#Photography Reasoning Narrative

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Why can’t these people understand that it actually seems like Kate has never let her title and position define her? Without William, who is Kate? A woman who loves children, art, fashion, photography, sports, among other things. Yes, she came to the world’s consciousness because of who she married but why would that matter if she was never in it for the fame and popularity in the first place? If they were in it for love, does it really matter that she wasn’t already a famous somebody before William? She met a dude, fell in love, married the dude who happened to be a prince. This “she was already an actress” narrative really is just a big deal to these people because they are focused on fame and popularity, and why? Because their idol is too, which proves your original point.

I can’t claim to know Kate’s innermost thoughts, but with how she has handled her private and public lives, one can theorize that it actually seems like she chose this life more because of the private life she envisioned with William more than anything else. And anyway, as I said, even without William, Kate has proven herself to be a woman of many talents.

This is one of the reasons the portrayal of her and Carole Middleton on The Crown pissed me off. They made it seem like Carole patterned Kate’s gap year activities from William’s gap year activities. They even said it in a dialogue that William was supposed to go to Florence too for an art-related thing and that was the reason Kate went to Florence. But there was no record that William ever planned to go to Florence for his gap year. The art thing was completely Kate’s thing, and that very thing is actually proof that she really was just doing her own thing that year. But alas even that detail, they used it to suit their narrative.

Is it just me or there seems to be a weird kind of misogyny towards Kate where the people who act all high and mighty and like to scoff at her for being a female consort (implying there’s something backwards about that) are the very people who are actually really misogynistic towards her and refuse to see her for the wonderful, talented, strong, and intelligent woman that she is? They act like she has no voice or she doesn’t know how to use her voice but the truth is they just aren’t listening.

It's not just misogyny. It's also "feminism" - people who can't understand that a woman would be more fulfilled from her marriage, raising a family, and having happy, well-adjusted, thriving children than having a career.

[andy-wm]

When Love Reveals Itself

The intersection of public and private in life and art.

A few years ago I watched Her Private Life, a k-drama starring Park Min-young and Kim Jae-wook, both of whom I love seeing on-screen, and ONE (Jung Jae-won) who is adorably cute in this series.

If you haven't seen it, here's a synopsis...

It's ostensibly about an art gallery curator - Doekmi - and her relationship with Ryan, the newly appointed director of the gallery (a position she deserved but of course didn't get). That part of narrative is a highly satisfying but predictable rom-com.

Doekmi is also a secret fangirl, and tries desperately (hilariously) to hide this side of her life, but that doesn't work out. I love the way this is dealt with and the understanding of the complexities of fan culture shown by the writers and cast. It's very relatable.

But maybe most importantly, this was one of the first k-dramas I watched that had an overtly queer narrative strand. I wont spoil anything but Ryan (Kim Jae-wook) is an absolute fucking legend in his efforts to be an LGBTQIA+ ally, even if he gets EVERYTHING wrong.

So how does this relate to our photo of Jimin, knee deep in water and smiling like this?

Episode 5 of Her Private Life has one of the most poignant scenes I've ever watched in a k-drama.

The scene isn't part of a major plot point but there are SPOILERS here.

The scene centres on an unpublished self-portrait taken by (deceased) renowned photographer-Yoon who was famous for his landscape photography. The portrait was his final photograph, taken just before he died.

The portrait was gifted to a reclusive writer who was lifelong friends with photographer-Yoon. He owns the rights to the photo, and he won't release it for publication.

The portrait in question

Deokmi and Ryan are trying to convince the writer to allow the portrait to be displayed in an upcoming exhibition of work by photographer Yoon. The writer adamantly refuses.

Why?

Yoon is looking at someone he loves.

As Deokmi observes, the portrait shows Yoon smiling not at the camera, but at someone in front of the camera.

He is looking at someone he loves.

For the writer, the portrait reveals too much. It exposes photographer-Yoon's feelings for the person in front of the camera, who is of course the writer himself. The writer knew of Yoon's feelings for him but could never acknowledge them while his friend was alive.

Lets go back to the photo of Jimin.

Something that really struck me about this photo of Jimin is the context of it. It was during the LGO MV shooting. He was splashing Jin and laughing, creating a small, happy moment for the music video (for us).

But covid was rife and the world was at a standstill. Jimin was personally and privately devastated during this time*. It was part of the MV brief, I'm sure, to show that you could still find joy in simple things but we know he himself was not happy.

So the happiness we see in those images is not his personal happiness. Even though he does genuinely look like hes having fun, that happiness is manufactured for us.

And then he looks up at the photographer and this we get this poignant, beautiful smile. Open, unguarded, and holding nothing back, his expression is so soft, so genuinely glad to see the person behind the camera.

He is looking at someone he loves and who he knows loves him in return.

"I see you, and everything is better. The sun comes out because you’re here with me," It says.

There's a stillness in this image, as though Jimin -singled out - stopped what he was doing to look back at the photographer, shutting out all the activity surrounding the two of them and stealing a quiet moment with that person.

And that stolen moment would have remained secret and private forever, had the photographer not shared this photo.

But they did.

The photographer gave it to us.

Was this just for aesthetic reasons?

I don't believe so.

Of course, it is a beautiful portrait of Jimin. Aesthetically and emotively it's a striking photograph, but there must me HUNDREDS of beautiful photos of Jimin. The photographer could have chosen ANY of them. But they chose this one.

Now we have this moment on record.

We get to see Jimin feeling this love. We see him the way the photographer sees him. And yes, we know who he is looking at.

We know who was behind the camera.... because the photograher shared this with us too.

Jungkook makes sure we know who took that photograph.

His Private Life becomes Art

In the drama series, the writer relents and takes Doekmi and Ryan upstairs to show them a locked room. It is full of photographs of himself, taken by photographer-Yoon over many years. In all of the pictures, he looks happy. Deokmi describes it as 'a love letter to the writer, from Photographer Yoon'.

The writer admits that he is ashamed that he never acknowledged Yoon's feelings. He didn't dislike them but he didn't have the courage to respond to them, which is why he can't release the portrait now. He can't reveal to the world how Yoon felt, when its too late to tell him that he knew, and that he didn't reject that love.

Ryan looks around at all the photos and says "Did you really ignore his heart? This smile does not look like it. You did not know your own heart, but photographer Yoon could have known it. As a photographer, how could he not notice it. He knew."

Their Private Life becomes public

That photo of Jimin is everywhere. Jungkook made sure of that.

The reticence of the two men in Her Private Life is nowhere to be found here.

Jungkook took this photo of the man he loves and one look at Jimin's face tells us that love is returned.

Just like photographer Yoon, Jungkook saw it and he knew we would all see it too.

But instead of hiding the picture in a locked room for decades, Jungkook published it in the most public forum imaginable. He put it into the music video for Life Goes On.

He consciously chose for us to see that photo.

Don't forget, he was the director of that music video too...

That private stolen moment, full of love and fondness, shows Jimin at his softest and his most vulnerable.

And maybe that's a side of Jimin only Jungkook sees. Maybe Jungkook wants us to know the Jimin HE knows. The open, unguarded Jimin who wears his heart on his sleeve the way Jungkook does. The most authentic, unafraid, beautiful Jimin.

The Jimin he loves the most.

💛💜

°~☆~°

*He told us in his Vlives, he told us in his album, he told us in his interviews. It was a hard, hard time for him.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Against Erasure was first published in Madrid by two Spanish women with experience of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – Sandra Barrilaro, a photographer, and Teresa Aranguren, a journalist – to push back against an Israeli version of history that not only erased Palestinian society but also works to wipe out its memory. The original title in Spanish translates as Against Forgetting but that was already taken by a poetry book. The English-language publishers settled instead on Against Erasure. It’s a title that feels more pointed not only because of the present war in Gaza but after years of what Israeli human rights groups describe as the regime of Jewish supremacy in the West Bank intended to erase any possibility of a viable Palestinian state. A system that has worked hard to make Palestinians living under occupation, confined behind the vast and winding West Bank barrier or caged in Gaza, largely unseen by ordinary Israelis except when called up to do their periodic military service enforcing the occupation. The version of the book in English and Arabic was commissioned for Haymarket by Róisín Davis. “Most people don’t learn about the Nakba in school. They don’t learn about the history of this land, of these people. And they certainly don’t encounter a sense of what Palestine looked like,” she said. “The book is a visual testament to Palestinian society, to what existed. The power of this book is in the images representing the breadth and richness of Palestinian society before the Nakba, pre-1948. They show a full society, a rich society and an abundant land. They also show the diversity of society which goes a long way to counter the Zionist narrative that it was a land without a people, for people without a land.”

[...]

Against Erasure lists 418 Palestinian villages depopulated during the Nakba and either destroyed or taken over by Jewish residents and given Hebrew names in an act of what the book calls “sociocide” but which might well be described as ethnic cleansing. In places, the Palestinian population was murdered, perhaps most notoriously in Deir Yassin. The book quotes Jacques de Reynier, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation, after a visit to Deir Yassin as describing the massacre of Arabs “without any military reason or provocation of any kind; old men, women, children, newly born were savagely murdered with grenades and knives by Jewish troops of the Irgun, entirely under the control of their chiefs”.

[brickcentral]

🤩 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: paps.bricks Hello everyone! It's time to direct the spotlight toward our community members, and today we will get to know better paps.bricks!

"Hi everyone. I am Skevos Papageorgiou from Nicosia, Cyprus and I work as a teacher at a primary school.

During the pandemic, I stumbled upon the fascinating world of toy photography, initially experimenting with Playmobil figures. Yet, it was the captivating LEGO creations that truly sparked my imagination.

Despite never owning a LEGO set before last year, I started collecting my first modulars, finding endless inspiration for my snapshots.

My favorite photo subjects derive from the Wild West, pirate adventures and the medieval era. But I also tend to like the simplicity of everyday life scenes.

In my photos I always include some sort of building like workplaces, rooms, or facades etc because they add depth and give viewers more to explore beyond just the minifigure. These details enhance the storytelling in each image, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in it.

Once my setup is ready, I always shoot at the eye level of the minifigure for reasons we're all familiar with. From there, it's all about experimenting with the aperture, lighting, angle, and more until I achieve the desired result.

Drawing ideas from Pinterest, my main goal is to create narratives and capture moments infusing each photo with a unique story. I only wish the process from conception to setup and finally the photo wouldn’t span several days. I must admit I envy people who complete their work in the blink of an eye.

Despite the time-consuming nature of this hobby, every moment spent orchestrating these miniature scenes is incredibly soothing and enjoyable. Though, I must admit, once the shoot is over, the eagerness to tidy up and store everything back in drawers is undeniable!

For my photos I use an Olympus M. Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6, a couple of RGB lights by ulanzi and A4 papers as a reflector.

Thank you to the LEGO community for embracing my creative endeavors, and here’s to many more adventures in the world of toy photography!"

Thank you for accepting our invitation and let the community knows you better!

If you want some insights on the exclusive picture and for a better view of the others, head to our blog at https://brickentral.net/.

- @theaphol, Community Outreach Manager

[nalyra-dreaming]

Do you think Louis' passion for photography might turn out to be plot relevant, or are they just including it for symbolic reasons? I think that's such an interesting hobby to give him, especially with the central theme being him (and Daniel!) grappling towards the truth through all these unreliable memories. Do you think at some point he and/or Daniel might happen upon a photo that sparks an important memory or solves a riddle? I think that'd be pretty cool if it was done well.

Ohhh, I think it will be very important, as well as an important narrative device.

I mean Claudia was recast... Back then there was a lot of speculation if they would use that and I can easily see Daniel finding a picture of her now, and then the view reshaping.

Maybe Armand will get one out of the folders for Daniel.

If I'm right and they filmed the "real murder night" already, then that would be Bailey still - and after that the narrative could reshape. Personally I would love it if they would include that, for example.

So yes, I do think they will use it not only as a prop.

It's too prominent in s2 already.

And I also think that for Daniel for example it might be audio records, or maybe even videos.

