Martin Lester: Rights to Privacy

Taking a picture from the street through someone’s window seems like it shouldn’t be legal. I can only think of a few instances where doing so might have a purpose, but it otherwise seems like it would be voyeurism.

My next door neighbors have a huge window that looks into their dining room area. Whenever I walk past their house and they’re all eating, there’s this uncomfortable exchange of glances. It feels invasive just to look. Imagine how much more awkward and invasive it would be if I were to go up to the window with a camera and take a couple of pictures. Since they’re okay with sitting in front of an open window, I suppose you could argue that they’re inviting anyone to look in. However, things people do in their house are often far more personal than what they do in public; they’re more uninhibited. People just don’t expect strangers to take pictures of them while in the privacy of their homes, like they might in a public area.

Susan Sontag: In Plato's Cave

Out of all of Susan Sontag’s claims, the one that struck me most was that “photographing is essentially an act of non-intervention.” Some of the most memorable photographs ever taken – war images, dying children, and slaughter – required the photographer to make a choice between taking the shot and intervening. Although often nothing can be done to help in such situations, it does make it seem callous of photographers to capture these moments. On the other hand, it’s because of them that we have evidence of these events.

Sontag later mentions that too much exposure to graphic images can eventually make them seem less real. In a way, looking through the camera, trying to get the perfect shot can also make the photographer “forget” that they’re looking at reality. On vacations where I wasn’t spending time taking pictures, I remember the experience more. When I have the camera, I spend time toggling with the camera trying to get the perfect shot. It can make you forget that you’re working with a piece of reality, and not just a work of art.

Document: Bubbles

⌠ Proposal and Hypothesis ⌡
For my document project, I decided to photograph different kinds of bubbles. They will be the traditional soap and water bubbles, bubbles formed from other substances or by other methods, and bubble shaped objects.


For many of the photos, I will ask someone to help create or blow bubbles, but other "bubbly" subjects may also be discovered at random. I believe I'll find that there are many different ways to create bubbles and also that there are many objects that resemble bubbles. On the other hand, I may find that there are fewer kinds of bubbles than I expected. Whether I like it or not, I'll probably also learn a lot of the science behind bubbles along the way.

The motivation behind documenting bubbles is simply that I like bubbles; they immediately make me think of childhood (all of the bubble-shaped toys can attest to that idea) or of being carefree.

⌠ Results ⌡
I had trouble finding bubble-shaped objects, but I was able to capture bubbles formed from various substances, mainly liquid. Originally, I had also hoped to capture at least one image of someone blowing a bubble with gum, but I had difficulty finding a willing subject.