I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to use it for at the
time, but I’m very glad I ended up taking out a camcorder after meeting in the
library. Lately on my trips through on the Wood’s Creek Trail, I walk with the
camera out, filming almost everything I see. I love the idea of 3-4 second
still clips being played over this one song I know, so the music tends to play
in my head as I look through the lens. A shot of running water, squeezing
through the cracks of ice, then a view inches from a leftover solo cup,
students visible in the far background, and then a lone, woolen glove left on
the side of the trail, missing from its child owner. It’s a fun practice to try
and personify all of the non-living things around you, because every mundane
thing has its own far-from-mundane story. I found one particularly moving image
while chasing two elusive squirrels. I lost them amongst the trees, and while
searching, my gaze shifted to a single swing set in a backyard, rusted and
swaying ever so slightly in the wind. I was trying to figure out why the sight was
so sad when I was brought back to reality with a sudden darting movement. I
ended up getting a decent shot of the squirrel and his buddy.
Over the Feb break, i went to Everglades National Park for a sea kayaking trip with W&L Outing Club. The trip let us embraced and appreciate the true wilderness and we learned to survive on an isolated island. Over the trip, we followed the "Leave no waste" rule from permaculture, which i think is really interesting. We used biodegradable dish washing liquid and other environmentally friendly products when we were on the island and we picked up all the trashes (from us and from other people who left trash and didn't pick them up after) Human leaves footprint wherever they go. What we can do to make our footprints sustainable is to be conscious about the waste we are making and recycle them. It is the same in permaculture design. When we try to build things and make progresses, we have to be conscious of our actions. We had campfire every night and everyone sit in a circle (and we burn the burnable trash such as orange peels and tissues to leave no waste). We also use...
Jeremy, I think it's very interesting that you have a song in mind as you were shooting video of the trail. There is a contrast between the natural sounds of the creek and a human produced sound. It's an interesting dichotomy that I am looking forward to hearing about in more depth. I also like the idea that you are trying to personify the things around you., especially if they are "alien" to you. I can already see these shots in my mind as you have described them.
ReplyDeleteJeremy, I really like the way you describe the sound. It flows very well and I like how your eyes moves through from the near side to the far side. I wish to see more about how your music in your mind cooperates with the scene more. Like how the melody and the beats of the music contributes to the building of your whole experience. It is very fun to read about the personify part and i can see you actually think deeply when you are observing the place. Very nicely written.
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