Louis will have proof for some things in photos... Daniel will find proof of some things in another format. I think^^

[onegirllis]

So, about the new LIS trailer

It took me some time, but forgive me for the delayed response. I had to dig myself out of the fandom grave to actually look around and notice what the hell was going on. I spent another moment pondering if I still care, and with the answer "barely," I came here to write this post.

1) For whatever reason DickNein (yes, I didn't miss the scandal, who is the nazi now?) still doesn't understand what made LIS 1 so successful. It wasn't the diversity; it wasn't the same copy-paste lines; it wasn't the murder; it wasn't the superheroes from small towns with different powers. It wasn't even the lesbians (I know, shocking!). There were merely a few elements that made LIS special: - Magical Arcadia Bay with its residents - The rewind time superpower, which was one of the best mechanics in narrative games since the genre was born - Max, Chloe, and Rachel (not necessarily in that order), and you need at least two to make it work, preferably with Chloe at least somewhere there. - the specific art style and saturated colors (butchered a bit in BTS but then going full SIMS 4 for the rest of the games) - and most importantly - the soul Sure, DontNod could get away with alteration, to no fanfare and sometimes to no success, but their experiments came from the right place. This shit ain't it.

2) For whatever reason, Chloe is now a dog. I know. I know. I understand. Listen, my fellow comrades, I know how it feels when the devs pull put shit like, "Oh, they were just friends and grew apart, but now she named her squirrel after the love of her high school life".

3) Max had plastic surgery. She also decided to be entirely anonymous so that she looked like everyone else. Every model looks the same, and I hope they will have their names spelled above them as they walk around. Otherwise, I have no idea who is who. Frankly, she looks a little bit like Steph had a lot of fun with the entire cast of Sims 4 and then had a baby.

4) On top of everything, the new Max, however, probably now goes as Maxine, is teaching her Polaroid skills at a university. Now we know we are in an alternative universe all along. I hope the tuition matches the useful photography skill set you obtain there.

5) For any other reason unknown, she can dress up as Chloe, who can be dead (see the Ultimate edition). I know Max has a long tradition of dressing up as dead people, but I hoped it would go away with her Botox and other plastic corrections. But hey, we survived Chloe dressing up as Rachel and cosplaying as her dad, too, so I guess I shouldn't even be surprised. Not that it's a low-budget movie, and they have a limited wardrobe. It's a video game, but the tradition of having a mental stroke is still strong.

6) Oh no, another murder I gotta solve! I shall use my powers. Why now? Is it another girlfriend who is into printing photos? Or is it her student? Or both? Max becoming Jefferson would be a nice twist, even if not loved among the community, but I don't think it would get anywhere that dark. It just will get stupid.

7) This is supposed to be a fanservice a little too late and on the wrong foot. I know y'all missed Max. I didn't, but I understand the hype on seeing her on the screen. Although following a teenager in Arcadia Bay was interesting, simply by the shot of nostalgia with every step, here we are following a middle-aged single art teacher (or someone who looks middle-aged to the point that they decided on fixing their face). NO ONE WANTS TO FOLLOW THEIR ART TEACHERS WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

8) The Nazi problem (well, well, well, the turntables). I know DeckNein had to do some cleanup among their staff. I hope they did, but somehow, I doubt it was done for the right purpose. Therefore, I'm uncomfortable giving them any of my money, now or ever. I know, there are worse studios. I know it's stupid, but LIS was always special, filled with this little genuine spark. It just doesn't feel right.

9) The game has the worst UI in the history of modern gaming.

10) And to finish my rant on something even worse, LIS4 is coming just before DontNod's new game, most likely to compete with it on the market. A bit sus, don't you think?

Anyway, dick move, my friends. All of it. Actually, waving dicks around in the air all along. Despite our differences, this ain't right. And God knows how much worse it could be.

[raelle-writing]

I’ve been seeing so many complaints about Jin not having enough backstory and that he’s too flat, and I’m curious to know your thoughts. I personally think he’s very developed and believe that a character should be able to stand by their current actions without needing flashbacks to explain them.

We know that he is a kind and gentle person who held (and still holds) idealistic notions, and that he effed up real bad with taking the video, and has been feeling guilty and haunted ever since. We know that he develops feelings deeply for people but always makes sure that they reciprocate. We know that he doesn’t like uncertainty when emotions are involved and wants clear communication and has a bit of a jealous streak. We know that when placed in physically dangerous situations, he will jump in immediately to defend and help people. We know that he loves photography and honestly a lot can be explained by his having an artistic soul.

I guess a recent example I’ve seen of a character that’s very developed with absolutely no flashback backstory is Tong’s character Hong from ManSuang. Obviously very different context and character but I loved how much we knew about his essence as a character and person without needing scenes about his childhood and how he grew up.

Anyway sorry for the length, and thank you for your wonderful DFF thoughts and analyses!

Thank you for sending this ask 💕 I've been thinking a lot about this too, honestly. I have some mixed, complex thoughts lol so let me try and explain them.

Firstly, I agree with you that we get a lot of Jin throughout his actions. I fully disagree with people who say that Jin is flat, or that he doesn't have impact on the narrative, or that he's a side character. Jin's always been a very central main piece of the plot. He's the everyman, reacting to the bullying the way most average people would. Acting selfishly and selflessly by turns. He's the catalyst that drove them into the woods. He's the only person who feels guilt and carries the weight of the past (among the bullies). He tries to be a good person, and fucks up bad by turns.

And as you said, we get tons of personality from Jin throughout his actions. He's naive and idealistic. He associates sex and feelings strongly. He falls hard and fast. He lives in a large house but clearly has no one checking on him when he comes home late or brings a boy over to stay the night. He shows signs of emotional neglect and unhealthy attachments. He has fits of anger which lead him to do bad things he feels awful about for years afterwards.

He calls himself a coward but when faced with a weapon he jumps in front of it to try and protect his friends.

There are a lot of shadows to his character that paint a full picture, to me. I don't find his character to be flat at all, in fact Jin is still one of my favorite characters because of all of this.

