haiku::photo 10 — photos that encapsulate your workday

The Haiku Foundation welcomes you to haiku::photo.

M. H. Rubin says

Happy August, Photo Pals.

We got a comment from Bernie who correctly points out that we often lose sight of the structural aspects of haiku (he mentions photos being too “object” and not enough “moment” — referring to the kigo aspect of haiku). The hard part about photo haiku is that it is much more difficult to make one than to make a written haiku — when we’re writing we can think of anything and write about it. For a photo we rely on what we notice, and it deeply limits the way we do these — it’s very hard to give a topic, like this month’s “work” — and get photos that are both haiku in structure and on topic. It’s usually my position that we go through our months and try to shoot some haiku, they aren’t “on a topic” and it’s hard to execute that way. The result is that here in the kukai we’re selecting between photos on topic, and photos that are haiku. This month is no different. Some of my favorite photos this month aren’t perfectly on topic, and the most on topic aren’t great haiku — what a quandary.

As with each month you’ve perhaps noticed that I’m opting for the better haiku photo, and sometimes not feeling quite as on-theme as others. With that said, here’s what I liked this month:

This month’s winners:

Anne Fox

Can you feel the utter simplicity, the unforced juxtaposition and rhythm between the the elements. Yes, it’s a bit less kigo than I aim for, but it has a kind of ‘haiku elegance’ to it. It works for me.

Anne Fox

This one is considerably less simple and less formal than the other shot, but I still feel my eye start with the little figures, and while I’m sorting them out I notice the person behind — it’s a nice rhythm. It’s not as elegant perhaps as the first one, but it feels like a little moment, and truly authentic. I see they’re both by the same artist, so I’m letting them tie for first.

Urszula Marciniak

This one has a nice informality to it, and I like the composition — this “dutch” angle — where the horizon line is askew — lends to it’s informal and authentic feeling. I think it could be simpler but I feel formality and structure. Rhythmically it doesn’t work as well as the other winners, but after a week of sitting with these, I return to it, and I find that important.

Dan Campbell

Image-wise, this is maybe my favorite of these — elegant and simple, formal, not too perfect structurally (I’m glad it’s not symmetrical!) and in fact it would be my top pick except it feels less authentic, there’s nothing in any cubes, no signs of actual employees working or humanity at all. If there was just one person’s head popping up a bit from a cube it would nail it for me. Still, it feels haiku, it feels like a small observation of a workday.

Honorable Mention:

Beverly Jay

This one is fun — and I think the lesson for us all is that it doesn’t quite feel natural enough — when I can feel (or even inaccurately sense) that a photo is set up, constructed by a skillful photographer, it loses that haiku essence — it’s not a scene noticed and captured but a thoughtful creation. I think the killer of otherwise great haiku photos is the feeling they are too perfect, too constructed, maybe photoshopped. Imagine you’re a journalist — a journalistic news photo cannot be set up, there are professional ethics. The haiku for me are like that.

How did our voters see it?

Our Next Focus: anything goes

What we’re looking for: getting back to first principles

Responding to Bernie’s observation, let’s take a month where it’s ANYTHING GOES — just focus on submitting a haiku — the theme is getting back to first principles. And remember, you don’t need a title for a haiku — the photo should be self-evident for what it’s about. If you want to dig through your archives to find an excellent haiku, please do. Let’s make sure you feel good about at least recognizing the elements we’re working on. If you’d like to make this a practice this month, then just carry your camera around with you and sit still and observe the spaces you find yourself in. Do you notice anything around you that is a small tableau? A little story? Show us that you can find haiku where ever you are.

— 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 August 31. Voting runs September 3 – 10. Results, commentary and the new topic will be announced here on troutswirl on September 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.