We have all felt fear – that sense that something is wrong even when we can’t put our finger on it. Perhaps it is a gut feeling that tells us not to walk down a certain street one evening, despite it being on our usual route home. Maybe you have felt unsettled in a lonely parking lot, your eyes constantly scanning while you hurriedly unlock the car door. I know that I felt unsettled many times as a paramedic, such as when we would approach pitch black houses at 3am or when we were surrounded by a crowd that was turning angry on a scene. Fear is an intrinsic thing, primal in nature, and because of that it is used by many creatives in their work (I’m looking at you Stephen King).
When I am out shooting I will occasionally use an emotion as a source of inspiration for my photography (happiness, surprise, fear, etc). Over the last year I have had the idea of “The Watchers” in the back of my mind… a feeling that maybe there is something dark and foreboding following us that might be a threat. As an exercise in creativity I have been working with composition, darkness and silhouettes to try to create this feeling in some of my photographs.
This is the first time I have put some of these images together in a series. I am definitely still exploring this idea of shooting to a specific emotion, but I thought I would share these first steps with all of you.
Cheers,
Ian
Note: The Injury Chronicles is a series of photo essays, with minimal text, that I am posting while I rehabilitate a hand injury.
Wonderful images Ian
Thanks Jim!
Simply powerful images! Stills that convey such emotion! Congratulations, and thanks for pointing out the power of photography.
Those are very kind words. Thank you!
Great idea for a series of images Ian and these pics certainly convey the mood brilliantly.
Thanks Paul. It has been an interesting process for sure… I’m looking forward to continuing the series.
Cheers,
Ian
Great images and words, as always, Ian. Kind thanks for the inspiration and the beauty. Best, Terry
Thank you my friend.
Great pix. I particularly like the out-of-focus figure in the umbrella shot.
Me too. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Great work, as always. I like getting an early look at this consistent vision that’s forming. Almost like we are all… watchers.