#to describe the peculiar emotions this photo evoke in me

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Empress Charlotte of Mexico

[merakiui]

I was about to turn off my phone for the night... when I saw you posted a new chapter of bittersweet! A part of me actually finds a little bit funny when Xiao is confronted by situations like the one with Childe in the new chapter, the turmoil of emotions is just, mhwa!

On another note... I can't shake the feeling that Childe is lying. Maybe he knows it was Xiao? I have the feeling that Xiao tends to go to stores that aren't that frequented by people, so a convenience store in a kind of abandoned Street sounds like the type of place he'll go and where the kind of bosses you'll find in (in Reader's case). The question is... what was Childe doing there? It's an easy question, but we don't know anything about this universe's Childe, if he is well off like normal Childe, then what would be he doing in a place like that? Only if he lived nearby the store, but the way he described it, he was coming back from somewhere else and not that he was going to the store. Unless he was after someone but that masked fellow got to them first...

Also, at the beginning, he said it was something "special" but then he talked about the scene like "Oh, to do the right thing!". If I was him, I would have described the event as something worrisome or that have been nagging me from a while now, feeling guilty that I didn't do something to help someone that might be in danger. He also previously said it's unfortunately common for kidnappings to happen, but then he calls it "special" to a photo of a possible kidnapping attempt (no Childe, a masked person trying to conceal themselves in the dark and standing behind someone who looks troubled is NOT A friendly hug haha) and the convenience of it... he is close to his family, he could have asked for guidance to his parents or more close friends that the boss that you just met that day. Besides, even if he was just checking the page because he had the event in his mind, of all the victims he could show him, it was the one with the reader. Unless he already knows it was Xiao from the beginning and he is pushing him to do something reckless.

Maybe, that "special" is not the kidnapping itself, but the feeling it evokes.

What If Childe is kind of like Xiao, but it's the peculiarities that hooks him? Just like Xiao with the flavours, Childe when faced with something that deviates from the norm and creates an "special" feeling. When something is special, it doesn't necessarily has to be good; there are occasion that usually annoys you, but that day it was "specially" extra annoying. Or a movie that was "specially" sad or happy. When you go to the store for your favorite snack, wanting to indulge for the day but someone got it first... you feel "specially" angry.

Xiao from this universe comes from a troubled past just like normal Xiao, that could also apply to this Childe, that he was kidnapped at the same age when he fell into the Abyss, and came back a changed person for the worst. That sense of lack of power, and if he doesn't want to feel like that again, he is the one who has to be in control. And he gained it, but at the cost of everything becoming dull. If there happened to be something or someone that made him feel more than he already does, something he can't expect, that would be the special thing he needed in his life all along! To add a bit of thrill to the life that has become boring.

Tldr; it's 2 am and I am implying that Childe it's also a Yandere and had his eye on the reader lol please just ignore I'm tired--

ANON, THIS ASK IS LOVELY!!! I AM GENTLY HOLDING YOUR MESSAGE!!! <3 The theory and the descriptions/analysis... Absolutely wonderful!!! I can't say whether or not it's true, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless! I'll give some background on a few things instead (mainly Xiao’s living arrangements and some stuff pertaining to Ajax/Childe to further expand upon the universe). 

Xiao is definitely the type to go down the shadiest streets to shop in areas that aren't busy. Before he had his job, he was practically a shut-in who only ever went outside if it was absolutely necessary. Eventually Zhongli convinces him to join the workforce and the only reason Xiao agrees is because he feels like he owes Zhongli his life. So he takes up a job as Zhongli's secretary and as the years pass Zhongli gives him his own office and allows him to do whatever he wants at his own pace. As long as he follows their work contract, he doesn’t worry about what Xiao does. But Xiao's such a workaholic that he always ends up finishing his work way before the deadline.

Xiao lives in an apartment complex in a very...rough part of town. It's not exactly the worst, but it's not the best either. Although whenever Zhongli goes to visit he's always telling him to move closer to the city because it's much nicer and safer there. Xiao’s adamant about not wanting to live in the heart of Liyue, especially because he has horrible agoraphobia and just doesn’t like being near people in general. (Another reason why he was given his own private space at Zhongli’s company.) The convenience store the reader works at is also in the same neighborhood Xiao lives in. It doesn’t get many customers and the employees never question his purchases, so he would go there on rare occasions whenever he needed something. After he met the reader he had more of an incentive to go there for stalking observation purposes.

As for Ajax, he comes from a very well-off family. His parents and siblings love him, they let him do whatever it is he desires, and the dynamic is pretty healthy overall. It’s how he’s able to move to Liyue and take up the internship at Zhongli’s company. Ajax is a little spoiled in the sense that if he wants to study abroad or find work in another nation his parents will gladly let him. He is an adult, after all, so it’s only fair he gets to do what he wants. Unlike the neighborhood Xiao lives in, Ajax actually lives somewhere in Liyue that’s far nicer. Less crime, busy streets, tall buildings. It’s a lot closer to the city. But Ajax also likes to explore the whole of Liyue and he’s always looking for interesting places to see. Like those hole-in-the-wall restaurants or a neighborhood that looks shady (and probably is shady) but ends up holding a hidden gem. 

