week 18 | 2012

It is Saturday early morning, briefly after I took my latest photograph of this week, when I wanted to write this.

All pros has it’s cons. Every do’s has it’s don’ts. Each advantage has it’s disadvantage. For every opinion I shed there is an opposite reaction. I take my photography serious, but 125tel‘s last week’s comment had me thinking. Maybe I should take it more light weighted.

With my PAD-project I noticed that I photograph subconsciously, but every time a new week starts I worry about the next photograph for that week. When each week the first day is over I already took that photograph without noticing. I however often miss that feeling of taking something special. A split second, something otherwise unnoticed, and I already took that photograph. An effort and achievement is good, but so is fun and excitement. I long for the day not thinking about taking a photograph each day.

Week 18 is finished and I photographed continuously for 491 days.

It feels like it is OK now. OK to stop this PAD project after seventy weeks. To take it more light weighted. To do things more consciously again. To free up time to experiment and learn new things. And to be more aware of that. Or like a friend said to me: “To experience instead of observe“.

It doesn’t feel like a relief nor like a disappointment. It feels like medication. When you start using it, you know it makes sense to do so. But at some point you forget applying it and you realize you don’t need it anymore. I am at this point. It has nothing to do with pressure or with the lack of inspiration and creativity. It is just this definitive and indescribably feeling that it is time to move on. That this PAD-project is finished.

There is time for a new beginning. Or at least I hope so.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

week 18 | 2011

Content wise this was a far more interesting week. As a result I am in fact somewhat pleased with some of the photographs I took in week 18. I also start to get really familiar with the Panasonic GF1, even though the user interface isn’t in the same league as for instance the Ricoh GRDIII. And I find it fascinating how many discovered this little Ricoh fella recently. Absolutely awesome. From this set the last one is in fact again with the GRDIII.

I don’t live in a large city, but this set shows what is possible in a smaller town when everything comes together. That is mood, opportunities, and a flow. Since I am familiar with the camera I find that pretty irrelevant. That might not be anyone’s case, but sure is mine. And despite learning my things with color photography I decided to go back to black & white this week. Partly because of mood, but also because I can much easier interpret the eventual outcome which I still prefer. I still miss that connection with color. Doing color photographs and my photograph a day project actually forces me to share my ongoing search with you which isn’t always easy for me. Sort of vulnerability. Usually photographers are good at sharing their best work. It makes everything looks easy.

Some of the photographs this week were more event driven like the photograph below at a small fair in an eastern province of the Netherlands or the fifth photograph at Liberation day with many war veterans, including some sturdy Belgium veterans.

I really want to thank those supporting my blog financially with their Amazon.com purchases. And I wish all readers good light for the upcoming new week.

The photographs of this ongoing project will also be updated here.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma