Water coming down or snow melting on the ground...
A figure whispering in the hall...
Are these things what you see in the accompanying photos? Is that really a staircase, or an invitation? Did you see a cascade or snow on the ground? Was the statue really calling the woman?
When objects seem different or look like something else, I know I did what I wanted. I will never think the same of a bicycle, for instance, after seeing one covered in snow, and looking like a sign of good times gone. Same happens with the staircase (from which I had to crop a man, coming down), and its associations (ascent, way, obstacle, end of the way). When push comes to shove, things simply appear to us, and if we don't make something out of them, our photographs are not to survive. At least, my goal has been to, say, "defamiliarize" objects. Otherwise, my shots wouldn't fit anywhere.
Not even the very weird boundaries of a blog.
(BTW, all these images were made with rangefinder cameras; the first and second with a Contax G1 and a Planar 45mm lens; the third, with my Leica and a 'cron 50mm.)
Ever thought about photographing an object to make it look what it is not? Or taking advantage of some thing, to say something else? How does one say "summer" or "curiosity" without words?
I'll try to answer the question next time.
