Monday, October 10, 2011

a softer, kinder world

Umbrella

I’m short-sighted, so without my glasses blur is my natural way of seeing. When I first got glasses many years ago, and the world suddenly came into sharp focus, I got very excited. Everything looked so different to me, sharp and clean. But once I got over the novelty of it all, I realised that I’d come to like the softness in my natural sight; the world seemed a kinder, gentler place without all those hard edges.

I do like being able to see clearly when I want to, but sometimes I can feel overwhelmed by the amount of detail and visual clutter that we’re bombarded with most of the time. Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved any photographic technique that leads to blurring, whether it’s done in camera or afterwards. I love the way it smears the colours like paint and turns the most banal of subjects into something mysterious and fascinating, and the way it takes away detail and lets you concentrate on what’s essential - the colour or the light or the shapes.

My short-sightedness isn't so bad that it leads to the depth of blur in these two photos, but I like the way they evoke a mood through only supplying an impression.  It makes me ask questions, like who is the mysterious figure with the red umbrella in ~ania's photo, and where is she going on such a snowy day?

gilly of the camera points both ways

Girl with an umbrella
girl with an umbrella, by ~ania

8 comments:

gina said...

Oh, I love the mystery in both these beautiful images! I agree with you about visual clutter -- sometimes it's just overwhelming.

Ashley Sisk said...

Beautiful pairing and post - the world does seem so much nicer when it's blurred.

Anika said...

So funny Gilly...I was just musing on the same topic...it's kind of nice to see the way we do naturally sometimes. http://www.anikatoro.com/2011/10/acolab-29-illusion.html
Lovely photos...enjoyed the post!

christina said...

i love these two photos. there is a depth to them, that makes me want to know more. ; )
XO

urban muser said...

Gilly, I love your take on the blurred theme. Sometimes we just get a dose of sensory overload so I imagine your blurred vision can be a welcomed break.

GailO said...

Sometimes I blur my vision on purpose just to get the essence of a scene...these images remind me why I do that!

Kirstin said...

Such moody pictures Gilly. And yes, after I had a cataract operation I had exactly the same feeling...everything became bluer after which I didn't necessarily like. And definitely softer before....

Sixpence and A Blue Moon said...

Beautiful post and beautiful pictures! I especially love the second one, very mysterious and interesting. Most of my photos come out blurry, partly because of my eye sight and partly because of my ability to operate a camera. :)
xOx

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