Nocturnal: Series 1
April 2023
I find myself wrapped in the blanket that is the night.
The leaves rustling on the branches in the trees,
The wind whistling against the window,
The sound of emptiness that fills a lifeless space,
And of the course the crickets.
I find it free.
Free for me to coexist,
To not add or displace but to simply be.
Free for me to explore these environments completely isolated, devoid of humans yet created by them,
All of this freedom, It sheds a whole new light on an entirely different view.
One of life, showing our creations without us, the creators. It is something we can only dream to see.
Imagining how our buildings and houses would be if we just vanished.
Simply left, leaving all earthly possessions behind.
Lights on; faucets running; door unlocked.
For some it's a nightmare; For others it's peace; But for all us it will eventually be a reality.
Nocturnal was taken over the span of a few nights. Not only documenting the contents of my nightly walks but also as technical practice. My use of long exposure consists of two techniques that prior to this project I’ve only lightly heard of. One that involves regular exposure compensation and the other that involves a Japanese photographer who photographed entire movies, only blowing out the screen. Throughout this project I studied the lighting factors that could disrupt the process and delay my result and used different techniques to compose and curate the shots. These walks were hours long and often involved me being in one spot for up to 30 minutes perfecting the shot. Although the process was tedious and at some points tenacious, I grew skills that I can take and further improve/ manipulate later down the line. Lastly the name Nocturnal came from the relationships animals have with the night and if this narrative doesn't have humans what peering in on these buildings? It could be animals, or something else, the truth is we wouldn’t be around to know.
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