Friday, September 14, 2012

photo friday: fragments





All photos are fragments. Life spreads past the edge of every shot—the sky, the ground, the road turning out of the frame. What image could contain the whole? Even Google Maps has blank spots, streets and addresses unplumbed. We photograph things to capture these fragments—places, events, stages, endless trips to the park—and keep them in a semi-permanence?

It has been yet another incredibly busy week here. Our little Waldorf school, The Wooden Button, held its first day of class Wednesday. It went off without a hitch, you wouldn't imagine the incredible amount of work that preceded the opening. Yesterday the students, including my son, brought vegetables from home and made soup together. And then, my daughter has also started attending preschool, only for two hours twice a week, but she is enthusiastic about it. For myself, I am looking forward to the weekend—it'll be the first since we got back from the Jersey shore where I can take a deep breath and relax a little. 

Next week's photo Friday theme: symmetry.

5 comments:

Molly Sabourin said...

Amber, I love your definition of photography as capturing fragments. I hadn't thought of it that way before. You are very skilled at stitching fragmented images together to create something wholly beautiful. I am particularly drawn to the white doorway and scarf photos. There's something magical about them.

Manuela said...

I think it is amazing that your were part of being a Waldorf school. I like their concept very much.
The pictures on the blog look beautiful.
Sorry you have been so busy. I hope you get to relax and have a "normal" weekend.

My favorite of them all is the one with the scarf. And you are right, that all photos are fragments and it is up to us to imagine the bigger picture.

Martha said...

I worked for 5 years in a "constructivist" pre-school and one of our favorite activities to do this time of year was make a vegetable soup like you're talking about (each student brings one in, then the little ones cut them up, and the teacher cooks it and they eat together) ♥ I think many times if I weren't homeschooling, the Waldorf schools would work best with our life goals!

Julia said...

The first image of the tree surprised me, because I think of trees as metaphors for wholeness, not fragmentation. But then your words of course modify that. When I take photos, I do feel as if I do take great pains over what I leave out of the frame as much as what I include. And you always have to leave something out.

I also really love the photo of the scarf. It looks like somehow nature created it and it blew out of the tree with the leaves and petals.

Unknown said...

My [late] submission:


http://exvivomaddie.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-part-isolated-from-whole.html