While I was reading articles about blind photographers – like Kurt Weston, Bruce Hall, Gerardo Nigenda, Pete Eckert, Evgen Bavcar etc- I started being curious about the things that I don’t see while I take photographs of what I see; What happens when I don’t rely on my sight. A simple thought that came in my mind was to hide a camera on my backpack that I will trigger through a remote control in order to take rear facing pictures. One front-shot relying on my sight and one back-shot without relying on my eyes.
So first I had to spend some hours to hand/home-make a pack where I will carry my hidden camera. I am not good in handcrafting but something would come out. In the meantime I was thinking of Miroslav Tichý, a photographer who used homemade cameras constructed of cardboard tubes, tin cans and other at-hand materials to take thousand of pictures in his town. Most of the people were didn’t realize that they were being photographed perhaps because they didn’t realize that the parody of a camera he carried was actually a real camera. So making a pack to carry my “good” camera would have been easier. Even if it took me more time than I imagined.
Homemade backpack to carry my hidden camera
Secret Camera from (In)visible photographer on Vimeo.
The next step was to set up a task for my self.
– Take two cameras: the “secret camera” and another handy camera
Camera: CANON 400D , and CASIO EXILIM.
– Go out for a walk in town.
Location: Lincoln city. Time: 1hour
– Track your route.
Tracking system: Application on mobile phone: MapMyRun.
– Ask for someone to document your actions.
– While you walk spot what you find “interesting”, stop and take a double picture: One with your handy camera and at the same time (with the remote control) a rear facing photo with the “secret camera”.
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VIDEO ROUTE #1#
Monks Road – Guildhall Street
On the left: Pictures taken forward facing.
On the right: Pictures taken rear facing (secret camera).
Daz was taking pictures of me while I was taking pictures.
