this post is a rushed one. i wanted share some photos that caught my eyes at first glance. i was amazed by this country and its people, so i think it will take some more time to have something other than an impression.
A good friend of mine told me the other day about five good steps to remember when I’m working on a project.
Idea, Research, Production, Execution & Editing
I realized as I saw this that my project had come from idea to shooting pretty fast. Now I’m going to take a step backwards to make up for the work I skipped the first time around.
I’ve visited my models again and asked them more about where their names came from etc. Apparently in Iceland this is not a common nor popular name but it’s very feminine and the women I’ve met are total Valkyries.
I’ll be leaving for Riga in a short time so I’m trying to prepare myself as well as I can. But in hindsight, I guess George & Vanessa were right; This is a short time to work on a project like this.
I’ve met 3 Valdís’ already. I’ve been corresponding with the forth but I will not meet her until this May. She is actually a transgender individual who chose Valdis as her female name. I find that so beautiful and very much in tune with the project. I look forward to meeting her and ask her more about this decision of her’s.
I just got a black and white photograph of Valdís Bæringsdóttir back from development. She’s such a beautiful 14 years old girl. Plays the flute.
I also have this idea of shooting everyone in the style of the 60′s mugshot scene.
When looking at the old photographs I can see that many of the models are siting on a chair. That makes their posture look different in the pictures. And their profiles are always facing the right.
I have an old Polaroid 100EE that takes black and white instant film. I really want to do these photographs that way. But I’m still learning how to use the film and camera correctly (light exposure is difficult on these if you don’t have a flash). So It’s an expensive learning process.
Here are photographs from my meeting with Valdís Jóna today
I know they aren’t perfect but I’m getting better. I love the feeling they give and this old time sense that is similar to the old prison photos.
I’m meeting Valdís Helga tomorrow with her sister Hjördís. I like the connection in their names (the -dís part, witch means goddess in Icelandic). They also look a lot alike and are such beautiful Icelandic girls, both blonds.
The photos below has been made in Strasbourg during the residency in CEAAC.
In Strasbourg there are many camps of Roma or Gypsies. Part of them have settled, but many still traveling around from country to country with their caravans. Strasbourg is one of the European cities, where stone layers are regulated by the public order policy. Big stones and trunks are placed in the urban space of the city to protect the empty sections of land from the travellers caravans. These compositions made of stones has drawn my attention and became the central figure in series. As soon as I made my choice to focus on them, they appear everywhere around the city.
All photos from project can be seen here
I want to share few pictures from coldest days in Bolderāja, just to show how my project evolves.
I have been working on the book lately, not too many new photos I have from my latest trip, but I found some surprising old ones. rather than being silent, i felt as if sharing with you a combination of them…
“Today the day is marked for a new set of events that result as new premises for my project. An Al Jazeera news team is on the island for a special report on the use of the european funds on infrastructure constructions. (…)”
* Excerpt from my written travel diary
09/02/2012 – (2nd Day)
See the Al Jazeera news here:
“It is now 09:20 of february 8, 2012, and I am once again onboard the flight TP 1573 to Madeira Island. The same flight number is not the only curiosity which marks this first day. At november 9, 2011, the first day of my first trip, the presidente of the Autonomous Region of Madeira took office sworn for the tenth time. Obviously an important moment for the region. Today, Madeira is on the world news due to negative comments from Angela Merkel, criticizing the region use of european funds on infrastructure constructions such as highways, tunnels and bridges, forgetting to invest on small and medium companies and businesses. (…)”
* This images are made with medium format film, from the first trip in November.
08/02/2012 – (1st Day)
Something is happening. It can be seen here:
http://hallgerdur.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/iceland-before-turkey/
So, here it goes, my very first post.
In last few weeks my narrative shaped by itself after meeting a group of people, influenced me to search the notion of a secure and ultimate place to live in with customs of being a member of an identity.
I am still scanning, editing. There will be more soon.
