For my sequence exercise in Picture Story I rode the elevator at Paquin Towers for an hour or two, taking pictures and recording audio.

My inspiration was the short documentary film The Lift by Marc Isaacs

I find this to be the first satisfactory response I’ve come across to the postmodern critique of documentary photo/film that notes that despite the general consensus that there is no real objectivity, most documentary projects still hide the hand of their producer.

I wanted to try something where the process of producing the piece, and my involvement in the story were integrated into the piece itself, sort of a multimedia version of Lee Friedlander’s photos where his own reflection or shadow appears in frame.

by Lee Friedlander

Ultimately, it would be impossible to do otherwise in an elevator, where my presence and photographing is so obvious, and the time with each subject is too scant for them to get used to my presence and ignore me completely. I also think we see something about the people at Paquin Towers through this interaction, that they are friendly and warm, and that there is a real ease and familial quality to their interactions with each other and with me.

I set myself up in the far corner of the elevator, and hung my camera around my neck. I opted against a tripod because 1) it would have taken up too much room in such a small space, and 2) because I myself was part of the story I thought the slight movement of frame would convey that more than a sterile still frame. I don’t know if this was effective or not.

I used the widest lens I own, which is a 28mm, but in retrospect I could have done better with an even wider lens. In such a tight space, many people were cut out when standing closer to me. Although perhaps this conveys the intimacy a little better, I’m not sure.

IT’S PUMPKIN TIIIIIME!

Tags stop motion