Childhood Relics

So I'll admit that this week's theme was a bit challenging to think of. I spent the first day of the week, camera in hand, running around exploring every nook and cranny of the house like a madman. After my last theme, which consisted of almost all outdoorsy shots, I was ready to spend some time indoors. I did some quick research to find some tips about taking black and white photos and found a useful link here. But even after taking a bunch of random black-and-white photos, all I saw were many pictures that just lacked that "spark". I don't really know how to describe this "spark" and I'm not even sure if it's a legitament thing. But I feel like the best photos are ones that you can just take in and somehow become transfixed upon, because there's some quality in that photo, a graceful line, an interesting shadow, that just draws you closer. But anyways, day two of theme two wasn't much better either and I was getting kind of frustrated, when suddenly I realized that I never went down to the basement while on my hunt for a good photo. There's a good reason why I never go down to the basement, mostly because it's like a daddy-long-leg haven down there, but also because my basement isn't finished. Through the years, it's kind of become like a massive storage room, with tettering christmas decorations on one end, old bycicles on the other, and just about everything in between. Anyways, I made my down and started looking around when suddenly I saw baskets upon baskets of my childhood things. Dollhouses, stuffed animals, Burger King toys, everything. I found this stuffed monkey from my childhood, who I'm pretty sure I got in China the year we went back there on my seventh birthday. I felt rather bad for the neglegted monkey, so I vowed to bring her back up the world of day with me. But then I suddenl noticed in the corner, directly under a shaft of light, was my rocking horse, Rain (named after the character in the movie Spirit). Rain wasn't technically my rocking horse, she was actually my sister's, but just looking at her made me remember all the times my sister and I played together when we were little, and how once upon a time the two of us were both able to fit on that rocking horse. And then suddenly, inspiration hit me for my next theme:childhood relics. This was my first true photo of the week. The lighting comes from this little window (not in the photo) right above the chair.

So the next day I sat in my room and looked around for anything that had sentimental value. On top of my dresser is this carousel, which I remember I've had FOREVER. I'm pretty sure it made the move from our apartment to our house, which was probably eleven years ago. So I took it downstairs and asked my mom if she remembered when she had bought it, and my mom told me her friend had actually given it to her when they were in college. So yeah, the thing's practically an antique.

I love trinkets and pretty things, especially from different countries. I have carved elephants from India, a Kimmidoll from Japan, and of course a bunch of inexpensive little things that I get when I go back to China, like fans, clay dolls, paper cuttings, etc. I love them so much. But my favorite object is probably this silk plush jewelery box that my grandmother gave me when I was younger. The setting of objects that I have here is actually exactly how they are situated on top of my nightstand. If you notice the picture frame in the back, the image is actually cut from colored paper. The fan I got from China last time I went back.

 

So the whole week I was thinking about my childhood and then suddenly the topic of games came into mind. I remember back when I was probably three or four I found some marbles on a little playground that I used to always go to. I never really knew how to actually play with them, so I rememeber that I would just take them out of my desk and kind of admire how pretty they were. So my next photo is about marbles. I really tried to experiement with the lighting here and get that interesting shadow. I love how no two of the marbles were exactly alike.

The next day I decieded I photograph one of my favorite games: chess. Just to set the record straight I actually suck at chess. But I love the strategy involved. The rules are rather basic, and yet the game is so complex. Since my parents didn't know how to play, as a child I kind of figured it out on my own, which is why I'm not very good. With this shot, I wanted to make the chess pieces more realistic and life-like. The king, of course, is the centerpiece in this photo.

 

Taking pictures outdoors was a lot of fun, but I think I actually enjoy indoor photography even more. Just the stability of the setting and the variety of objects to work with make indoor photography extremely interesting. I loved being able to adjust the lighting to my needs, something that I can't do outdoors since I depend on sunlight. Next week's pictures will all be in the macro setting, so look foward to some more outdoor shots, especially of tiny details! I'll also probably be getting my clothes REALLY messy next time too. Joy.