Anchor: What’s this?
Relay: Okay, I need to pay my bills today
Anchor: Deep in thought
Relay: Oh look, a beetle…
Anchor: What is it, why are you staring
Relay: Ahh what should I do now, I have a neckache
Month: September 2015
Assignment 1B: Fire and Ice
There are many insights into this poem online, but none which I find particularly resounded with me. I thought about it for a fairly long time before I finally came up with an interpretation that I was satisfied with.
As I interpret Frost’s Fire and Ice, with fire as passion and ice as rational, I imagined someone with two lives – where one life was where he followed his passion, while the other was a life where he chose a more rational path that would allow for a comfortable life. Although the paths are different, they are also strikingly similar. Yet, fire is still preferable to ice. Ultimately though, we all die anyway, which is why no matter whether fire or ice is chosen, the outcome is the same.
With time constraints and some desperate attempts at searching for places and again at searching for internet pictures, I did not manage to acquire any suitable pictures and decided to change to using more abstract images instead, which I found could express what I feel about the poem best.
As shown in my series of photos, everyone has the same beginning or ending, only the paths we take are different. A path we are passionate about is preferable (I hold with Frost that fire is more desirable, although there are people who would think that ice is better! (you know, as stated in the poem)) to a life that we would think of as more stable and comfortable (but probably boring). Of course, everyone also has different opinions on what their passions are (those written in the series are just mine although I tried to make it a little more general). I’ve also tried to give a blurry effect on the paths as the futures are just simply unclear, there is no way of really knowing what will be next.
Fire and Ice – by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Assignment 1A
Tasks
Task 1: Me
Growing up, I’ve been a sort of quiet person when it comes to meeting new people. I’ve always found communicating difficult especially when it’s hard to think twice before talking when giving an immediate response. There have been many arguments about how technology is increasing distances between one another instead of bridging us, but I stand on the side where technology does bring us closer together. I find it much easier and comfortable to express myself through the virtual world where I can think before I speak.
Task 2: Object
Back when I used to crochet, I received a crochet hook from my friend. A thoughtful gift, it’s made from bamboo because the oil from our hands apparently makes it better and smoother after long usage. However, my friend doesn’t crochet and doesn’t understand the idea of hook and wool sizes. Although I am touched and I don’t want to let the gift go to waste, sometimes my trusty aluminium hook is still a better choice.
Task 3: My World
I’ve been interested in all things math since young. Geometry, fractals, graph theory, you name it. Geometric shapes, math all around us in our surroundings in particular, really fascinates me, which is why I picked this playground with ropes that intertwine and interact to form shapes (although that’s not their main purpose) as my world. I took photos of it from different angles and positions, and in the day and night, and picked out the most interesting images that did not have the same angle/position.
Reflections
In terms of self-discovery, I still find it difficult to express who I am, and I have realised that I do not have any strong interests in anything (other than gaming …and art? …and math?). I’ve also found that I don’t have many objects I consider precious, many are disposable and easily reacquired, while I hold memories, friends and ideas closer to me. It’s also that I find shooting my surroundings and other things much more fascinating and fun rather than racking my head trying to shoot myself or parts of myself (and cringing because I am rather unnatural in photographs).
In terms of technical skill, I feel like I’m improved somewhat in terms of timer based photography (is there such a thing???) and maybe in terms of attempting to take photos of myself (although I still dislike it). Not used to editing photos (I usually keep photos as they were originally taken), it was my first time editing a series of photos to similar colouring so that they look like a series. Personally, it was actually rather fun to change the entire mood/colour of the photographs with some sliders, and I would perhaps like to try editing photographs to the same colouring again.
Overall, although I didn’t like how we had to take photographs of ourselves, I still enjoyed the feeling of taking photographs and editing the series of photos in a different manner from what I’m used to.
Post final presentation
Task 1 should be looked upon as a whole series, while Task 2 is a story. Task 3 is arranged this way as the higher points to the lower points (the exception is the first shot which is an establishing shot) Although the light switches are out of place here, I feel that it actually helped me in deciding how to place my photos (this is no excuse though, I will try to pick another spot next time)