began we were already packing to go home, but we stayed some more. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was already setting – the light was low. Ilay was very active – running around a lot. I was trying to keep up and to do so I had to ‘surrender photographically’. The camera was set to a manual light measurement to accommodate a combination of the natural low-light that was left and the flash on the camera. I was running with Ilay holding the camera out at arms length – far away from my eye – and I was shooting blindly. I was completely running on faith. I was completely immersed in our game.
When I got home this image came off the flash-card as you see it. It is not a digital manipulation. When I look at this image and think back of how it occurred I think of disintegration. I feel that in my mind Ilay was free from his role as a “mover/imrpoviser” and I was free from my role as a “photographer”. We were together, we were completely engaged in what we were doing. We were engaged on a physical level (we were both tired yet very active) and on a personal level – we were having a great time. My mind was not interfering (technically I was free from making any camera settings other then releasing the shutter) and I think Ilay completely lost it a while back. I believe that we created a space for creatvity (god?) to appear – and to this day I believe that is where all of my good images come from.
This third image was taken at the end of the same session. Though the image claims differently, I am convinced that Ilay did not notice my shadow. This is another way.
These days when I am spending most of my time, energy and attention on SweetClarity I feel that I am again facing a similar challenge. Doing what I need to do while having faith in something that is beyond me or my control. I am trying to create the conditions for something good to happen. With SweetClarity this is a real challenge – I am definitely working on my faith facility!
This Glimpses is evolving – it is becoming easier to write and less important – both are good signs. I like it when something that seems important becomes just another something. It becomes more accessible and less dramatic. It’s true nature can shine through when dramatics are removed. I have recently made some changes on StillCreation. I made a space for more words (not only those that can be called “Glimpses”) and within that space I can also share more images that previously could not find a clear space in the structured galleries (which are still there and have also been modified). StillCreation offers me more freedom of expression and sharing – which is what it’s really about.
I will no longer be actively sending Glimpses as a newsletter. If you want to keep getting notified when new content is published on StillCreation (including Glimpses) then please visit the keep in touch page and submit your email address. This will also let me know that you really out there and taking an interest which I really need once in a while and for which I am grateful : )