Research for the Rethink Photography Project

Exercise 1

I was alone in my apartment in Buenos Aires when the lights went out during a thunder storm and the ensuing appearance of the old colonial house by candle light was making me feel uneasy. A sinister atmosphere was created by the shifting shadows, the altered appearance of objects and the creaking walls. I experienced the familiar childhood fears of storms, darkness and solitude mixed with the feeling of calm that I have always feel when listening to the sound of rain falling on the rooftop. I decided then to carry out the exercise that Peter Fraser had recommended to us: I closed my eyes and emptied my mind for twenty minutes and then revisited my surroundings, camera and lantern in hand.

I photographed various elements in the house, trying not to favor elements for their symbolic or esthetic value, but instead letting myself be guided by my feelings. For example, I took photographs of the cat’s bowl, postcards on the walls, the contents of the refrigerator, the medicine cabinet and the clothes closet.

I found the outcome of this exercise to be intriguing, in particular because of the very granular texture (Maximum ISO) of the photos which created an impressionist effect; and because of the stark contrast of dark and light which produced a dramatic result. In his tutorial, Peter Fraser was very enthusiastic about the results and strongly recommended conducting my research in the same vein for the Rethink project.