He who looks out at the world from an open window never sees as many things as he who looks at a closed window.
Translated from Charles Beaudelaire’s “Les Fenêtres”
FRAMING THE UNEXPECTED
COVID-19 has shaken the world upside down and will no doubt have repercussions for years to come. With the lockdown measures, it's forced us to spend an unprecedented amount of time at home and consequently deal with a whole new set of challenges.
However, it has also given many families an opportunity to spend more quality time together. History has shown us that love always prevails–regardless of what's going on in the wider world–and this is something that should be celebrated and captured on camera.
The Window Frame concept was born from the desire to celebrate this love, but at the same time acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in.
LOOKING IN
One of the only things I remember from my French studies during Lycée (high-school in France) was that Beaudelaire, a famous French writer, evoked that looking into someone's home through a window presented so much more richness than if you were to look out at the world around you from that very same spot. Based on the experience I've had to date with the Window Frame project, I definitely feel there's some truth to what he was saying.
Since this project began almost a month ago, I have witnessed an abundance of love, joy and fun inside people's homes–something that's very much welcome after the devastating impact this crisis has had in the world.
This whole experience has made me smile. It's given me hope. And as Dad myself, it's also reassuring to see the struggle and chaos of parenting 24/7 feels pretty universal!
MORE THAN A WINDOW FRAME
It's really quite unbelievable the amount of variety and depth of imagery one can obtain by simply using a window to frame an entire sequence of images. As a matter of fact, I've loved the creative challenge of having these very clear boundaries to adhere to. How can I make a simple window frame be more than just a window frame?
The photos in this ongoing series are special to me because they capture families in the comfort of their own homes, and it's allowed me to work with composition, lighting (e.g. reflections) and perspective in unique and creative ways. I've also loved the rawness of capturing kids doing what they do best: whatever it is they feel like in that particular moment!
Window Frame has been rich in meaning, both for me as a photographer and for the people I've photographed. My focus has been to capture moments-in-between-moments, and for each sequence of images to act as a form of time stamp for families to remember in years to come.
STAY SAFE
If you've got this far down the page, it means that my work and the Window Frame idea has resonated enough with you that you’re willing to take the time out of your busy schedule to read through all of this. For that alone, thank you.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the project, please feel free to give me a holler. And in the meantime, take care out there, and stay safe!