He’s just looking for something to pass the time—something he can’t find in Snezhnaya or anywhere else. As a result of this, he often ends up in very odd locations with nothing but some money and his phone. Ajax is a strange tourist, but his sense of direction is great and he always finds his way back eventually!

[krystalkoya]

Paint Me Over | 01

Summary: Amateur writer Hoseok is in a slump. When his friend Taehyung drags him out to another one of his art shows, he can't help but be intrigued by a peculiar local artist he meets there...

Here’s something with Hoseok in the writer/english teacher role. The first chapter is titled 'Chicago Boy' after Ari Lennox's song (go check it out!). It describes the OC’s first impression of Hoseok, however this chapter is in his perspective (it makes sense if you read the lyrics, if it doesn’t oh well... enjoy!) 

read on ao3!

pairing: writer!hoseok x reader

genre: fluff, future angst, future smut 

rating: +18

word count: 4k

chapter warnings: none!

01 | 02

...

Chicago Boy

Hoseok’s starting to think he wasn’t cut out for this.

Granted, things haven’t been going great in his life lately, (they weren’t terrible, definitely not great) but for the life of him he couldn’t understand why he couldn’t put thoughts to words and type out the remainder of this scene.

He'd been staring at the computer screen for over an hour now, repeatedly starting a sentence only to delete it moments later because nothing. sounded. right.

An hour in and the most he’d accomplished was one measly paragraph - could three sentences even be considered a paragraph? As an English teacher he felt like he should know this. His grammar? Astounding. Word choice? Phenomenal. But It's a shame he'd written the same thing just in different words merely five sentences ago.

Hoseok sighed, leaning into the uncomfortable lumps of his sofa cushions and away from the laptop perched on his coffee table.

He was getting nowhere.

Running a hand over his face, he stared up at the dim lighting fixture on his ceiling. He really needed to replace that one blown-out bulb up there, maybe then he’d actually be able to see when he sat in the living room to grade papers. No use burning electricity when he didn’t even get any use out of it.

An incessant buzzing in his ears alerted him that his phone was ringing. It was inches away from vibrating right off the coffee table when he snatched it up and pressed to his ear.

He sighed into the receiver when he heard who it was.

“Hoseok, my man. You sound frustrated, why are you frustrated?”

Hoseok leaned into his couch cushions again, placing an arm behind his head to get comfortable, because there was no way he was getting back to work now that Taehyung was on the line. Not that he was making any progress before, but placing the blame his friend's incessant need to talk his ear off rather than his own lack of motivation to get anything done sounded nicer.

“I’d tell you, but I have a feeling you already know why.”

“Is it the book again? I told you to stop stressing. All that pent-up tension isn’t good for your creative flow. Relax—did you slow your breathing? Try meditation?”

“Have you been watching those spiritual healing DVDs again? You know that’s all just neatly packaged bullshit right?”

“Excuse me, the nice old woman at the holistic medicine shop said otherwise. Sure, the place was a little sketchy, I think she could’ve been a witch to be honest…" he trails off in thought. "But she said I could get a discount if I bought all three volumes! That’s a steal, I’d be an idiot if didn’t take it.”

“Right, not cause you okay…”

“Anyways, I was just calling to see if you wanted to come out with me tonight.”

“I’m not going to another one of your yoga sessions with you if that’s what you mean.”

“That’s not what I—although you could use it, no. I called to see if you wanted to come to an art show with me.”

Hoseok pursed his lips. Tae had offered to take him to a couple art shows before, some he participated in, others just to view. He’d gone to a few and honestly enjoyed the work all made by a few of the local artists in town. He had no idea such talent existed in this city before he went to one of Tae's shows. And he would never tell him this of course, but Taehyung was kind of endearing when he was geeking out over all the art he was surrounded by.

“Come on, when was the last time you’ve been out? I’m not even asking you to the strip club or anything! This is perfectly tame. Although, fair warning, a lot of artists aren’t adverse to nudity in their works so...”

Hoseok chuckles, “Yeah I know. I would've appreciated the warning the first time you took me to one of your shows but sure I'll go. I mean, why not?”

There was silence on the other end for a moment, and Hoseok knew from prior experience that this was just the time it took for Taehyung to process even slightly shocking information.

“Really, that easy? Okay great! The gala starts at 7. I’ll text you the address and you can meet me there.”

As Hoseok and Taehyung finished up their call, Hoseok elongated his limbs for a much needed stretch after being seated for so long.

He perched his elbows back on his knees, staring at the word document that was mostly filled with blank white space. Realizing that nothing was going to come to him tonight he shut his laptop down, not before hitting save of course—he learned that the hard way one night that resulted in him losing over twenty pages of text. He shuddered. Never again ,he thought as he made his way to the small kitchen of his studio apartment to make himself a quick bite to eat before the gala.

