Familiar ground

4th September 2015

Hello from NYC…

These past two weeks have flown by. I’ve toyed with the idea of moving here and this trip has wooed me further. However, I love London and the 24-hour assignment couldn’t have been more accurately timed. Getting to see my backyard in a whole new light was exactly what I needed before escaping to a potential new home. NY is a fantasy, but one I like to hold close. What I enjoyed about the assignment was walking the streets I knew but with a sense of awareness. Instead of blindly  my way through the bustle of Ridley road I floated curiously. I wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t need anything.

Photographing the familiar is a struggle for me. I avoid shooting close family or friends as I presume the results will never do our intimacy justice, just like trying to shoot a beautiful sunset. Perhaps that’s my next challenge. However what differs with photographing the people I know rather than these public places is that my relationship with them is individually familiar. Many people walk down Ridley road and see what I see.

I feel lucky to live in a city where even the things I see daily still visually entice me. Perhaps sometimes seeing something we see everyday can unite our relationship to it and transform it into a personal experience. I hope that this assignment can teach me to be more mindful of the ground I tread, even when I’m just heading to the shops.

OAO x