Visiting Bianca – Bianca has been the official photographer at Strøm for six years now. Her images make us travel and discover the delicacy of the present moment. In this time of isolation, she invites us into her world, giving us ideas to brighten our confinement through photography.
Just like a wave that hit us hard, uncertainty, then dismay. How do you control your sails in this tsunami? Like after every storm, spring will return. Concentration, breathing, one, two, present moment.
A moment to stop, create, meditate, inspire, connect, relax, innovate, let go. To reinvent oneself.
Break the habits to adopt new ones. Slowly. Call grandma, run with the wind, vibrate collectively, finish a book, often. An era to learn again how to marvel, to awaken the inner child or just do nothing.
Obviously, the economic aspect of the crisis affects many areas, and many of them self-employed workers. As a photographer, I’ve seen all my contracts postponed or even cancelled for several weeks and months. I often wonder, laughing, if 2020 has been cancelled!
Uncertainty brings fear and that is why it is important to always go back to love. Practice gratitude every day, gratitude for being warm and having something to eat, because it is not given to everybody right now. Some people are experiencing the crisis much more intensely, both near and farther away.
As this crisis is an invitation to slow down, I decided to share with you two new ideas to put some joy in your confinement by doing photography.
The #cavabienaller movement has been gaining momentum in the past weeks. Inspired by the rainbow wave, I gathered all my most recent photographs of rainbows on my Instagram page, making them available for phone wallpapers. This way, my community can be reminded often that everything will be OK, and can travel with me looking at the pictures.
I invite you to discover them on my account @biancadjardins.
Photographing the rainbow
- Hang a crystal from your sunniest windows using a string or suction cup.
- As the sun passes through, several small rainbows will scatter throughout your home.
- Take pictures of what you see and post it on Instagram using the #vaguedepartage hashtag to share it with the Strøm community.
Note: It is important to place your crystal in a window with direct sunlight. For example, a window facing west will normally receive maximum direct light during the day.
Document your confinement
When I started taking pictures, I enjoyed documenting everything with my webcam (the good old days!). I’ve always loved documentary photography that reflects the authenticity of everyday life. The current crisis will undoubtedly go down in history, so why not document it to show it to your grandchildren?
- Take a self-portrait or photograph your everyday life every day.
- Identify each image by indicating the period of confinement to which it belongs. For example, if you are on day 30 of confinement, write “day 30”.
- Compile as you go, or when the quarantine is over. You will then be able to follow the evolution of your quarantine or relive it as if you were travelling through time!
Here are some other tricks that make my days easier:
Keeping a daily journal | Calling my family and friends | Practicing meditation and yoga | Creating playlists | Cooking new recipes | Watching movies through different platforms | Sunbathing | Doing things that I have been postponing for a long time… | Taking walks | Learning a new language on a mobile application | Watching the rain fall | Decorating and improving my home | Creating new photo concepts | Running outside (far from people)
The world is changing. One thing is certain, we are all affected in one way or another by what is happening. We must get back to the basics. Everything will pass, tomorrow exists.
