Sleeping In Might Kill Us (But Poetry Might Save Us)

I have a problem.

I sleep in. No matter how early I go to bed, no matter where I am in the world, I am always tired in the morning. So when I have to get up, I never can. Now, I understand that this is a thing that most people experience, but it seems serious in my case. Like, I want to get up, but I actually can’t do it. My eyelids will not stay open without toothpicks propping them up, but that makes me feel like I’m in a toothpick prison so it’s not worth it. Thus, I hit whatever button I can find to make that horrific beeping stop, and I roll over, back into my second life which is that lived in dreamland. And then I wake up five minutes later because the button I happened to hit was the snooze button when the one I was aiming for was the let-me-sleep-forever button, and I still want to sleep. At this point however, things are getting clearer. I can actually open my eyes, for starters. I also now know where I am, and I can quantify how much I want to stay in bed. And of course, I can think about all the things I have to do: class, essays, laundry, cleaning. So the clock gives me five more minutes (wrong button again!) and at the end of that time, which is starting to feeling like a taunt, I can see even clearer. Now I can see past where I am and what I have to do, and I can see what I want to do. I remember that I had an amazing idea for a novel last night and that I planned to write it today, and I remember that my friend who I haven’t seen in ten years wanted to meet for lunch. I remember that there was an internship I wanted to apply for and I remember that there were people who needed saving today. But it’s just so much. It’s too much. I can open my eyes now, but I choose to close them. Then I hit the clock (where is that let-me-sleep-forever button?!) and officially drown myself in the counterproductive cycle that is the snooze button. There is so much to do that I just go back to sleep. And it seems to happen every single morning.

So. That’s where my problem stands. Sleeping in is my worst habit. I love the morning, I don’t want to sleep in, but here I am. This morning however, I woke up a little earlier than usual and had some time to sit in the corner and think about what I’ve done, and also about how sleeping in might very negatively affect our society in the long run. And I had a little more time, so I put my thoughts into a poem:

The Snooze Button

It’s 12PM and all is quiet

In this town no dogs bark

No bicycle wheels spoke

No vendors speak.

One more hour and we might be up.

Nothing’s getting done, except in our dreams

Where we can do anything, and it’s safer to try

“There’s so much I can do that it hurts my head,

So this morning I think I’ll just stay in my bed.”

I could do anything here, too

I could write a song

I could write a book

I could get on the subway and meet someone new

I could walk somewhere.

“Sleeping in will be our downfall.”

“As if it will cause any movement at all.”

So see? I don’t get nothing done; in my waking hours I think I actually get quite a bit done… I think. But I just wish I had more time. I wish I could get up and give myself more time. Because there’s only so much of it and I, and I think a lot of other people, waste too much of it sleeping in.

Now. About those other people. We all seem to be dying at the hand of sleep, but we’re clearly all trying to cope with it through poetry. I’ve put together a list of songs (which are poems) that you can listen to to understand that if you sleep in, you’re not alone. I’ve also added my favourite line from each song, and why it can comfort you who will want to sleep in forever.

1. The Smiths – “Asleep”

Favourite line: “Sing me to sleep / And then leave me alone”

This line is amazing because it addresses the paradoxical desire we sleeper-inners have: the desire for someone to be there as we fall asleep and then to let us sleep long after they want us to wake again. I think it represents my paradoxical problem with sleeping in: there’s so much I want to do, and so many people I want to see but… I just want to be left alone.

2. The Beatles – “I’m Only Sleeping”

Favourite line: “I’m ONLY sleeping”

That word: only. I love it. Sleeping in isn’t always big deal. Sometimes – often – it’s well-deserved.

3. Mary Poppins – “Stay Awake”

Favourite line: “You’re not sleepy as you seem”

This is what I tell myself, Mary Poppins. Over and over again, I sing this to myself as I try to get up. BUT IT DOESN’T WORK! Your reverse psychology has reverse-psychologied me. I thought it would be more of a creepy-hypnosis thing that would wake me but alas, your lullabic skills have charmed me in the same way they charmed those adorable children. Have you any other suggestions? (Also those children are adorable).

4. The Postal Service – “Sleeping In”

Favourite line: “I plan on sleeping in”

That’s what I need. A plan. And the confidence to carry it out, without all of this worrying and this writing… but then, that’s what you’re doing, is it not, Mr. Gibbard? Writing rather than sleeping? Ha! We’re not so confident, are we… (P.S. please reunite the band! I will wake up for you!)

5. Jack Johnson – “Banana Pancakes”

Favourite line: “And we could pretend it all the time”

Wishful thinking. In pretending there’s no world outside, that is. But I’m okay with it. I’m okay with pretending, for just one… more… morning…

So, here we are. With a problem and some poetry. Does anyone have answers to our questions? How will we stop sleeping in? Answers would be helpful for sleeper-inners all over the world like us, so that we don’t find ourselves in this town I write of, this town that we might have already created. Please advise?:)

RJ

Negative Polaroid Advice

Why, hello there!

So, in honour of the snow that is everywhere (you’ll see tomorrow for a tree and garden photo), I am doing a POLARoid post today. There’s a funnier joke in there. Give me a few weeks to locate it, and you’ll hear something better about cold photography. Now. Today’s In Search of the Perfect Polaroid picture:

What is happening in this photo? Hard to tell, isn’t it? So, it’s me and my brother surfing, because I like boards and water and Polaroids. But as I like the water I board on, I like my Polaroids clear. And this one definitely isn’t. Why is that, you ask? The shocking answer: it’s not an original Polaroid. It’s a Polaroid of a digital picture. See, I didn’t have my Polaroid with me that day surfing, but I really wanted a Polaroid of the experience. So, I settled for a picture of a picture. Ending to the story: it didn’t work out.

