Projects > Chron

2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010

"Chron" is an experiment in more immediate, digital-only image making.

These are straight photographs taken with my old cell phone, a Blackberry Curve—not cropped, straightened, color-corrected or otherwise manipulated, and (unlike my other work) never made into prints. The images are presented here in chronological order, from February 2009 to November 2010.

What I've learned from the experiment:
1. The cell phone invites spontaneous picture-taking, unencumbered by the notion of creating a lasting document. I love that immediacy, emotionally and aesthetically.
2. Cell phone pictures are easier to let go of (i.e., the editing of images is easier) because of their lower technical quality and reduced pressure to begin with to produce "keepers."
3. I can often get away with taking cell phone pictures in places or with people less hospitable to a bigger camera.
4. Geometry catches my eye more than I had previously realized. (Am I a closet formalist?)
5. Perhaps I should get a better cell phone camera. Or not. Some of my friends are doing impressive stuff with their iPhones; another friend says, "the cheaper the optics, the more romance."