can the concept of time be introduced into a photograph?
that’s the question douglas gayeton asked and answered…YES!
in his book slow life in a tuscan town gayeton documents his life in italy. i would call it a photo diary. but…it’s not like any diary i’ve seen before.
i happened upon a video describing the book and that was it for me, i ordered it straight away. there’s lots of information in the body of the book and on the pictures. douglas writes all kinds of information in white on the sepia photos. the text becomes a design element just as important as the photo.
a photo is not just a photo either. some of the pages are made up of many photos taken at the same event, such as a shared meal. douglas takes over a thousand photos at a the meal, for example, and then he chooses the photos that he feels best represent what he remembers of the event. he places them together in a vignette that actually looks like it could be a normal picture. sometimes the writing on the picture documents the food being eaten or the conversation that took place or the bloodline of the people at the table. a recipe might be included, a summary of what a tool is used for or a mini description of the person’s life up to that point. each flat film, as he calls it, has a title with italian to english translation. something for everyone!
the book is 13 inches wide by 11 1/2 tall and quite a few of the pages open up to 25 inches! i love the book and the concept. my plan is to try this with some of my photos, because even though i think “i’ll never forget this or that moment” i might…and all the information will give the viewer of the photo a more complete representation of that point in time. what a great way to keep a complete memory of the day. i’ll post them here. wanna play?
here’s the video that hooked me.
NOTE: aww, looks like the video has been taken down i’ll keep looking for a replacement.
here’s a replacement…but it’s really long. you can get a “taste” for the book by watching the first minute though.
Slow: Life In A Tuscan Town – Background Video from Pier Giorgio Provenzano on Vimeo.
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I loved this video and it has made me want to buy the book too. I think the photos and black and white film capture the slow life perfectly. It sounds like a great idea to do something similar with your own memories.