However, I do understand why people are disappointed. Because while we do see large pieces of Jin's character, when you compare him to characters like Non and Tee, where we see their home lives and motivations in detail, Jin definitely looks flat in comparison. I was also hoping that we'd get insight into Jin's home life and learn why he is the way he is, like we did with some of the others. And we didn't (and won't) get that. And that's definitely disappointing.

Especially since today, in a Space on Twitter, Sammon said she regrets not writing Jin in more detail and she views that as a failing. I think that's one reason people are being so negative about Jin's character right now.

BUT, I personally think people are entirely overblowing it all. Jin is a very interesting, complex, gray, sympathetic character in so many ways, even if we don't get that extra layer of depth. Especially given that one of the reasons we have less of Jin is because he does less terrible shit within the narrative as some of the others, I'm a bit 🤷🏻‍♀️ about it all.

Anyway! Thanks again for the ask, it was a good excuse for me to actually formulate my thoughts!

[marisatomay]

(private) am i going insane because from all objective metrics dead reckoning is doing great? im not american but where I am we are getting positive reviews about the milestones it's crossing here but all American origin media seems to be hell bent on crying doom about it for some reason? what is happening?

there are quite a few things contributing to this attitude and they boil down to the fact that the trades have a very myopic, US-centric view and so they have decided on a narrative for DR (flop) and they’re sticking to it and are just ignoring that the entire rest of the world exists, the movie lost ALL of its premium screens and quite a few of its standard ones after it’s first week (and no he couldn’t have released it any later because you cannot tell me he did not smell this strike coming (he’s been fighting the studios about AI for decades) and knew no one would be around to promote DR in fucking august) and yet has still made back its entire covid-inflated budget plus another $200mil and is still going at a good clip, and that cruise guaranteed the movie would get a minimum 90 day theatrical release which means it’ll still be there into *october* but more than that they’re definitely ignoring the fact that DR’s super-inflated budget isn’t like the ones that people have been mocking for indy5 or fastX or whatever because DR’s includes the roughly 40% of DRpart2 that’s already been shot, an estimated $100mil in covid safety costs that were already paid off by insurance, and the *7 months* between having the evacuate venice in february 2020 and the beginning of principal photography in september 2020 that tom cruise forced paramount to keep his entire blockbuster film cast and crew on the payroll when everyone else in hollywood just laid everyone off. but if the trades talk about that then they would have to admit that everything is fine actually and the sky isn’t falling on tom cruise. so they stick to their chosen narrative.

[artwithoutblood]

now i feel like a fraud because, like neil gaiman, i too have a dream that just wants to die. this is awkward.

Nooo! I'm sorry, I am the awkward one, getting all overexcited about a theory and forgetting that it can be really rude to compare. (Even accidentally.) That was just trying to spitball what the demon rules for dealing with Silas could be! 

Dream gods are just Like That anyway, they're a bunch of sad emo bastards. Too much time spent in their own other people's heads. It's the natural way of things - Dreams die.

Hive minding happens.

The characters are also quite different in personality, character arc, genre... Morpheus tried to clean up his act and in doing so brought about his own death indirectly. Silas is not contrite, went full serial killer and is completely unable to die despite actively seeking it. Plus under the horrific elements Sandman was a classic Greek tragedy with heaps of specific nods to Shakespeare and theatre, and Silas' story is more like cosmic, supernatural or psychological horror. It’s fine!

samir's domain is sand. all sand. little hideaways underneath, where he spends his days drawing and weaving. i could see him keeping silas in a coffin, buried deep, deep in the sand. should silas awaken, he will be drowned by the weight. perhaps adonis can trap his soul in a photograph and take him away. demons don't have souls.you get it. or, perhaps, his body must be forced into the erotic ritual of giving a human demonhood. take over another's aspect. let the former body rot.

👁️ 👁️ 🍿

Lore drop

That's pretty cool. The deserts bring to mind Africa, 'the cradle of humanity''. Or the Middle East, where important theories/inventions around math and astronomy emerged - showing people the workings of reality.

The drawing and weaving are the mind's images, creating narratives, constructing realities. Spinning a yarn. An unbroken thread passing through human lives, an extant tapestry recording experiences that cannot be forgotten.

The desert tunnels also recall the primordial caves. Ancient mankind. The dark. The unknown. The earliest recorded depictions of history and human lives.

Nightmares are as old as humanity and developed alongside them to deal with the horrors. Samir delves deep, down into the suppressed, the hidden back corners and labyrinths of your mind. Samir gets to the hidden reasons, the mysteries. While it's mostly around remembering and managing danger - Samir gives the tools and understanding to engage with, make sense of, and gain mastery of the world you live in.

So that's a really good idea...

By breaking Silas down to his building blocks (physically and/or metaphorically) and understanding his workings he could be stripped of his power by integrating him into, suppressing him under, or extinguishing him with another consciousness.

From a deadly figurative nightmare he could become a weaker literal nightmare. A powerless figment that is terrifying but loses its grip quickly, lurking in the subconscious like an attenuated virus, helping to deal with real fears and predators. A boogeyman suppressed under conscious awareness and weighted down by the sifting sands of Time. No longer real. Passing into myth, into collective memory, now only marked by a constellation.

Samir can also do the opposite. A horrific, primal and subliminal force can be given a different symbolic form. Processed, relived, released, ultimately taking a more acceptable expression.

*points at Silas* Get sublimated idiot.

I also like Adonis trapping him in a photograph. Silas doesn't have a soul but he is an idea, a concept that can be fictionalized into a grim old fairy tale. Like the opposite of those Victorian girls with their paper fairy hoax, people will gasp at the clever photography effects and the tide of scepticism could weaken his grip on humanity.

And perhaps he can even be trapped temporally in a photograph. Frozen forever in time.

