Meditations on this Passing Life

Sometimes you have to take pictures you think no one will care about. Though it seems like I actually have some readers now, and many a friend have commented kindly on the surrealism inspired work that you will find on this blog. What many don't seem to know is that these are more recent developments in my work. Much of techniques and inspiration for that work actually comes from straight photography (photographs that attempt to depict the world as the eye sees it). In fact if you look back to the earliest posts in this blog, you will find that my background is firmly rooted in straight photography, and mostly a bunch of pictures of my stuff.

This is a theme that I periodically return to, and for several reasons. I once had a class with a professor in undergrad, who challenge us to make interesting photographs of our homes. This is much easier said than done, because it requires you to look at the mundane things that you take for granted, and estrange them, making them interesting again. In short, this forces one stop, slow down, and take the time to notice the simple beauty that can be found all around us.

These two mattresses have been sitting in my hallway since I moved into this apartment in June of last year. As I walk by them everyday, I think to myself "we really need to do something about those mattresses" and then naturally I will do nothing. But on one such occasion, as I was walking by yesterday. I noticed how elegantly the light coming in from the window was hitting these mattresses, and felt compelled to stop and capture the moment. As I have learned by now, in life, if you do not stop to appreciate the little things when they are put before you, the opportunity may be lost forever.