Saturday, 27 November 2010

Boxed In

It is truely amazing how civilization reacts towards itself. Billions of people across the globe shuffling right past one another, like trains on parallel tracks. They have so much in common, they are the same, yet they slide inches away from eachother. That is exactly what i have seen in people.
When looking at this building, I saw the seperate windows in formations, and the boxed in cubicles that the employess work in. Just like society, these windows are all the same yet isolated from eachother, as with the cubicles.

A Remnant of the Past

This photograph interested me quite alot when I was shooting it, and still interests me now. I took the shot in hopes that, maybe a part of the old ways of the 19th century would jump out and smack me in the face. What was so different with this structure? What was so definitive about it? And there it occurred to me. This structure was created in an age where people were proud of their inventions, so much so that you could see the craftsmanship and pride that went into the work itself. this is a tall, steady and proud building which has lived on and been implemented into today's society as well as the old days. This is a remnant of the past that has fought the test of time and stood strong, a grand inspiration.

Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Smarter Than You Thought

People usually think that they will have a very easy time fooling those around them, be it through lies or mind games. Not all of us are vulnerable to this however, as we are all smart at different levels. Whilst studying in the library at my university, I was staring at a blank page of my notepad, and I thought about the times I almost got tricked and manipulated. It was because of these thoughts, that I created this.

Standing Proud

Call me a bit of a nature nerd, but sometimes there are sights that you can't help but notice. They stand out to you that much and the soak you in ideals and ways of living. Here is a view I saw earlier today, notice that against the clouded sky, the tree, worn and weathered, still grows strong and stands tall against the elements. It was an inspirational site to see indeed, and it was definately worth capturing.

Monday, 22 November 2010

No matter how many times you see something, it can always change

Many are the times where I just walk along, swigging a bottle of fresh water, and I think to myself "Everything is the same damn way it was, nothing has changed, and I doubt it will for a while." Then something amazingly out of whack happens. Something decides to change, small at first, but then steadily it becomes noticeable. It is as if a new slightly tweaked perspective is cast on the entire location that the change occurs. It starts to beg the question, just how sensitive is our perspective towards life and our surroundings? Our minds are very changable and can mould into an acutely different shape at every gesture we recieve, like a delicate and eager A.I.

Saturday, 20 November 2010

Clarity in the Darkness

We all experience times when we are 100% completely lost. We have absolutely no idea whatsoever what we are going to do to repair our lives, and we feel as though we are searching through a stack of needles to find a piece of hay (Quote from Blackadder goes Fourth). I've had quite a few times like that this year, and similarly these days as well. After seeing this sight though, it showed me that, however dim, there is always some clarity to be found in a situation. You just have to keep your eyes open wide to adjust and find it.


Now, unfortunately, due to the darkness of the area and the lamp, I had to use a higher ISO for the shot in order to be able to get enough clarity. This has unfortunately sacrificed some of the detail of this image.

Photography: A Glimpse Through the Eye of Perspective

Ok, so I have been talking to quite a few photographers recently on forums and so on and so forth and I have noticed the general, artistic reason why most of us have gotten into the field that we are in today. A lot of us as photographers, as well as artists, have an outlook on life which is very different in some way or another to everybody else's views. We have an inquisitive nature about what makes the world so enchanting, and so rich in meaning.
This tinge of difference in perspective is exactly what makes every photographer's work unique and different when it comes to the artistic perspective. Indeed, it is moments of realization like this, that I feel glad and free to be a photographer. I can show you all exactly just how I see the world, and what meaning I have found in it all. That is one of the questions of life, isn't it? "What is the meaning of life?” Well, hopefully those of you who read this blog, will start to be able to see that we are all soaked in the answer, and so is the world around us, but we just have to squint a little to see it through the eye of perspective.

