5 by the 4

13th November 2015

So despite the disappointment I felt it was important to share one of the 5×4 pics. I’ll hold back on explaining the new project idea until it actually translates and evolves…

What I love about the 5×4 is how it reminds me of pulling a duvet over your head and isolating yourself in a secret world where time stands still. Intimately held in the moment by what is on the screen you are safe, captivated and utterly consumed. Pondering intently on if the frame ‘works’ or feels right. Everything is still, timeless, magical. You have one shot, one slide and one chance. It sounds as if I am romanticising the moment but it is special and exciting.

On a less dreamy note it can also be awkward and incredibly frustrating. Loosing patience I find myself tussling with a tripod, questioning my sense of skill and cursing whether or not the horizon is straight. I have always been bad at hanging pictures and putting up shelves and I’m fast learning that this inability is a hindrance when manning a 5×4.

Sticking people in the middle of the frame frustrates me and all I can do is paint the landscape around them to make them symmetrical for a reason. I think this is something I need to develop and integrate people further into the environment and take more risks. Perhaps I stuck to familiar ground when learning an entirely new language of large format. As mind blowingly frustrating as it is using a camera that isn’t an extension of my body, it is also a beautiful reminder of how much I have to learn.

OAO xx