Pictures of Circles

rstk_0006-1_cln, originally uploaded by escott sukotto shiinga.

I suppose most people like pictures of things - people mostly, maybe flowers or dogs; something they can identify or identify with. People like bold images too; pictures that leap out at them and arrest their eyes. I guess there's a logocentrism in us that wants a clarity of idea and of purpose; facts that somehow maintain a neat lock-step with their representations. From "what a horrible war" and "look at the heights to which mankind can achieve" to "what a lovely flower" and "what a cute kitten", there is a narrative and the picture is firstly an illustration of that - or at least is expected to be. Expected to be an illustration in lock-step with its pictorial depiction, there isn't even an allowance for a paper thin gap between what's contained in the image and what the image contains.

I remember being in school and having a guest artist/lecturer who was doing a print series called "The container, contained, remains", and while I can't remember his name or if the print series was ultimately successful to him, the title has stuck with me.

I guess I like pictures of stillness and ambiguity sometimes - pictures of circles and pictures where the sense of wonder is conveyed on the face of the viewer rather than in a face depicted in the image.

Photos of photo ops

R0020329, originally uploaded by escott sukotto shiinga.

I think it's fascinating to take pictures of people getting their picture taken, and especially the environment around it. Often it's a festive occasion with people dressed up or trying to capture a big moment. Here I was taking some pictures on a cruise I went on for a family reunion. I especially liked all of the studio lighting that was set up to take the portraits for which people were posing.