Thursday, 18 November 2010

The Shelter that is the Kindness of Love

Although yesterday's adventure was ripe with negativity, it did have its rewards. On my journey, I found a sight which really lifted my spirits of the world. It really made me realise the energy and potential that we all have as people thanks to the natural warmth around us.
In this image, I noticed a feeling of willingness to care, willingness to protect, and a willingness to provide. This is one of my favourite images of the journey, as I feel it gives a really positive vibe to us as its audience.

The Cost of Disregard

Human attitudes are a peculiar thing indeed. Just when you think that your neighbours and friends may just have some considerate personality hold up somewhere in them, you see a sight which just defiles any positive nature that we try to portray as we live and breathe.
There is a cost to everybody else around because of few peoples disregard for their neighbours. Some just don't seem to care or consider that the same could befall them through karma. After seeing this site, I felt disgusted at the area that I now live in, and I will be honest, I doubt this image will leave me for a few days to come.



Unnatural Absence

After my little adventure yesterday afternoon, I made quite a few interesting discoveries about my area. The main discoveries that I had made, were the negativities of the atmosphere, recent history, society, and even more so, the contract between the people and the environment.
Our local park used to be a place of fun and family. You used to see children play on the swings and roll around in the grass. Seeing it now though, the story has changed very much so. The park is now derelict and damaged. Society has had complete disregard for what used to be a place of childhood freedom.
Here is one such scene in this park which was close to bringing a tear to my eye. A remnant of the past left to brave isolation.



Tuesday, 16 November 2010

A New Adventure Awaits!

This is it! I have decided that I am to embark on an adventure tomorrow. I will travel through the land of Pontypool, seeking out it's hidden secrets and wonders. Life around us has so many stories to tell, and I plan to start looking for them!
In order to start this adventure off with a bang, I am going to begin my tale on Varteg Hill, where I have been raised since birth. There, I plan to discover some of the secrets that the area has to tell me. I wonder... What lessons will it teach?
Now I may come back triumphant! Or I may return empty handed. The only way to find out is if I take this first baby step into my journey and use my eyes and instincts.

When The Artificial Becomes Common

The story behind this piece is a very simple one I was basically in my lounge, glancing around at everything thinking about life, and I noticed the vase of flowers in the corner of the lounge. I decided to gaze at it for a while, chewing over things that have happened over 2010. In life, there are many things that we never deemed as "natural" or "usual" that now seem to be commonplace, both in the world as a whole, but more importantly, in our own lives. It is as if we all now welcome disaster and anomaly into our lives with open arms, affecting us to a fraction of what it used to. It is because of these facts of life that I decided to capture this photograph.


As you look at the flowers, they depict natural life, freedom to grow, and pleasant normality. The interesting thing about this depiction, however, is that it is just that, a depiction. They are artificial which is obvious to any viewer, but we still accept it as a replacement for the principal of actual nature, of actual life.

This is what is happening in our lives. Many of us settle and adapt to the plethora of anomalies that occur at a constant flow in our lives. It is as if we attach our own principal of what life should generally be like, to these events that spark off in our lives. Few seem to realize that it is merely a depiction of what our lives should "Normally" be like. Very few people try to focus on the real instead of depiction, very few people work towards that better, much more genuine result.

Energy, Pure Energy

During testing out the camera I had bought to get me started in the journey, I decided that it would be a good idea to get one or two presentable shots in as I had the oppertunity. I tend to get moments where I see an object and/or scene, and I feel a compulsion to record it due to what it evokes in me. This is one such instant where I saw an object from a certain perspective, and I had to capture the raw energy and contrast, a vision of the type of trends and power that society holds today

A Brand New Start to a Brand New Blog

Hi there folks! Yes I have finally started up this photography blog, and I plan to post and post and POST! I didn't want to set it up until I had some sort of imagery that I could use for it which was my own, plus until I had an ok camera to work with.
Now, my material won't be the best material since sliced bread, but I hope that it will at least butter the bread with low fat butter!
As far as I can say, I am really looking forward to building up this blog with my findings and adventures. Hopefully you will all enjoy my findings and progression!