“All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt.” ― Susan Sontag

I'm not actually smart, I don't know who Susan Sontag is. Tumblr dash just shows me random quotes and this one was on the nose for Aeron and Adonis

it's alright! i meant it in the way where 3 years before the film was released, i wrote the plot of guardians of the galaxy 2 beat by beat for one of my ocs. and then i realized it's ok that i didn't flesh out that storyline because gotg2 was bad. i now have to be like "DAMN!! I CANT DO THIS, GAIMAN ALREADY DID"

samir keeps to himself. he's probably, actually, the most kind, gentle person in the universe thus far. he speaks like the morning dawn. he keeps the cave drawings. makes textiles, makes cloth. plays pretty strings, beautiful instruments. watches nightmares from afar. i know that we must suffer to grow. that doesn't mean i like it.

sometimes, he can make a nightmare just an hourglass. the sand falls on your face. he watches. he has acknowledged you. if he was finally able to find silas and drag him back home by the hair, he'd put his body in a coffin and bury it deep. perhaps, he'd force the essence out of silas and into a younger body. a pretty girl with the fluff of the clouds, eyes of the stars, she should be the one to represent dreams. children have dreams. she could play with toys in the dreamscape.

he is there in your first nightmare. he is the comfort of waking up. he is the comfort in knowing that you can overcome the fear of the nightmare. but he is also the repeating nightmare that haunts you, reminds you of your sins.

there are, perhaps, parallels between samir's solitude in his own caverns and kayn, crawling around in the cold of a dead culture.

because of your asks involving samir, here he is, in his glory.

[adeepdive]

A Deep Dive

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital content, Tumblr has carved out a unique niche as a haven for creatives. Among the myriad of blogs that populate this platform, those focused on aesthetic photography and visual arts have emerged as some of the most popular and influential. These blogs are not only visually captivating but also serve as powerful tools for personal expression, community building, and even brand development. This article explores the rise of aesthetic photography and visual arts on Tumblr, offering insights into what makes these blogs so compelling and how they contribute to the broader digital ecosystem.

Aesthetic Photography: A Visual Language of Its Own

Aesthetic photography on Tumblr is defined by its focus on beauty, mood, and emotion. Unlike traditional photography that often prioritises technical precision, aesthetic photography is more concerned with the overall feel and atmosphere of an image. This genre often features minimalistic compositions, soft colour palettes, and an emphasis on natural light. Common subjects include landscapes, urban scenes, and everyday objects, all captured in a way that evokes a sense of serenity and introspection.

One of the key reasons for the popularity of aesthetic photography on Tumblr is its ability to convey complex emotions without the need for words. In a world saturated with information, these images offer a moment of pause, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the visual experience. The images often tell a story or evoke a memory, making them deeply personal to both the creator and the audience.

The Power of Visual Storytelling

Visual arts blogs on Tumblr often go hand-in-hand with aesthetic photography. These blogs curate and share a wide range of visual content, including digital illustrations, graphic designs, and mixed media art. The content is typically arranged in a cohesive and visually pleasing manner, often following specific colour schemes or themes. This level of curation transforms a simple blog into a work of art in itself, making it a destination for those seeking inspiration and creativity.

One of the most significant aspects of these blogs is their ability to tell stories through visuals. Whether it’s a series of photographs capturing the changing seasons or a collection of illustrations depicting a personal journey, these blogs use images to convey narratives that resonate with their audience. This form of storytelling is particularly powerful on a platform like Tumblr, where users are encouraged to engage with content through likes, reblogs, and comments. The interactive nature of Tumblr allows these visual stories to reach a wider audience, creating a sense of community among those who share similar tastes and interests.

Community and Collaboration

Aesthetic photography and visual arts blogs on Tumblr have fostered a strong sense of community. Creators and followers alike engage in conversations about techniques, inspirations, and the meaning behind the art. This collaborative environment encourages learning and growth, making Tumblr a valuable resource for both aspiring and established artists.

Moreover, these blogs often serve as platforms for collaboration. Artists from different backgrounds and disciplines come together to create joint projects, whether it’s a photography series, a zine, or even a virtual exhibition. These collaborations not only enrich the content but also help artists expand their reach and gain exposure to new audiences.

SEO and Brand Development

For artists and photographers looking to establish a brand, Tumblr offers a unique opportunity to build a following organically. By consistently posting high-quality content and engaging with the community, creators can increase their visibility and attract potential clients or collaborators. SEO plays a crucial role in this process, as optimising posts with relevant tags and descriptions can significantly improve a blog’s discoverability.

Tags such as “aesthetic photography,” “visual art,” “minimalism,” and “digital illustration” are essential for reaching the right audience. Additionally, using descriptive captions and alt text not only improves accessibility but also enhances search engine ranking, making the content more likely to appear in relevant searches.

Conclusion: The Future of Aesthetic Blogs on Tumblr

As digital culture continues to evolve, aesthetic photography and visual arts blogs on Tumblr are likely to remain influential. These blogs offer more than just visual appeal; they provide a space for creativity, community, and personal expression. Whether you’re an artist looking to share your work, a brand seeking to connect with a creative audience, or simply a lover of beautiful visuals, Tumblr’s aesthetic photography and visual arts blogs offer something for everyone.

In a world where visual content reigns supreme, these blogs are not just a trend—they are a testament to the enduring power of art and the human desire to create and connect. As the platform continues to grow and adapt, one thing is certain: the aesthetic movement on Tumblr is here to stay, and it will continue to inspire and influence for years to come.

[the-romantic-lady]

How? Beyond tired of people claiming this shit while no one offers ideas how could have been that possible. Its not KP fault that Chuck decided to make a snooze fest out of his prostate the same day, an hour after catherines request for privacy after her major abdominal surgery.

1. First of all, W should have allowed more pics of him visiting Catherine. Because the moment C&C allowed all the photos when they went to hospital and then Cam visiting Charles 3 times per day, it’s why people believe W never visited and that he doesn’t care about his wife. I know they wanted privacy, but still. And maybe allowing Catherine’s family to be pictured too, that’s why we have the narrative of the palace having Catherine lock up or that W did something terrible to her because he didn’t allow her family to visit.