Apparently staring at his computer screen willing words to come out of his brain and onto paper wasn’t going to accomplish anything. That was fine, all writer's hit a wall sometimes, he’d just have to wait until this slump passed. Either that or who knows, maybe he’d get inspired tonight. Wasn't there a saying that looking at art makes you feel more artistic? Perhaps he could channel that inspiration into his own work. He could only hope, he thought as he took a bite of an unappetizing turkey sandwich.

Surprisingly, the gala did not disappoint. It was interesting, for sure. Not in a bad way, just interesting as in... well it was all over the place for one. Much like the few others he's been to with Taehyung, there was a collection of artwork displayed around the room made by local artists for the audience to view and ask questions about at their discretion. Taehyung carted him around the room, bouncing from piece to piece as he chatted with the artists about their inspiration for their works.

There was one he remembers vividly, a collection of paintings by one artist. The first was a painting of a sunset over a horizon of water, but in grays and cool blue undertones. After striking up a conversation with the artist, or rather, Taehyung did, Hoseok came to find out that the she intended to emote sadness in the viewer, almost as if all the life had been sucked out of the image. She had been open enough to share that it was painted during a very dark place in her life.

The next piece in the collection was the same sunset, but painted in vibrant pinks and oranges and blues. This one was made right after the birth of her first daughter. Hoseok even saw a flock of birds flying high in a portion of the sky that hadn't been present in the first painting.

The last was the same image, in muted pastels, not as vibrant as the second, but still evoked feelings of warmth and content in his chest. The artist said this piece represented her now. She was at peace with herself and the direction her life had taken. A mother of two who was well on her way in life, glad she had been given a second chance to form a place for herself in this world. She said the goal of her collection was to show that even the most beautiful of sceneries could be distorted by your emotions at the time of viewing. If that wasn't inspiring, he doesn't know what was.

Hoseok was truly astounded by how much the artists were willing to share about themselves but he wasn't put off by it. He found the experience enriching, learning about people through the art they created.

There were others too. Artists whose messages centered around current events. One that caught his eye were cartoons of the current leaders of America, Russia, and North Korea. Except instead of having adult bodies their heads were attached to infants bodies, diapers and all. Try imagining a crying Donald because Vladimir stole his rattle, meanwhile baby Jong-Un played off to the side with toy 'rockets'. Fucking hilarious. Political satire, if it was done well, always got a chuckle or two out of Hoseok.

And that seemed to be just one in a series of political cartoons that Hoseok would've loved to stay by and read, if only Taehyung hadn't pulled him off to the next booth.

They were about halfway through the gallery when Taehyung stopped chattering away with strangers for a moment to ask him a question.

"So, what do you think?"

Hoseok could not for the life of him take him seriously with that painter's beret on. Why did Taehyung insist on dressing like a 1970s French erotica film star? Or you know, a millennial art hoe.

Hoseok tilts his head up in thought. "It's nice. There's a lot more variety than the last time I came with you. Significantly less nudity than I expected though."

"Yeah, I know. There was no theme this time. They kinda went for a... do whatever you want kind of vibe today. Why are you disappointed?" He asked with a smirk.

Hoseok plays along. "Absolutely. You know I can’t resist seeing all those sculpted men in their nude glory. One of my favorite pastimes is comparing one micropenis to the next. Some have bigger balls, others are girthier. Some made out of marble, others, stone.”

He laughs at his own joke when all Taehyung can muster is a shake of his head in amusement. trying, and failing to mask his boxy smile.

“So I take it you didn't want to participate this time around?" Hoseok asks him when they sober up.

"Nah. I wanted to, but I didn’t feel good about any of the photos I took lately. Glad I came to check things out though. These pieces are amazing."

They came to a stop in front of the next artist’s booth. Hoseok's eyes were drawn to a painting of what looked like a garden.

It was beautiful, simplistic, yet so realistic in the way it was painted that he was starting to wonder whether it was an actual photo instead.

But it wasn't. He could see the impressions of the brush strokes against canvas as he leaned in closer. The yellows and reds and purples of the flowers stood out against the forest greens of the bushes and grass that littered the page. There, off to the left, looked to be some children playing in the sun, smiling happily as they ran along. There were several tufts of flowers littered about the page but toward the right he noticed one lone sunflower resting under the shade of a tree. It was wilted, not as tall as the others, he assumed because of the lack of sunlight. A lone bird perched atop a high branch of the tree, almost as if it was surveying the land in search of something. For what, he didn't know.

"Wow, this is beautiful. What was the inspiration for it?" Hoseok looks up to see Taehyung observing the painting as well, that concentrated expression he always takes on when analyzing a new work of art on his face yet again.

But then his eyes are drawn in front of him when he hears a voice, presumably belonging to the artist. Come to think of it, you looked just like an older version of one of the little girls in the picture. You stand there, hands clasped behind your back as you peruse the two newcomers.

"No inspo. Just life I guess."

