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Photo 7
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For my photography project, I explored a train stop in Inman Square, Cambridge. I was anticipating the train arriving while I was there, however it did not. My concept of the “process” evolved accordingly. Rather than a documentation a train’s arrival and departure, it became a snapshot of the tracks and station; which were littered with empty alcohol bottles and cigarette butts. I thought about how the place was being used, and the “process” of someone coming there to unwind, rather than catch a train. Who was coming here to blow off steam? Why were they here? What was going through their heads at the time?
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Final Product: A narrative comic strip on Polaroid photos
 | Printing on Polaroid film
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The final piece is seven photos, assembled into a comic strip. From a formalist perspective, I worked digitally, then in an analog format, then digitally again. I took photos with my iPhone, edited them on a computer, printed them out with a Polaroid printer, assembled the comic, then scanned it back into the computer for the final presentation. I enjoy the tangibility of Polaroids, and from a formalist perspective, going from digital to analog, rather than analog to digital.
I initially shot in color, but intended on switching to black and white through post-production edits. I kept one panel/photo in color for visual contrast, and to speak to the emotional tone of the comic. I also did not want to lean too heavily on aesthetic influences from other Polaroid photography, and make sure my perspective and voice as an artist remained authentic. |
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| Photo 2/Panel 2 of Comic: Square Crop |
This assignment made me think a lot about narrative. In a sense, documentary photography should tell a story that accurately reflects real-time events. However, in my project, I spoke to another “truth” occurring in the place I took photographs in. How a train station wasn’t just a place of transportation, but a place people were visiting to unpack their emotions. Trains and transportation literally bring people to other places, but I think some of the comfort people find in locations like this is the fantasy of escaping. My comic explores this concept through the visual composition of the shots, and the short-form prose beneath each picture.
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| Outtakes/original photos in color |
Hi Mikaela,
ReplyDeleteI definitely thought the digital-to-analog-to-digital was a cool process for assembling your photo comic. Editing it before printing out as polaroids is an idea I didn't even consider doing and I think it adds an extra way of looking at the narratives we can create(which you did). I think the photo that stands out to me the most is the "Photo 2/Panel 2 of Comic: Square Crop" because of all of the shadows on the train post. It makes the black and white really stand out.
Hey Mikaela! I love that you chose a poloroid as your medium to collect these images. It's impeccable that the work you were able to create came from almost a one stop shop image, instead of having the ability to take multiples. Your idea of getting lost in this train is fascinating and eerie!
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