One of the reasons I don’t build a library of images is that I very rarely think that my images from yesterday are able to stand up to the test of time. I often think that I’m the best image-maker today. The image I do today has every chance to become just as I imagined it. A new day, with new opportunities …

I participated in the June challenge

Like many other photographers, I participated in the June challenge that Toyphotographers sponsored on G+: Revisiting and Recreating Your Toy Photos. I went to my archive to find an old image that I wanted to remake or recreate into a new image.

Without looking at my older images I can pretend that all my favorites are as good as they can be. I can think of them as a result of all my abilities, my knowledge and know-how. But the reality isn’t like my memory playing in my head. When I look at old images, they usually are quite boring and it can be a painful experience. But when I decided to take part in the June challenge I had to look through my archive to find an image that I wanted to recreate. Looking through old toy images made me realize that I barely remembered most of the images. Very few where done in a way that made me want to recreate them. They just working material – me trying to find what I wanted to do with toys… learning the craft and

picture 99/365
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The clone narcissus

Finally, I landed on the picture called The Clone Narcissus … and I decided to redo it with the same props but with another toy. Let me clarify one thing. I really like the original image – it’s just a snapshot from that time and date. Looking at the image it seems to be a grey day. I’ve used a puddle right outside our house and I really like the reflection. When I decided to redo this image, I though I would do the picture in the same way with the pebble as a background, quite close and focusing on the water mirror. While I began this challenge by doing just that, it ended with me taking a picture of Leia called Narcissus.

I work differently today

Looking back in my archive I realize how differently I worked with toy-photos back in 2011. My archive shows me that I was searching for a language, for the concept. In my work during 2011 I used a lot more props to build the scenes. I don’t do that anymore; my work is more minimalist. But I see strokes my minimalistic vision in the archive from 2011 as well.

Looking back at my work made me realize that I’ve grown as a photographer. My photography has become more uniform and it is not all over the place anymore. For example: it took me at least six months to develop the concept (the ordinary life of a toy) during my first 365-project in 2011. Today I won’t start a project without an idea or a concept to work with; one that I want to explore.

Kristina