A while ago I discussed with my friend about her homework topic that was related to whether photograph was ‘true’. I don’t know to what outcome she came but the topic left me pondering the matter. It was clear that without proper definition of the ‘truth’ there was no way to answer. 

Objectivity. Can you say that the photograph was taken truly objectively from the subject or could there ever be objectivity at all on photography? One definition of objectivity could be that the taken photograph and target was free of all intentional ‘directing’ and influence of the event of photographing. This could happen for example when using hidden cameras or long tele-zooms to take the shot from far away. Or if the target is something entirely non-living that doesn’t react to the situation.

Of course, on some level, there can’t be entirely non-living or non-reacting matter, but this goes a little out of my area of knowledge. So I think that taking a photo without influencing to the target at all, could very well be impossible. And about the freedom of directing? You could argue that photograph is always taken by or recorded by something or someone that has some sense of directing about the matter or the outcome.

So the matter of objectivity is hard to justify as the truth if we consider the moment of photographing. But the topic was on trueness of the photograph, not the action of photographing itself.

When the photograph is taken and it comes to exist, isn’t it very true to itself, for what it expresses? The moment when the photograph was taken is already passed and ceased to exists, so there can’t be any comparison between the photograph and ‘the moment’ when it was taken. Even if you enhance or modify the photo after it’s shot (of course it has been enhanced already on the camera processors) that doesn’t change the fact that the photograph exists and is always true in comparison to what it is or expresses.

The same definition can be applied on everything from paintings to sculptures. But can we see the truth when we look at them?

I think, and I may have not yet think this one through, that we see the truth in comparison to what we want to see, or what we can see. The truth that we look is light reflecting on to our eyes, but the truth we see is the story reflecting from our own life. We intercept the truth from the photo and make it suitable to ourselves, thus falsify the photograph’s truth.

So, my conclusion to the matter is that the photograph is always true, but we can’t perceive it. 

Any opinios yourself? I’d be glad to hear.

It’s been a while from last update so let’s see what has gone since:

• Books (13): Seeing Is Forgetting The Name Of The Thing One Sees, Täällä Pohjantähden alla, The Pilgrimage, Onnellisemmaksi, The Count Of Monte Cristo, The Art of Expressing Human Body, Getting Things Done, Iskuryhmä Rainbow, Bulletbroof Ajax, Essential PHP Security, Shibumi, PHP-ohjelmointi, Azores Travel Guide
• Sentenced - Buried Alive Live Concert (Douple DVD + Double CD)
• American Ninja DVD Box (1-5)
• Two Muumi DVD’s
• Blu-Ray movies: Ichi, 21, Kung Fu Hustle
• Toaster
• Water boiler
• Lots of drawing and painting stuff
• Leather wallet
• Blender

Total of 30+, depending how to calc.

• 1 x PS3 game / SOLD
• 21 x T-Shirts / CHARITY
• 11 x Socks / CHARITY
• 5 x Shorts / CHARITY
• 15 x SHIRTS / CHARITY
• 3 x Pants / CHARITY
• 1 x Boxers / TRASH
• 1 x Backpack, Haglöfs - Corker / GIVEAWAY

Total of 58 things!

• 1 x Magazine supscription, National Geographic / CANCELLED
• 1 x Camera backpack, Crumpler - The Keystone / SOLD
• 2 x T-Shirts / GIVEAWAY
• 1x T-Shirt / TRASH
• 3 x Socks / TRASH
• 1 x Jeans / Trash
• 2 x USB-Memory / TRASH
• 1 x Memory chips, Apple - 2GB / TRASH
• 1 x Pens, shitloads of them / TRASH
• 1 x Winebottle closener / TRASH
• 3 x A4 paper case / GIVEAWAY
• 8 x PS3 games / SOLD

Total of 25 things!

Sometimes I find myself thinking how life would be being ambidextrous or having better control of all your senses.

Let’s face it, in your home – or somewhere else similiar place – you are able to sleepwalk your way to bathroom or maybe even cook a three course dinner in your kitchen. So how come when you close your eyes in the middle of your living room – awake – and try to navigate somewhere, you feel lost? You definetely know where everything is and you have a detailed map in your brains but still no luck. You start to move and you feel very uncertain where you’re going.

I think that one of the biggest obstacles is that you are still trying to see your way even when your eyes are closed. And you start guessing instead of relaying on your other senses and basic instinct. But it keeps getting easier after few times and with practice it almost feels natural. In time I have made my blind exercises more complex and longer. It’s rewarding to get something done easily eyes closed.

Left handed

I also felt little frustrated when I tried to brush my teeth with my left hand. So simple task that happens almost unconsciusly, is so hard with the other hand. So after last summer I started brushing my teeth every time with my left hand. At first, it could’ve been easier to keep my hand still and shake the head, but after a while it feels almost as natural as the right hand.

I also switched the places with fork and knife when eating. Part of this reason and part of other reason; I have always eaten with fork in my left hand and knife on the right. BUT when I thought about it, I found it more logical to keep the fork on right hand. Afterall, when you’re eating without knife, you keep the fork or spoon on the right hand. So why change it to the other hand when the knife comes along? Wouldn’t it be more convinient to just place the knife on the empty hand, the left hand in this occasion.

Of course, using fork in right hand was easy, but using knife in left hand was unexpectedly hard! Especially when you have to cut something tough, like pizza.

I don’t know if any of this has any benefit but I think doing these kind of things is fun, so I do it. There are many claims that doing neurobic exercises creates new, different, underused nerve pathways and activates connections. This stimulates the growth of new brain cells and brain connections. There are also claims on the contrary, but I don’t care, as long as I enjoy doing them.

Baseball

My summer challenge is to learn hitting baseball from the other side. I tried it last week and it didn’t go so well. My technique was good, but my timing was way too early everytime. Let’s see how it goes at the end of the summer!

Few weeks ago I came upon Dave’s webblog guynameddave and his 100 Thing Challenge. Instantly I wanted to try it out too. I don’t know if the 100 is right number for me, but it’s a good number to start with.

Right now I’m still in middle of inventorying my stuff and making a list (Numbers document) of:

• Things I’m going to keep – at least for now
• Things to get rid off
• Things that are already gone, where to, when and did I make any money with it

I don’t have any specific schedule or deadline to make it to one hundred, but I’m trying to get rid at least 10 things in a week. I’ll try to post every week a list of the things I have gotten rid off. Also when I’m done with my inventory, I’ll publish my list of things to keep and list of things that are free to go – in case if someone is interested in them.

Lucky for me, my co-worker and friend Pasi is as excited about this as I am and doing the same thing.