"Then wouldn't you say life is the inspiration?" Hoseok counters.

You shrug your shoulders.

Hoseok straightens up to view you better. "So... what's the meaning behind it?"

You narrow your eyes at him. "Meaning...?"

Hoseok is just a little put off by your behavior. What is he speaking a different language? Had he slipped into Korean unknowingly? No, Taehyung would have given him a weird look if he had (it's happened before, don't ask). He may be reading to much into things but it's almost as if you are bored with his conversation. And Hoseok prides himself on being a good conversationalist. What kind of English teacher would he be if he couldn't hold an intellectual conversation from time to time?

Hoseok explains hesitantly, "Yeah, the meaning. I mean, it can't just be a garden."

You relax back onto your heels. "Oh, that's exactly what it is. Just a garden." A loud pop of the gum in your mouth follows.

"It can't just be a garden." he deadpans.

"It certainly can be." You counter.

He scoffs, then looks at Taehyung who still looks deep in thought.

"I get it." Taehyung nods along, finally tearing his eyes away from the painting. "Yeah, I get it."

"See?" You point toward Taehyung, as if saying that 'if your friend gets it, you should too!'

"What do you get Tae?"

"Hey man, maybe it's just a garden."Hoseok looks at his friend incredulously, though he's not surprised he isn't taking his side. He shakes his head vehemently.

"It can't just be a garden. Look at it. There's too much to unpack here."

"What do you do?" The question catches him off guard.

Hoseok turns back to you. Something about you makes him feel like he shouldn't tell you anything. The way you are looking at him expectantly, with narrowed eyes as if you already know and are just waiting for him to prove you right gives him pause. But another voice in his head urges him to say it. At least just to see where this was all headed.

"Me? I'm an English teacher."

The twinkle in your eyes at as soon as the words leave his mouth lets him know that your suspicions were correct. And you were proud of that fact. "Figures." you laugh dryly.

Okay, ouch. Was he supposed to be offended? Yes, of course he was, you blatantly laughed in his face when he told you his profession.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just you English majors always need to give everything a meaning. Everything isn't intentional. Sometimes a tree is just a tree."

"Again, you can't say nothing and then follow it up with something," is Hoseok’s only argument. A weak one, but it stopped you from getting the last word in nonetheless.

But to his dismay, you and Taehyung share a terribly stifled laugh over how riled up Hoseok seems to be over a silly painting.

Taehyung, who can barely control his laughter, places a hand on Hoseok's shoulder.

"Come on 'seok, we still haven't viewed the rest of the works yet."He pulls him along and you smile and wave off the pair while Hoseok, for some unknown reason, can't look away from your little booth or the mysterious woman who painted randomly with 'no message' in mind.

At the end of the gala Hoseok and Taehyung ended back at the front. Not too long after they arrived Taehyung wandered off to talk to some of his 'art buddies' which left Hoseok alone to wander around aimlessly. He walked around for a bit but to be honest he already saw all of the works here, and he did not feel like circling all the way through again. Luckily, near the entrance there was a refreshments table where Hoseok found himself gravitating towards the longer Taehyung was gone.

He grabbed one of the small plastic cups of punch off the table along with a one of those sugar cookies from the supermarket he liked so much, but never bought. After buying a tray and eating the whole of it by himself the first three nights he’d been too guilty to pick up another since.

"Jeez, they could've given us some bigger cups for this punch. Two sips in and I'm already done."

Your voice almost startles Hoseok enough to spill juice down the front of his shirt. Luckily, it wasn't a lot and he's glad he made the last minute decision to wear a black t-shirt instead of white under his jacket tonight.

He grabs a napkin and hastily dabs at the liquid before it can dry.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." You say sincerely, but the poorly hidden smile on your face makes him question your genuity.

"It's fine, it'll come out eventually. Where'd you even come from anyway?"

You eye him over the rim of your cup. "Over there...?” you point vaguely in the direction of your booth. “Relax, I just left for a bit to check out some of the other artist's work. I'll be back soon to tell anyone else who has a question that's it's literally just. a. garden."

Hoseok squints his eyes at you unamused. "Haha, very funny."

"Glad you think so," You laugh into your drink. "Come on, lighten up. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. Art is subjective."

"Sure, I guess," he rolls his eyes. "But hear me out. I'm no expert but artist's usually have a message in mind that they want to send to their audience, at least the ones that want to be taken seriously. I mean, that's the theme I picked up from literally everyone else here." He gestures to the room around him.

"Okay, well. I had a message- I wanted you to see my tree as, get this...a tree."

Hoseok shakes his head in annoyance that you aren't getting it, downing the rest of his drink in one go. Which wasn't hard. You weren't wrong about the cups.

You laugh again, airily and the sound is a nice one, he thinks.

You perch on the wall beside him. "What's your name?" you ask him, eyes alight with interest and Hoseok thinks not for the last time that he shouldn't tell you. But again, for some reason he wants to.

"Jung Hoseok, your local 6th grade English teacher with a stick up his ass, according you."

