“A Year in Pictures” is going well so far. I’ve completed the first week and am really excited to continue with it. Yesterday, my photo for the day was a self-portrait — but not just any self-portrait. I decided, after visiting my high school for a young alumni luncheon, that I wanted to recreate the first self-portrait I ever took: a triple mirror shot I used for an assignment in my sophomore year darkroom photography class.
My recreation came out a bit differently:
Some things were changed intentionally: I didn’t zoom in as closely, I wore different clothes, and so on. I wanted the photo to look similar while also reflecting on how my life has changed since I shot that first image. Still, the differences that stick out the most to me are not the ones I added intentionally, but the subtle changes — the new thermostat in the background, the missing jewelry box in the center, the different porcelain figurines. Things I didn’t really notice until reviewing the photos together afterwards.
When I visited my high school, I picked up on the same sort of thing. Schedules had changed and there were a lot of new faces, but I expected all of that. What I never expect are things like new carpeting, different lighting, changed rooms and other things that were once a part of my daily life. Things I would probably pass by mindlessly if I were still a student there, shrugging them off as insignificant compared to completing the previous nights homework, attending a meeting or studying for an afternoon test during lunchtime. To me, what’s so interesting is how all those little changes seem to ultimately reflect that which remains constant. Time can change your experience of a place so drastically, but the comfort and the familiarity never seem to leave you — and for that, I will always return home from these visits with a sense of satisfaction.
What a great concept. I love the use of the mirrors!
“.. what’s so interesting is how all those little changes seem to ultimately reflect that which remains constant.” Beautifully said.
When I visited my high school from uni several years ago, I remember being irked or disoriented at the smallest change made to a building or outdoor huts the students would converge and socialise. But over time, what became the constant was were the changes itself, but I still keep in mind how I used to remember the place, how I experienced it, what it meant to me, and the like. When I see current high school students hang out where I used to hang out, sure, they look markedly different, but I clearly remember how it felt to sit on that bench, or walk on that grassy patch.
I’m starting to feel that way about my college campus too. Different landmarks, but the same type of attachment to that experience is present. This is why this particular entry reached out to me today. Thank you.
By the way, the figurines on your vanity are cute. =)
Lovely photo. Things are so different at my university now than they used to be, and it’s depressing. It makes me want to take as many pictures of how it is now before they change it any more so I can remember how it was when I attended.
Wow, that’s a fabulous photo! I really like seeing the differences in your two photos.
Beautiful pictures
I love the fact that you used the mirrors and that right in front of the mirrors are your other pictures.
I personally don’t like going to my high school because it wasn’t a stage that I particularly liked… But when I’m there, I almost feel like a high school student again because everything is different but at the same time, there is a kind of familiarity to it all
It is also possible that the grain in your earlier version contributes to the message
Tell Lauren, have you gained clarity in your life perhaps?
Great pictures.
Maria – I agree with the whole idea of the changes themselves becoming constant. It’s such an interesting way to look at things, especially now that I’m in college and witnessing so many of the changes you speak about. Things are constantly going on at my school because it’s a large university as opposed to the small high school I went to, and now, when I witness things change myself, I have a very different view of it.
Felisa – Ha, it’s funny how being back there can make you feel like a student again, even though your life is so very different once you graduate. That’s exactly the feeling that comes over me when I visit, but then the bell rings and there’s nowhere I actually need to be!
Brandon – lol, perhaps. It’s also a result of better lighting and my switch to digital, though! But it’s funny, too, because I do have a much better sense of where I’m going now that I’m in college with my majors decided.
I need to get a usb cord for my digital so I could start taking pictures again. I’m glad you are keeping up with the year in photos, I gotta try it next year.
I agree on how time can completely change an experience, and while it can sometimes be depressing, it’s pretty cool to see how things do end up changing and remembering your experiences with the old, building memories with the new, etc. It keeps things interesting and provokes some good thought.
I like the second picture better. (: Zooming out brought the edges of the mirror into the picture, which served as a frame for your subject – which is yourself.
And I really love the usage of the triple mirror (is that what it’s called?!).
Sad to say, I only have the normal one-pane mirrors in my home, so no fancy mirror photography for me.
And it always turns out that we change a lot throughout the years, although we don’t realize it because it is such a gradual process. If I were to compare my personality now and before I entered university, I doubt I’d be able to recognize myself then.
What a neat thing to do. If I was more creative, I’d love to do something like that.
It’s almost as if I’m looking at a puzzle, one of those “eye spy” games that I used to look at when I was younger.
Your last paragraph is so poignant. I haven’t visited my high school since I graduated and I haven’t even moved out of my house to go to college, but I’ve come to the almost same realization.
Beautiful photos!
I wanted to do the same thing this year but have already fallen off the wagon. Of course, my photography isn’t quite as professional looking as yours, either.