Personal photography from Simon Beirne
There is plenty in literature and songs about the meditative aspect of water; how it can lead to introspection, to pondering the mysteries of life, or just wondering where it all went wrong. I’m not claiming I particularly fit into any of these situations but all will be triggered by the presence of water at some point. The meditative effect is mainly invoked by fresh water; seas are often a different thing altogether (e.g. JMW Turner), though not without the possibility of dreaming.
I almost titled this ‘Abandoned Tyre Swing’ but I then thought it doesn’t look abandoned. Since this photograph was taken in October it isn’t surprising it isn;t being used.
I have been opondering my own childhood a bit in the past few weeks, and find myself attracted to empty play areas – whether formal or home made (as here). I get a great sense of melancholy from places like this – but that could just as well be feeling autumnal!
Like many people, holiday photographs feature heavily in my collection. Although many are taken as souvenirs, mementos of a great holiday or just as a reminder of a place I have been.
Sometimes though, it becomes more than just a reminder. I take photographs of beach scenes where it seems to signify a particular mood; solitude or even outright loneliness. The openness of a beach and the often wild nature of the place may evoke sense of ‘smallness’; where we (or me anyway) recognise we are not as important as we sometimes imagine.
The images below are ones I have taken that – tome at least – evoke different moods and emotions.
A couple of years ago I tried to categorise few of my photographs under the vague heading of ‘Insignificance’. Looking back on that now, I’m not really clear what I meant by this (not a new problem for me). However I do feel that some of the images I’d placed in this category do still work as juxtaposed pairs. I don’t want to get too bogged down in deeper meanings, but post them here just as a reminder to myself.