There's that laugh again, and Hoseok likes that he gets to hear it because of something he said and not because you were making fun of him again.

"Hey now, I didn't say all that! But if you want to go there..."

"My students like me the most, just you know. They say I'm their favorite teacher. What about that says uppity snob to you?" You smile as you bite into your unfinished cookie.

"There you go again, putting words in my mouth."

"You were thinking it, don't lie." But his tone is less accusing now, more playful. Would you look at that, he was warming up to you.

"I was thinking that those students of yours just wanted a passing grade and had no qualms about kissing up to you to get it. But hey, whatever helps you sleep at night! I'm ___ by the way." You hold out your unoccupied hand for a shake.

He takes it, saying, "___, beautiful artwork but I suggest taking on a project with more meaning to you next time. It can be quite fulfilling."

Your smug nod in agreement, like you actually value his opinion wouldn't fool anyone. "Noted," you say. "But if you don't mind me asking, what makes you such an expert? Are you an artist as well?"

He thinks about it for a moment before nodding slowly. "Of a sort."

You hum in response, and he can see the way your eyes peak with interest. So it doesn't come as a surprise when you ask him what he does.

"I may or may not dabble in writing," he murmurs, rubbing the back of his neck hesitantly.

"Figures." You scoff.

Again with the scoffing. "There you go again. Clowning my profession, now my hobbies? How cold are you?"

You chuckle lightly but shake your head in denial. "Shut up, I'm not laughing at you. It's just... how typical, an English teacher who writes too? You should let me read some of your work sometime. Let me give you some pointers— so that way we'll be even."

"Maybe but you should know this, I don't let just anyone read my work."

You send a dazzlingly smirk his way as you say, "Is that so? Then I'll have to figure out a way to become 'not-just-anyone' now won't I?"

He's grinning down at you as you continue to stare him down with that same smug expression on your face.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was flirting right? He wasn't sure, he's been out of the game for so long now that he had to make sure before he said anything that would make himself look like a complete fool in front of you. But the way you quirk your head at him, as if anticipating his response in earnest has him thinking that yes... you were definitely flirting.

He's just finished formulating a response in his mind when he hears his name being called from across the room. He looks up to see Taehyung waving him over. He's surrounded by two other guys who are also looking his way, which can only mean that Tae is calling him over to meet some of his art friends.

You smile endearingly when you see Taehyung's exaggerated movements to get his attention. "It looks like your friend's summoning you," you giggle when Taehyung starts directing Hoseok like he's an airplane landing on a runway.

"I should get back to my booth anyway." you say. "Someone must be wondering why I decided to paint the grass green of all colors. See you around stick." You send him a smile and a wave goodbye. You're already walking away and he's left to wonder where the nickname 'stick' came from. He recalls his words from earlier and mentally face palms. He can only blame himself for that one.

When he gets home that night he still can't write. Not to say he wasn't inspired tonight. Seeing all those artists display a body of work they created themselves motivated him to finish his own.There was so much talent today that there was no way he didn't feel renewed enough to tackle the scene he couldn't seem to find the right words for earlier in the night.

So no, it wasn't that he didn't feel inspired. It was more-so the fact that his attention was completely elsewhere. For some unknown reason his mind was still stuck on a particular artist he met that night. Partly because he couldn't figure you out and your seemingly simplistic art that had no backstory, no motivation, no message behind the scene. He just knew there was something there. There always was.

Secondly, he really enjoyed his conversation with you at the end of the night. Which was shocking because after his first interaction with you, he wasn't so sure he could enjoy speaking to someone who literally lit his mind alight with a mix of confusion and frustration. But you were the first person to show interest in him since...since then. He didn't want to jump to conclusions now (because he did tend to do that) but your flirtatious smile cast in his direction had to have meant something, right? He'd never forgive Taehyung for dragging him away before he could see where your conversation was headed. Would he ever see you again? Probably not. It wasn't a big city, but it wasn't that small either.

He burrowed deeper into his blankets, trying and failing to get his mind off the puzzling woman from the gala. Well, he sighed, it was better this than falling asleep to all those sentences still left to write.

[ourwomanhood]

Interview: Chiron Cole, Photographer and Actress, on Confidence and the Capturing of Spaces, Portraits, and Intimate Moments of Sunday Dinners

Chiron Cole is a photographer and actress living in London. Her work focuses on capturing spaces, portraits, and food. She recieved her Bachelor of Arts degree, BA(hons), in Graphic Arts & Design. Afterwards, Chiron moved to London to complete her Master of Arts degree in Drama. Her project, "Sunday Dinners," delves deeply into the intimate moments created and remembered with friends, family, and loved ones, during the communing of dinnertime.

Check out the interview I conducted with Chiron to find out why her work focuses on capturing food, spaces, and portraits; what she hopes people will explore when encountering and interacting with her work; more about “Sunday Dinners,” and why it was, and still is, important to tell these stories to the world; the stories from "Sunday Dinners" she connects to the most; in her work, the process invovled in choosing what moments are photographed (verses those that are not); and some of the difficulties she's faced personally and professionally along the way.

