Archive for the ‘ 365 Project ’ Category

We are puppets pulling each other Strings

I decided to create this photograph on reading the book ‘The Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Mistry. It is based around 1975-77 when the then Prime Minister declared Emergency and all civil liberties stood frozen. Police could arrest anyone without trail and detain them for an infinite period. I could feel the helplessness of the main characters who were nothing but the puppets in the hands of politicians, police, bureaucrats and society.
The content of the book kept hovering in my mind for several days. Upon looking closely at our society I realized that we are all puppets in the hands of one another and the notion of ‘Free Will’ seemed like an illusion. With all the fuss over freedom and fundamental rights we all know that it is just a game of power in the end. But closely seeing even the most powerful is not free to do things he wants and the way he wants.

I have discontinued my 365 as I felt I am not learning anything and not producing what I want to. From last 5-6 photographs I have been creating photographs from scratch. From just an idea to a sketch to taking individual photographs and the finally making it in photoshop. I have been pretty happy seeing that I have now 5 sketches which are now finished photographs.

A New Idea

A New Idea by Abhey Singh
A New Idea, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

Routine makes you rigid like a dry tree. It kills the naughty child within who questions all random happenings. You keep doing same thing again and again everyday and forget why you were doing it in the first place. It reduces a human being to a machine. By my experiences so far I have realized that new innovative ideas only comes to you when you maintain a balance between everyday’s work and free time. Too much of free time too can render you to a limited mental space. Most of the jobs in today’s world don’t need you to think. You just need to work like a machine.

I felt the same feeling at my workplace. I was struggling to balance the routine job and photography. Former requires doing exactly as you are told and latter to think without any limitation. That is when I got this idea of showing myself turned to a rigid and still tree with budding twig showing ‘ a new idea’.

I have decided to be more thorough with my photographs from now on. It also gives me time to learn new techniques to improve upon my knowledge. Also I am working to earn my livelihood, it takes 4-5 days to complete 1 photograph. The 365 project will be more of a 52 weeks project from now on. I have already lined up 3-4 ideas. Quite excited about few of them.
Suggestions and feedback welcomed.

181. Inside me

inside me by Abhey Singh
inside me, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

A lot and lot of photoshop. Trying to learn new types of editing. It is a direct reproduction of the tutorial I read in a magazine. It took a lot of time and patience was the key 🙂

180. How Society Kills

How Society Kills by Abhey Singh
How Society Kills, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

A photograph dedicated to all the students preparing for JEE and other competitive exams. It is for the pressure they bear. I have been through this and I know that people can kill you just by seeing, by comparing you to others. Imagine how you would feel if people are constantly staring at you. Every moment of your life is under the glance of society. Society, whose only work is to comment on others’ lives.

179. Neighbourhood of Sun

Neighbourhood of Sun by Abhey Singh
Neighbourhood of Sun, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
~ T.S. Eliot

I read this quote in the newspaper and I felt it so strongly that I made a sketch of what came to my mind. After 1 month as I was going through some papers I saw that sketch and decided that I will make it into a photograph. The rest is here 🙂

The sketch:

178. Evening-Walk

Evening-Walk by Abhey Singh
Evening-Walk, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

I got this idea while seeing some artwork on Tumblr which used a 3-D installation of a cloud in a room. My mind connected the random thoughts of the day and I got the idea of making an umbrella of cloud. This special type of umbrella will not protect you from rain but it will provide rain. I drew a very neat sketch of the idea first and then worked for hours in editing to finally get what I wanted. I have decided to make neat and detailed artworks from now on and I hope this is the right start.

177. with the help of coffee

with the help of coffee by Abhey Singh
with the help of coffee, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

Just recovered from a long illness. I was maintaining my 365 project regularly for 2 months now but it swept everything. I am thinking a lot about where I am going with my life. I need something to be devoted to, on which I can work day and night. Lately its been more like jack of all trades and master of none. I have not been doing any specialized projects in photography to learn more which I was doing a lot some time back. A lot to think but I hope I will plan everything ‘With a little help from coffee”

176. solitaire

solitaire by Abhey Singh
solitaire, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

Another black and white. The title is inspired from the title of the carpenters’ song of the same name.

175. Night terrors

Night terrors by Abhey Singh
Night terrors, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

Couldn’t sleep last night. I was all tensed thinking about how I will manage all the stuff going on. Had to get up early as I had some early morning lectures to take. Had the most bizarre dreams last night, some ads of a mobile company, some ghost dreams, one in which I was in Game of thrones. Was really scared at one point of time as I was alone in my apartment.

174. My mind holds the key

My mind holds the key by Abhey Singh
My mind holds the key, a photo by Abhey Singh on Flickr.

The famous song by Peter Gabriel- My body is a Cage. I am trying to manage a lot of things now a days and sometimes they get out of hand. Anyways, I will get hold of it. Taken in my balcony, again a moody black and white.