Not going to work on a Monday is a bit of an odd experience – especially when you know everyone else is there. But no time to think about that – lots and lots of errands to do. There are so many little things to take care of before shifting overseas, and many of them require driving around town from place to place.
Normally, I don’t drive. I’m a bikes, buses and trains kind of guy most of the time. Sitting in traffic bores me senseless – especially when there’s nothing particularly engaging on any of the 60-odd radio stations I could be listening to. So I picked up a new hobby (click photos to enlarge).
I’ve got myself an el cheapo Dick Smith digital camera, and I’ve set it to VGA mode. Not sure what that stands for, but I can get around 150 web-quality images on its 16Mb internal memory. That’s fine – I’m not going to be printing and framing.
And what I do is this. As I drive around I keep my eyes on the road, but point my camera out the window, and take snaps. Lots of them. Most are crap – but oddly, the ratio seems to be about the same when I’m actually looking through the viewfinder, so that doesn’t really matter. Some, however, are the best photos I’ve ever taken – which is both an alarming thought, and rather exciting.
The characteristics of the particular camera I use are odd in a really nice kind of way. Rather than simply blur pictures that are taken in motion, the camera bends them, which is often a really nice effect – and one that I discovered entirely by accident (but have since put to work).
There’s no art whatsoever in the taking of these shots. It’s simply a matter of gesturing in the general direction of something I think looks interesting and pushing a button. If there’s any art at all, it’s in choosing what not to delete. That’s what gives it intentionality. When I say I took these photos – I mean I took them out of a pile of digital rubbish that I’d collected over the course of my day.
Fortunately, it was a lovely weekend to start this hobby – and today was particularly fruitful. Lots of running around to do all over the city. Not sure how good this would look on a crap day – but I’m willing to give it a try.
I’m looking for a catchy term for this new hobby. Accidental photography doesn’t work, because although what ends up on the photo is largely due to chance, I do mean to capture the things my camera is pointed in the general direction of. It’s not an entirely random process. ‘Drive-by landscapes’ is too art gallery – and besides, I take some of them while wandering around on foot.
So, I’m sticking with ‘imprecise photography’ till something better comes along. It’s an awkward term, but it describes it well. The examples included here are by way of demonstration of what I’m talking about, rather than as a kind of exhibition. The fun is in the sorting through and discovering some delights.
As hobbies go, it’s fairly inexpensive, takes almost no time at all, and adds a sense of ‘artistic-ness’ to your day (if not actual art). Have fun with it.
I’ve got that bug too!
Don’t we have a word already: snaps? If that’s a bit 35mm and disregarding of the digital element, try d’naps.
That’s almost right, but it still suggests a more deliberate aim. Photography is planned and precise with lighting and composition. Snaps are more casual and impromptu, but still involve looking through the lens and encouraging people to say cheese.
This is the next step down (along?) from that, in which the person holding the camera is looking at and concentrating on something else while the photo’s being taken. I like d’naps though. I can’t say it without sounding like I have a cold, but it looks good in text.
I’m not sure that what you’re doing counts as Lomography given that you are using a digital camera – but still, your intentions seem aligned with those of the Lomographic Society!
http://www.lomography.com
More people should shoot this way.
Andy
Hey Andrew,
how about calling it Random Acts of Photography, or RAP for short? Kidding.
Good luck with your offshore ventures, hope you and the family have a great time.
Peter
I’m going for an entirely new term. I’ve discussed this with experts, and I reckon that it needs its own word. Something that works as a noun and a verb. I’m quite keen on “phroto”. The r is the random element. It’s better than “quickie piccies” (too frivolous) or “non-deliberate peripheral photography” (waaaay too pompous).
Phroto’s much more cute and kittenish, while also being a bit catchy and throwaway at the same time. Plus it’s got that whole ‘sounds a bit Lord-of-the-Rings-ish’ thing going for it too.
I phroto. You phroto. He/she/it phrotos.
What’s that? Oh it’s just a phroto I took yesterday.
I blogged my best phrotos from the trip to Whangamata. You should check them out…
We’re going to hang out at St Lukes – maybe have a frappucino, catch a movie, wander round and phroto a bit. Wanna come?
Yeah – that kinda works.