2. Their team should know ALL the guidelines when submitting a picture to the press (not altering the pixels, not even ‘red-eye’ because it’s a big ‘no’ from the agencies), so when Catherine send the picture to the team, they should have said: Ma’am, did you edit the picture? If yes, what did you do, just to be sure you didn’t broke the rules). They are the EXPERTS about dealing with the media, how could they missed that? And the fact that they still threw her under the bus the next day, telling to the press she ‘didn’t tell them’, well…. Also, maybe knowing that W knows a damn about photography, they should have asked Michael Midd to help them.

3. Not saying a damn about the edited picture and less letting Catherine to sign it alone, sure, maybe Catherine wanted to do it, but I would have loved that W would have signed that statement with her at the very least, that’s why we have the narrative of: William throwing her under the bus while she has been battling with Cancer (and honestly that narrative sounds terrible for W).

4. There are many stories of why W didn’t attend his godfather’s memorial at the last minute, but his team said: ‘He didn’t attend for a personal reason, but it isn’t about Catherine, in fact she is doing well’, then KP leaked that he missed the memorial because of Catherine and if the timeline is correct, apparently she started treatment at that time. So, that’s another point when KP started losing trust.

I mean, I agree with Catherine wanting privacy, but when she is this massive figure for the BRF, it was just question of time that people started talking nonsense. And her team failed her miserably, they lost the narrative, the trust and a lot of stuff, even with lack of details, they could have done better.

Damn anon, you went off. All these steps could have made sure Catherine was comfortable and stress free.

It’s hard for us to point these things out because we know what William and Catherine are like. We know that they avoid cringe pdas but KP should not consider us. Consider the rest of the world. They think every little thing is William being a horrible husband blah blah. So why give them something to talk about?

When Catherine was pregnant for the first time and hospitalized, people were just as crazy even leading to the poor nurse’s unaliving. But the palace coordination made sure the whole thing was just a blip. We saw the family visiting, William visiting, clear wording etc.

Yeah, KP truly sucks. They need a much better team for their positions now.

[centrally-unplanned]

Episode 3 of Bocchi The Rock! is like buying a TCG expansion pack for creative animation and having every card be a rare, its amazing. If you are fan you have definitely seen the screenshots; Bocchi’s panic over peer judgements done with paper cut-outs on puppet sticks:

Her sanity hitting a breaking point being a live action exploding balloon:

And her improv-folk-ditty about her failed friendship attempt being set to a 2000′s-era indie music video backing of scanning landscape shots

The production team released some adorable behind-the-scenes footage of some of these, btw:

Those shots really emphasize the necessity-as-mother-of-invention dynamic - if your team is *already* creative and has multimedia approaches down, filming a balloon pop is way less work than animating it and is more importantly working *different* staff members, so your animators can focus on making the other scenes look good. Bocchi is a small production and they are stretching their resources to the limit, with great results.

(The budget-saving facts reminded me of the much-more-troubled but equally creative production of Kare Kano, whose Episode 19 is famously paper cut-outs filmed live:)

(This episode is also Studio Trigger founder Hiroyuki Imaishi’s episode directorial debut, fun fact)

Now these scenes do not need a ‘reason’ to be animated in such creative ways; you can just have fun, Bocchi is a light comedy, art for arts sake is great actually. But I am impressed by how much thought has gone into aligning the aesthetic choices with the narrative & character. To go in order:

Paper cut-outs: Bocchi is entertaining an elaborately ridiculous fantasy that joining a conversation her peers were having would result in complete social castration; how unrealistic such a response would be is emphasized by the unrealism of their bobbing stick movements and how they clash with the ‘real’ Bocchi (who is drawn traditionally)

Balloon Pop: A simple one, her ‘reality break’ is extremely sudden and its really hard for animation to approximate the sharp speed of an actual balloon explosion, combined with (not observable in a still) an extremely silly, non-explosive spoken sound effect to emphasize the triviality of the stakes.

Landscape Music Video: My personal favourite, the ‘depressed romantic indie musician’ is such a specific vibe, a style we often laugh at today for its pretentiousness, and the way Bocchi is romanticizing and catastrophizing the extremely mundane struggles she is going through is exactly that energy, the joke just doesn’t work without this reference.

Almost every time they stretch the scope of the definition of ‘animation’ they also enhance the characterization & story, which imbues a lot more life into scenes that could otherwise come off as simply zany. 

The team is really nailing it - and its led by first-time director Keiichirou Saito at Cloverworks. He can’t take all the credit for the ideas; Episode 3 was directed by series assistant director Yusuke Yamamoto, and we know he was directly responsible for the landscape photography music video sequence. But Saito’s credits put him working as an animator on Wonder Egg Priority, Heiki Monogatari, Sonny Boy, Flip Flappers...never as a huge role, just a key animator, but still I think it demonstrates an interest in pushing the envelope on style and direction. I hope these productions continue to beget new creatives who take the spirit on to new projects.

[fictionadventurer]

Fortnight of Books: Day 1

Overall - best books read in 2023?

Of new-to-me books, the standouts of my year include (in rough chronological order of when I read them):

Endurance by Alfred Lansing: Thrilling and harrowing account of Shackleton's South Pole expedition. It made me very grateful as I went through my day-to-day life--no matter how bad things were, at least I had eaten things that weren't seal meat.

Daisy Miller and Washington Square by Henry James: Short, sad little novellas that drew me in with their compassionate realism and added a new name to my list of favorite classic authors.

A Field Guide to Mermaids by Emily B. Martin: Beautifully illustrated book that provides a detailed world of mermaid species and provides lots of interesting facts about the natural world. Child me would have loved this.

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell: I hated the ending, and the structure was very weird, but this was a look at a side of Victorian London I rarely see in literature, with some great characters and a really interesting dive into the issues in the background of North and South.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin: It gave me an obsession with Lincoln's Cabinet. I still sometimes stop and think, "I need to read about some Seward shenanigans."

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard: Extremely readable history book that provided a lot of food for my obsession with James Garfield's and Chester Arthur's presidencies.

The Q by Beth Brower: Victorian Ruritanian fiction about a female newspaper tycoon that has a murky plot but also one of my favorite romantic couples of the year, one of the best tributes to autumn I've read, and most importantly (the real reason it's on this list), introduced me to the author of my favorite series of the year (more below).

