第二個夏天

兩年前的夏天，搬來這個城市。每次有訪客來，我都會說，鹿特丹其實沒甚麼觀光點，也沒有阿姆斯特丹的華麗。不過這是一個生活的城市，我們可以慢慢的走，帶你去我喜歡的地方，河岸、集市、藝廊，公園、咖啡館、餐廳、圖書館、還有我喜歡的街道，建築和商店。

journey of memories

all photos from chino.co.uk

I feel like writing in English.

It is called 'double self portraits'. She used a childhood photo of herself, the current her went to the same place, stand on the same spot and make a photo again. Then she combines both photos, the little girl and the more recent her, are now standing side by side.

The idea is so simple, but the emotion connection is so deep.

When I saw her photos in the gallery last week, it was a very warm afternoon, we are the only one in the gallery. I have the whole room by myself.

And then, so much memories and feelings arise. An immense loneliness.

I can't escape but stare at the loneliness of the little girl, which has now become me.

A voice whispered to me, the little girl was never alone, the other her is always standing by her side.

It was so beautiful that I feel like I really want to cry.

In another photo series 'Tokyo 4-3-4-506', the photographer went back to the apartment where she used to live with her family before she moved to UK at the age of 12. You do not see her face but only part of her body.

For example, her feet, her hands or her eyes. Behind the curtain, inside the bathtub or behind the sliding door.

Again, by looking at the photos,  you fall back to your own past, triggering your own emotions and memories. 

Who is the photographer? But I don't think I should regard her as a photographer. She is not just someone who captures amazing beautiful photos. She is someone who knows exactly how to use this medium to connect, explore and express her feelings. She is an artist.

Yes, I love her works and was immensely inspired by her.

Her name is Chino Otsuka. If you are in Amsterdam this summer, go to Huis Marseille to see her exhibition.

 "When I start playing with a memory I take the whole place as a theatre. It becomes a theatrical space, where I act out and direct in my own memory" - Chino Otsuka

夏日的風

第二次來這裡看風車群(Kinderdijk)，這一次遊客比較多，感覺也沒有第一次那麼震撼。拿起相機拍風車，一動不動的風車，是很漂亮，可是太靜態了，那這裡的天空，浮雲，風聲，還有隨風搖擺的草呢？

然後我不拍風車，站在路旁，拍人。

the photo set

船上吹吹風

我鏡頭下的小P，常常都是靜態的。

見過他的人，都知道那不是一回事。他給人的印象，是一個喜歡玩，愛跳愛跑，玩得瘋時會大喊大笑的孩子，這些都不是我的相機捕捉得到的。可是這孩子的另一面，他靜態的、專注的、溫柔的、深邃的一面，倒比較容易被我攝錄在鏡頭下。

帶他乘船去看風車群，轉頭看見他正站在欄杆旁，探頭去感覺風的樣子，就被他臉上一抹
溫柔的神情怔住了。剛舉起相機想拍他，他早就溜掉，只好再等下一個機會。

錯過好幾次，才拍到這一張。

The man I love

lines

看建築時，
先吸引我的，
是它的線條。

你看

還在下雨

氣溫降到16度，
又是一個雨下不停的週末，
就聽聽雨吧。

let it be, set it free

East London, May 2008

四年後的今天，我問你，我可以上載四年前在倫敦拍你的照片嗎？你笑著說可以啊。

親愛的，我很開心呢，你允許了照片的曝光，也同時改變了過去。唯一從來沒有改變的是，你在我眼中，一直就是那麼與眾不同，你的美麗，根本是擋不住的。

雨天

我常常拍靜物，是不自覺的瞄到一個角落，啊，就去取來相機。

你們對這些平凡的靜物照，有甚麼反應的嗎？只是好奇問問。

夏夜

接近晚上10點了，天空依然淡淡亮著。

雪球花

記得她在冬天的樣子嗎？

暑假開始了

你要騎腳踏車去上學嗎？他高興的大力點頭。

然後我拿了相機，跟在他後面，也只不過短短五分鐘的路程，看著他臉上的表情，是多麼為自己感到驕傲，可以像大人一樣騎腳踏車出門去，我的心情當然也一樣發亮。

從看著他學翻身、學爬、學走路到奔跑，如今看著他終於長得夠高了，成功踏上這部兒童腳踏車，心裡還是一樣感受到，what a special moment. 暑假正式開始了，這個長假，我們就多去騎腳踏車吧。

 

薰衣草

今年四月初，看著冬天過的後院，一片空蕩和荒涼，心想如果可以種幾株灌木也不錯。兩個星期後，E的姐姐來探望我們，之前也沒問過我們，就載了五大株薰衣草來。我一看，嘩，心裡又驚又喜。她說某同事跟她提起有幾株薰衣草要送人，問她要不要？她立刻就想起我們了。當時我心裡有個衝動想跟Len說，你看，五大棵薰衣草也，普羅旺斯自動送上門來到我後院，真玄妙！


可是我忍住了，覺得這樣真俗氣，害怕人家冷笑覺得我自作多情。


接近夏天時，每一株都開滿了花。坐在後院看著那一片紫色，我還是無可避免的，想起在普羅旺斯的你。


釋懷之後，回到信任以後，我更要告訴你這一段小插曲了，也想把聚光燈向你這邊照一照。


我要向大家介紹，這位我三年來從來沒見過面，卻彼此奇妙的互相牽動的Len。最近她新開了這個部落格，叫做呼吸普羅旺斯。