Interview: Chiron Cole, Photographer and Actress, on Confidence and the Capturing of Spaces, Portraits, and Intimate Moments of Sunday Dinners

 Jasmine: Hi, Chiron, thank you for interviewing with me. You are a photographer, actress, and wife living in London. Tell me some things I might not know about you.

Chiron: I love to travel. I love to eat. I love silence. 

Jasmine: Your work captures food, spaces, and portraits. Why do you focus on these three areas?

Chiron: I think I have fallen into these areas to be honest. I have always enjoyed capturing people. I really love observing situations and people watching. I love spending time with someone to capture his or her true identity. I think because of my background in acting and understanding the need for a beautiful serene open portrait whether you’re an actor or not is something really important so I always strive to spend enough time with clients for them to be able to relax, in order for me to capture them as authentically as possible.

When it comes to spaces and food, wherever I am in the world I’m always trying to hunt out the calm, quiet places.

I really enjoy accidentally discovering somewhere, a corner, or setting that allows me to breathe and have a moment, however fleeting to ground myself. It’s a nice balance for my work I think and often spotting those moments helps me to recharge my energy that often gets depleted quickly on hectic photoshoots. With food, well that has always been a real passion of mine. I love cooking, eating and talking about food and the fact I’ve been able to monetize this passion by capturing other peoples love of food in whatever form is a real bonus. 

Jasmine: Let’s talk about the spaces you capture. I believe you cause the observer to enter into a very personal space; we stand in places we’ve never encountered personally (and probably never will), but feel overly connected to in a peculiar way. It’s as if you choose spaces that evoke common and universal emotions, capture them, and then strategically encapsulate these moment for anyone, anywhere in the world—and at any moment in time—to experience.

There is one photographed moment in particular that does this for me: the hallway with the green-trimmed windows. I stumbled upon it while enjoying the collection of photographs on your website. Hallways usually remind me of fast-paced living. Places that were designed for passing through. But, this image invited me to stand still. I could have easily been at home on the rarest of occasions, the house to myself and my thoughts out in the open. What do you hope people will explore when encountering and interacting with your work?

Chiron: That’s a real compliment and really well observed. With the spaces I capture, they are really personal and sometimes often selfish moments between scenes during shoots. It’s extraordinary, that photo in the hallway has got me so much work and most of my clients have commented on it. I took the photo after a food shoot and I was on my way home. I was drawn into the atmosphere and it’s still to this day one of my favourite photos. It was a combination of the natural light from that stunning window, the artificial light and it’s shape, the simple colours and textures that drew me in. A stunning combination of some very ordinary objects but a very happy accident for me.

Life is so busy and hectic and we can’t always control our environment so I always have to remind myself to stop and breathe and look in the places that are a bit unexpected, it’s often there I find the most beauty. Simple, less contrived and quiet. 

I hope people viewing my work can appreciate that and take notice of things they might ordinarily ignore.  

Jasmine: Speaking of encounters and interactions, let’s discuss food, particularly dinnertime. One of the most intimate moments for family and friends to commune, create memories, and reminisce on times past. Tell me about “Sunday Dinners,” and why it was, and still is, important to tell these stories. 

Chiron: With all the atrocities happening in the world that are either uniting us or tearing us apart, the simple ritual of sharing a meal with loved ones is a universal concept and one we can all relate to.  Most of us have an emotional connection to food, positive or negative, that either takes us back to another time in our lives or has some meaning, so knowing that Sunday is a day of the week often associated with rest I thought it would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall and see if there are any common themes between people from diverse backgrounds. We seem to be living in a moment of very little tolerance, which is incredibly sad.

We need to go back to basics and think about the simple things that make us happy. 

Jasmine: What stories from “Sunday Dinners” have you connected to personally?

Chiron: Probably the stories where people share their Sundays with friends. Good friends are like family and it’s wonderful to share meals, recipes tips passed down through generations from mothers/grandmothers etc and to form new traditions. Elias and Sandra, Sam & Co and Freddie’s stories are good examples of this that really resonated with me.  

Jasmine: Your work is detailed, intentional, and seems to always allow room for a narrative to be built. What process do you go through in order to choose what is captured and what is not?

Chiron:

I stop, I look and I wait.

When I was just starting out as a photographer I would shoot everything in sight and worry about the edit after. Now I stop and watch and wait for moments to unfold rather than being as trigger happy as I once was. There are often shoots where that is more difficult like events but I make sure I am prepared so I can focus on capturing the right moments that I feel tell the story as well and truthfully as possible. 

Jasmine: Continuing the conversation on “processes,” arriving at a destination requires that you journey on a path to get there. Tell me about some of the processes and difficulties you’ve encountered to get to where you are today.

Chiron:

I think a lot is to do with confidence.