Desire and The Good Comrade by Una L. Silsberrad: Forgotten turn-of-the-century women's fiction with some great female leads trying to find a place in society. Desire is a bit more literary while The Good Comrade is a bit more fun, but both were just the type of story that tends to make my list of favorites.

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy: Fun sister story with some fun romances. Very easy to read and provided a fascinating look at the world of Victorian photography.

The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins: I was so invested in the main character, a woman who would overcome anything that tried to stop her from helping her husband.

The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte Mary Yonge: The prose is dense and the author's too preachy, but this had some of my favorite characters of the year (Charles Edmonstone my beloved).

Best series you discovered in 2023?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. If it weren't for this question, it would be at the top spot in the last list. They hit so many sweet spots for my perfect comfort read--Victorian England, memorable characters, lightly fantastical setting, fun narrative voice, friendships and comedy and heartbreak and literature and just so much fun.

Best reread of the year?

Definitely The Lord of the Rings. I had liked the series after my first read, but my appreciation was mostly bolstered by the fact that I'm surrounded by a huge fandom for it. This year's reread made me truly appreciate it for the masterwork it is and made it a cornerstone of my interior life.

If it weren't for that, this spot would go to A Christmas Carol, because I was shocked to find that it really is good enough to earn its dominant place in pop culture. The descriptions of Christmas are some of the best things in literature.

[fromtenthousandfeet]

I don’t disagree with most of what you said in your last post, and for the most part blame Bang PD and Hybe for everything leading up to where we are now. The only thing I don’t really understand is that it’s been proven that MHJ was trying to make it so that they were more independent from Hybe and thus Hybe would not actually gain from New Jeans success. Ador/MHJ/NJ’s clearly were not on board for bringing in more for Hybe to ease BTS’s burden, so why give them that credit? From what I can tell, if they had it their way BTS would not benefit from them doing well at all. Criticize Hybe as much as you want, and I’ll be there nodding my head, but I can’t get on board with this narrative that excludes Hybe from being a big reason why new jeans is as successful as they are, or that mhj is more than just another self-obsessed millionaire. The disrespect towards BTS that’s been shown through this whole situation by both Hybe and MHJ really shouldn’t be ignored by anyone who has spent any amount of time or brain space supporting them, and I really hope if nothing else the PJMs that have been cheering this on because they rightly hate Hybe remember that Jimin is part of the group that has been disrespected. You don’t need to cape for any of these people, none of them deserve it.

Anon,

Thanks for your message and thanks for being respectful with your criticism of MHJ. As a woman, I've really struggled with the lazy ad-hominem attacks BTS fans have used against MHJ rather than focusing on actual potential wrong doing on her part. Enough with pedo this and shaman that.

Fundamentally, HYBE owns an 80% stake in Ador. Since Ador is not a publicly traded company, there is no mechanism for outside investors to buy stock/invest in the company. There is absolutely no way whatsoever for MHJ to remove Ador from underneath HYBE. And because HYBE owns 80% equity, they receive 80% of Ador's revenue. The only way MHJ/Ador could hurt HYBE would be to intentionally lose money, which they haven't done. What they have done is build a solid product and brand that continues to be noticed and lauded by the media (Forbes, Billboard, etc.), music critics, creatives, and of course, fans. Also, the ROI on NewJeans is really impressive (see my next post).

In terms of wanting to be independent from HYBE, I suspect Bang PD promised Min Hee Jin autonomy at her label. She probably assumed that she could use her creative vision to create her own group and likely didn't expect she would be plagiarized by other labels under the HYBE Labels umbrella. Complaining about your boss sabotaging your success seems pretty legit and normal to me. BTS fans are quick to say she's made these allegations up, but folks, we've already seen this exact playbook after Jimin's success. BigHit "borrowed" Jimin's visual concepts for Jungkook's Seven almost verbatim. But copying his clothes and photography style is nothing compared to the lengths they went to not only reproduce Jimin's #1 on the BB Hot 100, but also to surpass and devalue all of his accomplishments with that crappy song that wasn't even written in house. BigHit/HYBE damaged Jimin's artistry and his brand value. Sorry, but that's unforgiveable in my humble opinion.

I personally don't see how the conflict between MJH and BSH has hurt BTS. If anything, it's galvanized an increasingly fractured fandom around a common enemy. The conflict has benefited RM the most as the fandom sprung into action in order to "protect" BTS from the witch. Simply look at the lackluster response to Hobi's Neuron and Teahyung's Fri(end)s compared to the response to RM's new album and singles. The fandom has obviously been losing momentum the longer the boys are away and now they have a new reason to be reinvigorated.

In the end, I'm happy to agree to disagree. This blog isn't serious. My opinions are my own and of course I could be completely wrong. Also, I'm not ARMY, I'm just a casual fan who is fascinated by both BTS' international success and the devotion of their die-hard fandom. That said, I think Jimin has the potential to be hugely successful as a solo artist and I hope it happens. It's been a strange and sad journey to watch his own company sabotage him in order to protect Bang PD's ego and artificially inflate Scooter Braun's value to the company.

[maliciousalice]

Hii Do you have a fave Janeway out-of-uniform look?

Ohh this is such a hard choice! There are so many reasons I like her out of uniform-- A lot of the time it's because we get to see who she is behind the veil. That couldn't be more apparent than in Resolutions, she flirts, explores and relaxes while she struggles to maintain her identity. She has like, 5 costume changes in that episode, albeit modest in design, they are quite revealing in a sub-textual way. Funnily enough, I actually would like to catalogue each time she is out of uniform and break down how it relates to the narrative etc. I sometimes ponder about the choices that have been made with hair and costume. We don't actually know much besides a few articles and scattered pieces of media--Most behind the scene information is about set design, which in it's own right is cool, but sometimes feels like it’s highlighted due to the male audience and as a result the other artists aren't valued enough. In theory, I'd like to uplift them because their efforts transform the lack frontal, narrative-body of some characters- we consequently learn things such as the fashion of the era, character’s states of mind, setting, etc, simply through what they are wearing– Do I dislike that? No. Because I understand the format of Star Trek is limited by the nature of being a 24 episode per season show. Sometimes things appear rushed or incomplete but if you look in the right direction, the work that was produced is just as rich as most shows, if not more. For the most part don’t think audiences appreciate the conditions that this show was made under.

