At this point, we’ve all seen so many of these fancy little time-lapse films and tilt-shift photographs that most of us turn away with a yawn when we see yet another. Few people seem to have a genuine idea of what these techniques really can do and just use them because they are pretty. However, there are exceptions. Take a moment to check out these truly wonderful works of Keith Loutit, a Sydney-based photographer who has mastered both tilt-shift and time lapse technique like few others before. In his short films, he creates perfect illusions of little miniature worlds – but everything you see is real. A fact that I have to constantly remind myself of when I watch his films (and I watch them a lot!).
In Keith’s own words, these “photographs and short films were made in ordinary places, probably not too unlike where you live. Combining a variety of techniques, I aim to help people take a second look at places that are familiar to them.” I couldn’t agree more… But enough said – judge for yourself!
Being fed up and frustrated with the distanced and removed nature of my recent photography and inspired by a dear friend, I have decided to take a step back in time to when photography for me was not merely a tool to tell stories, but rather a little miracle, a slowly revolving series of secrets, without a delete button and a display for instant results. A time when a picture wasn’t born out of the feeling that what’s in front of me is an important part of the story that I am expected to capture, but simply out of a mere impulse, a feeling of space, time, light and moment all coming together that makes my finger push down the button.
Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t think that telling stories in pictures isn’t good. In fact, I believe that it’s one of the most wonderful forms of communication, otherwise I couldn’t be doing what I do. But I do believe that with going digital, I have lost part of my passion for this medium, and lately I was approaching photography very stiff and methodically. Going back to shooting analog black-and-white is my form of therapy to regain what I’ve lost somewhere along the way – and ideally what I find will carry over and enrich my “professional” photography.
These are just some random images from a day out at Devil’s Backbone with Sibylle and Marine last week and some shots of a hilarious night of Ping Pong and Karaoke last Thursday. It was the first roll of film that I shot in almost four years, and I loved it…
Finally, after all my deadlines are over, all the papers have been submitted and all the final projects finished, after buying Christmas presents and packing my bags, after saying good bye to all my friends in Columbia and after a 17-hour journey back home to Germany and a loooooong and refreshing nap, I get some time to update my blog, even though it’s 2.30 am (hello, jet-lag!). Here’s is the final product of my 30-day story in our Picture Story and Photographic Essay class. Feedback welcome!
Earlier this week, I joined Aidan and his parents during an appointment at the audiologist where his hearing spectrum was tested. The test went really well and with his implants, Aidan is able to hear the entire spectrum of human speech.
Aidan sits in a sound booth with his parents while the audiologist plays a number of sounds that he has to hear. When Aidan can hear them, he drops a chip into the grid of a four-in-a-row game.
After the successful testing, the audiologist goes over the results with Aidan’s parents. I love the moment between Aidan and his father in this picture…
Aidan sits in a sound booth with his parents while the audiologist plays a number of sounds that he has to hear. When Aidan can hear them, he drops a chip into the grid of a four-in-a-row game.
After the successful testing, the audiologist goes over the results with Aidan’s parents. I love the moment between Aidan and his father in this picture…