How easy is it today to take a picture? Well very easy.

Last year I have taken thousands of pictures. Pictures of  myself, of him, of her, of friends, of random people in the street, of performances, of houses, of monuments, of streets, of food, of garbage, of kids, of bicycle, of parks , of objects, of nature, of landscapes. Macro, long exposures, with “good” camera, with “bad” camera etc.

Sometimes I feel that while I am hunting a “perfect”, “beautiful” or “good” photo, in the meantime I am loosing what happens during the process. I am wondering how/if I can find a different “sense” to this daily gesture; if there is a way that “photographing” is not an easy activity, based on the purpose make a “good” photo or to document an event or to capture the “right” moment but a process that is more important that then final photo or the apparatus.

Therefore, I would like to make a photo just for you, to print it and send it as a postcard to you from Lincoln (UK) where I currently live – I always loved this traditional old fashion way to communicate through postcards and letters. – No facebook, instagram, twitter, email; Not a photo for consumption and approval but a photo for reflection. I would like this photo to be just something else rather than a “beautiful” photo; a photo that we make together; a photo that has “sense” for both of us; and it’s not so easy.

How?

I ask you to define for me a score by which I will take a photograph for you. I ask that the score be something to challenge me, either physically or mentally, but other than that you have free reign to decide what the parameters of this score should be. By ‘score’, what I mean is set of instructions or list of tasks I should carry-out in the process of creating a photograph for you : this does not have to be in any ‘normally’ recognised ‘form’ such as would be associated with music or dance : it can be a written list, or perhaps an individual graphic notation – anything you feel appropriate to challenge me to interpret. I will print this photo and I will send it to you by post.

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And I have already 3 tasks to carry out.

Today I spend an afternoon in studio with a beautiful dancer, Soyeon, and with Daz.

Usually the person who decided when something will be captured is the one that holds the camera. You watch through the lenses and you decide which is the “right” moment  to shoot. What happens when it’s your subject to decide when!

Soyen started a dance improvisation and we had agreed that I follow her in the space with my camera but she will be her to give the command “Now” when to shoot. I show so many “right” moments disappearing in front of my focus.

Waiting for the command:

I wanted many times just to press the button but I knew that I couldn’t unless I hear “now”. The first time we tried out after a while I could prevent more or less when she will say “now”. Maybe because I have been on the other side and as dancer I know what can look “interesting” or nice. However both we new that what I was looking and what she was thinking I am looking couldn’t possibly coincide.

“NoW”: photo made in a collaborative way. 

The second time we tried, actually, in a dance improvisation of approximately 15 minutes, she said “now” just twice- in the beginning. My tension was rising as I was waiting a command than never was given. Just once I couldn’t resist and I decided to shoot. I was breaking our contract but the need to take that photograph was more important. A nice photo?Well maybe yes, maybe no. But it was that moment that I felt closer to her. I felt that she was more emotional and vulnerable (my assumption) and then I wanted to evade her space and her privacy. So, I shot her.

Looking but without shooting. Waiting. Tension. Shots never taken.

Later Daz joined and we started a simple score-game.

Three roles:

A director set up a score for both.

A photographer tries to carry out the score.

A performer tries to carry out the score while avoiding to be photographed.

Example:

Trying to make a picture where ears and hands are in the same frame.

Trying to make a picture of Daz’s nose.