The whole show has certainly been more impactful on the cultural zeitgeist than others and I think the reason for that success goes beyond the surface level- It’s not just a simple miracle that it works as well as it does, talented teams of actors, writers and people in costume all combined their skills together to forge it. They did the best they could with what they were given, and I appreciate the costume designers and writers for attempting to provide some semblance of substance in the background. (On another note I wish Paramount had archived their costumes better. Evil that we only get high resolution photography when they're selling them to someone's private collection)

However, to answer your actual question, my favourite out of uniform stint is when Captain Janeway is modified to look like a Klingon in the Killing Game! The disguise worked so well for me that I didn't recognise her on my first watch through.

Interestingly in the brief scene with brainwashed Janeway, we see an acting side of Kate's that is pretty rare. She delivered a unique and entertaining performance. While she has had to get physical on a few occasions as Janeway, and even other roles, she has never had to go full feral mode and I love seeing her in a way that is untethered from all of herself, she yells, bares her teeth, barrels into others, and does somersaults without hesitation. It's delightful choreography, and It immediately makes us question what is going on. Who is this? Can’t possibly be our well-adjusted hero, because whoever this is, is brazenly-fierce and in Klingon attire! But yes we find out it is indeed her, arguably a repressed version of her mind but regardless Janeway is completely transformed both physically and mentally, and that’s shockingly fun. 

Lending to that idea of fun, is the juxtaposingly detailed presentation of the Klingon costume versus the Starfleet uniform. I love the overall shapes, matte qualities contrasting with the metal details, the decorative line-work that leads the eye around, and materials such as swinging chains and fur, that make it look good in motion. From what I’ve seen there is a difference in the female and male armour, with the breast plating and bodice design. The armour’s bulky top half with its shoulder pads deliver a signature look, and it looks great against the simplified bottom. Considering Klingon’s do a lot of close combat, my guess is that it’s design is more about manoeuvrability, and boasting intimidation, rather than heavy defence. Ironically after all that ducking and dodging, ho ho Janeway gets stabbed for leaving her guard down. If I looked, I am sure I could find something to back that up, since Klingons have extremely dedicated lore. 

The makeup on Janeway is really neat too, the orange tones they used on her face make her crystalline eye colour dramatically pop. There is also a delicious parallel to her styling and B'Elanna's mother from Barge of the Dead in the episode that I quietly indulge in BUT I DIGRESS.

Despite the unusual circumstances, I wish we had more photography done of Kate in the unique costumes she wore beyond a few on set pictures, because I want to ogle at a more editorial/detailed press presentation of each one and I believe that everyone should treasure all versions of Janeway.

Blah Blah Blahhhh haha

I feel a little vulnerable spreading my thoughts around but I really appreciate you asking me about them and getting me out of my shell <333.

[scuderlia]

haircut!anon again: ok. wow. had to slam my phone down in my uni computer lab and wait until i could string together a coherent thought again. first off like au itself on back burner your MIND and the way you construct this narrative is INCREDIBLE and so raw adn true and pulling on the queer (as in deviant and as in gay) hair experince sooo deeply i feel soooooo deeply you are a magician. further. i was PICTURING max in braids and god fuck the tenderness of charles and max setting their mise en place and sitting together and braiding her hair before their prey comes in…. god. jesus. i can't stop re-reading the snippets. FUCK! sorry this isn't coherent thoughts after all. max and control and cutting charles' hair. fuck me uppp….

anon! i spent so long smiling like an idiot because of this ask, at this point you're basically my betrothed <3

but yeah, you get it. at the core of max and charles' relationship is truly their hounded devotion and acceptance of one another. the queer experience really is defined by those you hold close, and it's been interesting (for me) to try and thread that idea through this greater story about desire and hunger in a way that feels genuine. i've pulled on a lot of my personal experiences of being a young lesbian and being guarded about sexuality, but ultimately it all comes back to (like you mentioned) the idea of relinquishing some control and feeling comfortable enough with someone to let go of the safety of doing things alone.

i also love love love giving characters their own little rituals, and seeing as how max and charles both have a lot of emotional connections to their hair/haircuts/etc. the braids were an easy decision.

(more about max and her relationship to hair below the cut)

there's this really interesting article by Amelia Abraham titled 'What butch queer identity has to do with hair' that got put out by Dazed in 2022. it primarily covers a photography exhibition called Close Shave—which centers itself around butch haircuts and identity—but also goes into the cultural relevance of 'masc' hairstyles and their role in queer (mainly lesbian) expression.

i remembered and re-read it when i was in the early stages of fleshing-out max's character. i recommend the article to everyone, but especially people who are maybe looking to better understand the history of butch optics, and kind of where i'm coming from with some of max's characterization.

(see one of my favorite quotes from the article below)

While having short hair and identifying as butch don’t necessarily come as a pair, for butch people, haircuts can be transformational – getting your hair cut off brings you closer to your gender identity.

like I mentioned in the the answer to your previous ask, max's haircut kind of serves as a physical manifestation of her relationship with her father, and more specifically, how that relationship influences her feelings of shame (and eventually acceptance) towards her own sexuality.

part of the reason that max is so struck by charles saying she'd let her cut her hair is in large part because, for max, hair is incredibly representative of an individual's ability to control how others perceive and relate to them. by breaking the ritual with her mother, charles is essentially showing max that she not only finds comfort with her, but also trusts her enough to have her identity placed in her hands.

i could honestly talk about this forever... since body politics and queerness are things i'm just genuinely very passionate about... but i will save the innocent bystanders of this blog from having to read through all of that in one sitting.

(anyways, i'm so happy that people are as invested in this as i am... keep sending me long asks like this... if you couldn't already tell i'll take any opportunity to talk more about this au)