exploring dreams through photography: process

It was New Years Day, and I had an idea.

It was based on dreams. I wanted to wear a floaty, sheer dress I’d thrifted. I also tied a red ribbon in my hair in a Greek-inspired updo. I thought the silhouette of my head leaned back with the spiraling ribbon and hair would make for an interesting image.

Ideally, I wanted a Photoshop challenge: I wanted to lean my head on a pillow and climb onto a ladder, and later edit the ladder out so it looked like I was floating.

But, I accidentally forgot the pillow at home. But I didn’t give up.

I drove on the highway until I reached a place I’d previously taken photos, but I turned left instead of right. I ended up in Griffith Park, and parked in a parking lot by a lovely hill and a tree that had potential. Then, I noticed something—red stripes climbing up to the sky. It looked circus-esque. I went to investigate and found a carousel. All boarded up and muddy from a recent rainstorm, it had a creepy (and dreamy) quality.

I knew it was fate. Even from the way the ribbon in my hair echoed the stripes of the carousel roof.

As I took photos, a story developed in my head. A girl, lost in her dreams, investigating a carousel with a single candle. Hearing the whinnies of horses, strange whirring and beeping. Then, hearing herself, but younger. Lost somewhere in the carousel. But how she get in there? How could she save herself?

I continued wandering around the carousel, setting up my camera here and there. Seeing the image I wanted first, then setting up the tripod to achieve it.

This one took a bit of work but I was quite happy with the energy in the above photo; the swish of the fabric, the curve of my right hand reaching up to the tree . . .

I really liked these two parts, where there was text I could play around with. Here, the word “Celebrate,” so creepy. I wanted to express the idea of when you have to go to a party, but you feel like doing anything but celebrating.

And then, below, where I found a gate that said “Party Zone.” I tried to place my head so I wore it almost like a crown. It was hard to get in focus because of my camera though.

Now here, I really wanted to capture the full circle of the roof and have it fill the image. This was also hard to do with my 50mm lens, while keeping myself in focus, so I had to embrace the lens instead of fight it. You’ll also see, I forgot to fix my shutter speed so some of the images are blurry, but I actually love them. My feet are rooted on the ground, but my upper body is in flux—it gives the idea of being there, but not.

And then I finally, finally, finally got one of the shots that had really been in my head. This is why I have my camera take multiple images while I move—to get the dynamism. I love how my body is arched up towards the towering stripes; I’m looking up at it soaring above me; and my right hand is behind me. I couldn’t believe I got this.

I usually shoot for 40 minutes or an hour, and then I have an inner timer that says “That’s enough.” It’s like clockwork. And I usually end up with 300ish photos.

I turned my attention now to the trees behind me. I have a love of trees, and I can pick out certain ones that speak to me. The ones that look caught in a windstorm and grew crooked despite gravity, or the ones that have crooks I’d love to climb in and let hold me.

I loved this particular branch (Can we even call it that? It was so big and thick!).. It cut the image in half and stole the show. I wanted to interact with it but also disappear, so I walked across the scene a couple times with a slow shutter speed. It shows how we are just here for a time, just passing through. This tree was here (probably) long before I was, and will be there long after I’m gone (hopefully).

I started out with photography in my bedroom, and I learned so much there about natural light and using what I have. Now, I am obsessed with nature because it’s just there. All I have to do is capture it and appreciate it.

Thank you, God, for making the world beautiful.

Read the short story I wrote to go along with this photo series here.