Confidence in my own ability, confidence in the concept, the team I’m working with, the set up, location and often when it comes to UK based shoots – the weather. There are usually certain procedures to go through depending on the nature of the shoot but first and foremost you need to establish the objective of the client. Once that is agreed then it’s a case of working with their budget, to produce a beautiful, successful, fun shoot that answers their brief. The difficulties can lie in you and your client having a different vision, if the client doesn’t buy into your aesthetic or approach you’re going to face an uphill struggle and question why you’ve been chosen for the job in the first place. Budgets can be tricky and managing clients’ expectations can sometimes be problematic if the budget doesn’t stretch to what they want. With a little diplomacy and negotiation you end up reaching a compromise.  

My own personal processes to get to where I am today have been quite flexible. It took me some time to decide what I wanted to do after studying for my BA(hons) in graphic arts & design. I then moved down to London and went to drama school to do an MA as acting runs in my family and I’d always had the bug to follow suit. It made sense to do it while I was still young and figuring out my future. After that it was a case of deciding what to pursue and when, and how I could combine all my skills to have a career I felt really fulfilled by. 

Jasmine: And, in many ways, having the support of your significant other while pursuing your path is comfort to the soul. Chiron, you are married to photographer. It’s not very often that one finds a lifetime companion whose life work is in the same industry as theirs. How has this enhanced your life?

Chiron: It is unusual but when we met we were doing very different things. I was just about to go to drama school and Tim was working in the advertising industry as a creative director. He had always had the bug to become a photographer and as his job took him all over the world he had been shooting on the side to build up his portfolio.

We were both on the journey together of shaping our careers into what we wanted and we were both each other’s biggest champion, and still very much are.

I am very lucky that I have someone who supports my career as much as he does and the bonus is that now we are both photographers we often get to work together too. 

Jasmine: Chiron, tell me one word that would describe your journey thus far.

Chiron: Fulfilling

Jasmine: Are there any current or future projects you’d like to talk about?

Chiron: I am working on a very exciting new project that I can’t share too much about yet but it’s involving women and food. 

Jasmine: Where can you be found online/off-line?

Chiron: Offline, I spend much of my time in east London, when I’m not working I’m hanging out in my local pubs and cafes with Tim and our dog Henry. Online I’m on all the usual social media platforms but Instagram (@chironcole) is my main love. 

www.chironcole.com/

Jasmine: Thank you, Chiron!

[lucyelhowell-blog]

Martin Parr Made Me Do It.

A critical essay about Martin Parr. 

Martin Parr was the first photographer to inspire me and continues to be the biggest influence on my photography. Martin Parr has a unique and dividing approach to the genre. Concentrating mainly on documentary photography he has developed an international reputation for his innovative imagery of society and his input to photographic culture within the UK and abroad.  

It was the context of his photography that first spoke to me. His work explores the ordinary, mundane and everyday. He has studied national and international societies, exploring leisure, consumption and cultural peculiarities for several decades. His images explore how we live, how we present ourselves to others, and what we value. To me this is more meaningful than a romanticized, technically perfect shot of a subject I have no relationship with. We are often looking for a political message in documentary photography. As Susan Sontag said “Unfortunately the antes keep getting raised” (Sontag, 1979) as if to say photography has lost the power to shock and therefor we are always looking for more disturbing images to fulfill our rubbernecking but sometimes these images are so far beyond our real lives they are a fraudulent example of politics. What is more important than our own lives and cultural politics, values and place in society? After all, we still struggle to speak to a disabled member of our community without a prime time TV adverts from Scope giving us a “How to Video.”  

Martin Parr explains that “Most photographers are very attached to things that are exotic, and to people who are in extreme and dramatic circumstances. But I truly believe that the ordinary is much more interesting than people make out. We are so familiar with it and familiarity breeds contempt, but when you go to something like a supermarket or an Argos, or a shopping mall, they are quite extraordinary places.” (Ordinary lives, extraordinary photographs, 2004). I have always instinctively photographed the unextraordinary and Martin Parr's approach gives me confidence that this is ok and has a power all of its own.  

The series “One Day Trip” from 1988 documents the English on a trip to France. The images show shoppers in a duty-free supermarket in Calais. The people appear desperate, the trolleys are full to the brim with duty free and rival shoppers frantically grab cheap beer and fags. The series for me says a lot about consumerism, greed, our culture and class system. It is a real shame that our economy means it is cheaper to travel over the channel to afford our vices and we are willing to push and shove to get the best deal.

Martins Parr's work is often described as grotesque and exploitive and was famously criticised by the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who took a dislike to the attitude expressed in his pictures. He complained Martin Parr seemed to come from a different planet. Parr replied, admitting that their photographic visions “differed“ – but added, “Why shoot the messenger?” (And your spat with Henri Cartier-Bresson?, no date). I don't believe Martin Parr is speaking an alien language and if he is I am also fluet. As he stated he is a “messenger” and just delivers the truth. I believe his approach is to show us, without any magic tricks or apologies, the real world. He subtly interjects his own opinion and thought into his photographs to show us how he sees the world, then challenges us to see it differently as well but essentially we are free to make our own truths from that.

