Personal Relevance (1)

Personal Relevance

I was recently asked about my favourite photos,- why I took them, and what is the personal relevance of the photo. Why did it capture my attention? In short, whats the story behind the shot.

Let me tell you, photo by photo1. Addington Children's Hospital

This is by far my most personally relevant photo of all my photos so far. It was taken at the Addington Childrens Hospital - the abandoned hospital that everyone has forgotten. There is a treasure trove of things to see, from abandoned baby's hair brushes, to decaying old architecture. I was wandering around the different hospital rooms, looking at the dreadful state the place is in, when I walked into this little room. It was tough going looking at the hospital, where evidence of a busy and purposeful place, left to ruins, was getting to me and making me emotional. I was also slightly on edge because we were trespassing, and I was expecting to be caught at any moment.

That's when I walked into this room. I saw the peeling paint, the dirty floor and was about to turn around and walk out, when I spotted the graffiti on the wall. Firstly, it was the only graffiti in the whole building, which is rare. Most abandoned places are preyed upon by graffiti artists, but surprisingly this was the only writing or art on the walls.

I stopped, and read what was written. I was breathless by the profound simplicity and meaning of the statement, taking a while to understand what it said. "Beauty visible through the eyes of derelict mind." W O W !

That is exactly what I believe I do as a photographer. I look at things with a broad and open mind - perhaps what they meant by a "derelict" mind - and through my vision, I see beauty. And then I capture it as a photograph.

How amazingly profound is that? It resonates with me so much.

Photography to me was originally just going to be a hobby, possibly to be discarded along with all the others. But it has stuck around and I’ve remained interested and keen, and over the last year, I believe I’ve improved a fair amount. But what I’ve noticed is that I see things differently now. The same buildings, the same roads, the same people in the streets, all suddenly have a different attraction to me, and are appealing and interesting. I see something in the visions before me, and using my camera, I try to capture some of that emotion or feeling that I’m experiencing. Its an amazing thing to do. Its like making something out of nothing, or taking the ordinary and making it extra ordinary. Just by seeing it differently.

The writing on the wall was ironically then, the writing on the wall for me. It not only crystallized and defined what I like to do with my photography, but it also provided me with a chance to create the kind of photographic image that I like. The peeling paint, contrasted with the stark black writing, balanced out by the high window. That’s a perfect photo for me. And shows a very relevant and emotional message, almost like the whole image was created just for me.