haiku::photo 1 — kigo

The Haiku Foundation welcomes you to haiku::photo.

Today’s focus: photographic kigo

What we’re looking for: photos that are more moment than object, and capture the ephemerality of life

If you want to exhibit kigo in your photos there are few ways to transform that idea. First, at its most superficial level, your photo could capture the time and season visually — say a sunset or autumn leaves — but i think this is a weak and too-literal implementation. What is more haiku is capturing the ephemerality and transience of time in the image, and doing so by leveraging the way a camera plays with time. 

 

“The way I describe what you need to do is to shoot a photo that is “more moment that object.”  An object photo is easy — it’s a thing. A picture of a dog, or a flower or a mountain. The way you know it’s more object than moment is that if someone was with you, and saw you shoot your photo, they could pretty much take the exact same photo. It would mean the image isn’t that unique for you. When a photo is more moment than object, you can feel it was fleeting, it caught a world that changes and perhaps is in motion. it means that someone couldn’t possibly take the same photo as you, no matter where they were standing. These are harder to shoot because you can’t compose the elements like a still-life, you need a bit of luck, and when it works, all the parts of your image attain an inexplicable geometry — everything is where it needs to be and are in harmony. This is tricky in a world in motion. Here are some examples of haiku photos that really articulate “more moment than object.”

— M. H. Rubin

How to participate:

First, view Rubin’s site. Once your feel you have a grasp of the principles, take some photos that align with this month’s theme. Select your best, and submit them below by midnight November 30. Voting runs December 3 – 10. Results, commentary and the new topic will be announced here on troutswirl on December 15. Good luck!

Note: This isn’t haiga! There should be no text attached to your photos. What we are looking for is, precisely, haiku::photo!

Curated by internationally renowned photographer M. H. Rubin, haiku::photo is an opportunity to combine two areas of artistic knowledge. Anyone with a camera can explore the application of haiku principles to the craft of photography., first by viewing Rubin’s site, then by posting their best efforts related to our monthly theme here on the THF site. The result is a visual kukai, and results will be housed in the haiku::photo archive.