Martin Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way. This has strongly influenced my own work. I am very inspired by the diversity and the uniqueness of humans and how we relate to one another. Martin Parr puts the underdog in the spotlight, he empowers and treasures people's eccentricities. This idea is particularly important in my work with social care and my desire to make disabilities more palatable.

After a short stint with black and white film in his early career Martin Parr begun to use colour and it is this use of colour that has given him a unique visual language. He has used both film and digital but they are both always accompanied with lots of flash. He uses both a ring flash and flash guns to give a very bright saturated image with a very even shadow. This method has been criticised as it does not adhere to many photographers ideals of a perfect photograph. In his work there is little use of light and dark and no obvious emotions conjured up by moody black and white film. I can see how this is unacceptable to someone concerned with technical photography and a desire for images that spoon feed you a feeling but I don't believe documentary photography requires this. I believe it is important to document the truth and Martin Parr delivers the truth with no complications. His method shows a simplistic way of articulating an idea. His relaxed approach to technicalities has influenced my own work, I often find if I worry too much about technicalities I miss the subject and the most important part of the story.  Martin Parr said “With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality.” (Parr and Smith, 2009). So If we look at the world like a soap opera full of characters sometimes light can be a character that steals the limelight of the main one.

Martin Parr again uses less traditional rules when it comes to composition. The characters and subjects in his pictures stand boldly centre stage, he gets extremely close to his subjects, uses a macro lens and doesn’t ask for permission. The result gives the viewer a sense of ‘being there’ in the midst of all the action and a feeling of inclusion. Martin Parr has done a lot of close up shots of food throughout his career. This work for me brings focus to the animate object and uses it as a tool. It is a simple way to describe a greater idea. For example the juxtaposition of a lovingly made home-made cake set against a commercial bakers bulk bakes tells a story of the consumer society. This magnification of animate objects to tell a story has inspired me to find my own way to explore identity. It has been especially difficult to document social care due to dignity and safeguarding policies so I am inspired to explore the use of objects as a means of communication.

Martin Parr's work can be very nostalgic. His shoots often look like they belong in a family photo album. The bright, garish colours emphasise the Kitsch qualities of our culture and makes us sentimental. His series “Last Resort” evokes memories of childhood holidays. This approach, his subjects and uncomplicated techniques make his work comforting. He is an advocate for accessible photography, he believes that photography should be technically limitless and digestible for everyone. He is very active in educating and championing young photographers. This attitude is valuable. It is important we make photography accessible to a wider audience, especially the disabled community where by image is the universal language and it can be a valuable tool. I always found photography intimidating and perceived it as a privileged practice that you could only participate in if you could afford the expensive most equipment and luxury locations to document. However Martin Parr has been a hero to me as I can engage in his work and feel I've been let into the VIP lounge. He has given me the tools and permission to continue to find ways of telling my stories and those of others.

Magnum photographer Alec Soth referred to Martin Parr as the “Jay-Z of documentary photography. Parr's presence can be felt everywhere in the medium. He is, hands down, the hardest working photographer I know.” (StarTribune, 2016). Whilst continuing to make personal work, exhibits in galleries around the world and publish many books he has explored filmmaking, advertising and fashion. Through this broad spectrum he can reach a wider audience. His photo books are tangible and accessible, his work with Henry Holland champions real fashion and is more relatable and his work with the BBC brings art to the masses. Martin Parr  is a huge inspiration for myself and paved away for many other photographers, such as Nadia Lee Cohen. She too draws inspiration from culture, uses bold colour and Martin Parr's narrative style. Consciously or subconsciously Martin Parr’s photography has made a great impact on visual art and culture. His approach to photography may have contributed to the current rejection of perfection in the media. Bex Day and her magazine Pylot are examples of photography and publications that encourage a more unadulterated aesthetic in the industry as “we are coming to live in a world that has become far too superficial and unrealistic” (Bex Day(Bedei and Glammonitor, 2015).

Whether you love him or hate him he has made an impact on the world of image making. His accessibility has made him a voice for the people and has given me the confidence to make me do it.

Bibliography

And your spat with Henri Cartier-Bresson? (no date) Available at: http://www.martinparr.com/test/faqs/and-your-spat-with-henri-cartier-bresson/

Bedei, C. and Glammonitor (2015) How real, unretouched models are dominating the fashion industry. Available at: http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-real-unretouched-models-are-dominating-the-fashion-industry

Ordinary lives, extraordinary photographs by Gayford, M. (2004)    Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3615454/Ordinary-lives-extraordinary-photographs.html

Parr, M. and Smith, P. (2009) Martin Parr: Luxury. London: Chris Boot.

Sontag, S. (1979) On photography. London, United Kingdom: Penguin, [1979]

StarTribune (2016) A photographer’s-eye view of Martin Parr. Available at: http://www.startribune.com/a-photographer-s-eye-view-of-martin-parr/140231463