Okay, well, in terms of a cool vintage photo it turned out nicely, but in terms of a picture where you can actually see the subjects, it did not. So, Today’s Tip: don’t take Polaroids of pictures you already have in order to make them look cooler. Just don’t do it. While this photo might look neat because let’s face it, if you can make out a surfboard it’s a neat photo, the whole picture-of-a-picture thing is risky business. You get glares, strange colours, awkwardly blurry subjects, and awkwardly blurry memories as a result. I mean, if you’re into that kind of thing and your heart can handle the stress of wasted film, go for it. But really, you only get one shot with a Polaroid so my advice is, don’t waste it on a picture you already have. Sorry if that’s a negative way to end things. Wow, there are so many photography jokes in those last couple sentences. That is unreal.

So go take some Polaroids of real scenes, not scenes that you shot a few years ago and think look cool now, and let me know how they turn out!

RJ

P.S. Maybe you’ve never been tempted to take a Polaroid of a digital picture. In that case, I’m completely alone here. Thanks for reading anyway. However, if you have experienced this temptation and still have photos you’d like to turn into Polaroids, look at this really amazing Impossible Project product that I can’t afford; it’s called Instant Lab. It might ruin the spontaneity and risk of Polaroiding, but check it out anyway. And if you do make the purchase, can I PLEASE try it? Just for one photo?

Christmas is Coming into the Foreground!

Hello Polaroiders, it’s been too long! So, let’s jump right into this instalment of In Search of the Perfect Polaroid!

Well, seeing as it’s Halloween, I thought I’d use a picture taken last… Christmas:

Look closely at the picture; what’s special about it? Okay, a lot’s special about it, because every Polaroid is special. Like snowflakes. Hmm. There is an all too cliche but still maybe beautiful blog post in there. We’ll see. Anyway, look at the walls in the picture. How many do you see? Well, there are actually quite a few since it’s a very angular house, but there are three main ones. Layers. You see them? First, the wall with the door against it, that features the Felt Christmas Tree Calendar of Impatience. Got it? Good. Second, the wall that is attached to the main brown doorframe; from the left, it’s about a quarter of the way into the picture. Alright, ready for the third one? Squint, peak across the hallway and into the other room. See those boxes, underneath a mirror? These items are against the third wall. So! What does this mean? Well, think about it. Those three walls, what was the difference between them? Yes…? We moved further back into the house, and therefore into the picture, as we went from 1 to 3! So. That might have seen like a really drawn out exercise to pick out walls, but I think this picture is a really good demonstration of, you guessed it, foreground, mid-ground, and background!

That brings us to Today’s Tip: establish clear layers of a scene. Polaroids, we love them, but they are sometimes a little blurry and difficult to understand. Now, that fuzzy-factor is often what makes a Polaroid so cool, but you know, you want to be able to see something going on. Establishing a foreground, mid-ground and background does just this: clarifies the zones within your photo, making it easier to decipher the scene as a whole. So, when you’re setting up your picture, make sure you’ve got at least two layers to add this depth that I’m talking about, and chances are, one of these layers will turn out okay. Because you never know with Polaroids, they can be a little moody. (I get it though, I’ve been there.)

Now, go establish some foregrounds and backgrounds and mid-grounds and side grounds or really no grounds at all if you want to go super abstract, because those photos can turn out pretty unreal too, but at least always be aware of the depth in your photo. It’s likely that there are layers, even if your subject is really close-up; understanding where these layers are helps to find new details within the picture as a whole.

Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas!:) And good luck snapping your layered Polaroids!

RJ

At the Moment I’m Just Risking Limbs and Cameras

This picture was really frightening for me to take; my tripod legs were all different lengths and I had to squeeze them onto different stairs and they were kind of all waiting to step off, I could see it. So I had to move fast; it was an uncomfortable photography experience. Hanging from my stairs was not too comfortable either, for that matter. Anyway, the photo:

Positioning my camera at the top of the stairs is a scary thing. But, a photography tip: take risks. First, on a little side note, take risks with yourself – where you’re standing, what rules you’re breaking and what fears you’re facing by going there. For example, I broke my arm hanging off the stairs just like this 10 years ago, and look at me now. I’m flying. No big deal.

And second, take risks not only with your pictures, as I’ll write about in the future, or with yourself, but also with your camera. I know, I know, that sounds really dumb, but really, you have to scare yourself and you can’t fully be scared if you know your camera is safe. See, fully scaring yourself forces you to fully concentrate on one moment: for example, the moment where your camera is okay and where you have to take the picture before something bad happens. If you’re always taking photographs on solid ground, you’ll get too comfortable waiting for the perfect picture. You’ll be trying and retrying and setting your timer over and over again until you forget that each picture, each little click, is a moment. Taken. I’m telling you, sometimes the best photo is the one you take just before the camera falls.

RJ

P.S. Don’t go too crazy. I mean, cameras are expensive. Just crazy enough to have to focus on one moment and move on.

Just Do What You Want (And Of Course, Photograph It)

Hi there:)

A photo I took, called “Shadows on the Wall:”

I took this picture last summer in the middle of the night behind a government building, with my family. It was awesome because we’re a super PG group of people, and we were just loving how our shadows looked on the fence – we were doing slow motion stage combat, shadow puppets, the classics. Too fun. Then suddenly this light shot out at us; it was a security guard with a really bright flashlight. He ran over, yelling, “Hey! What are you guys doing back there?” And we’re like… “Um… shadow puppets?” He just started to laugh, either because he thought it was obvious we were lying or because he thought we were exceptionally pathetic compared to the hooligans that usually hang out behind government buildings. Anyway, totally okay with it.

So, a general photography tip: embrace your PG-ness, and don’t hide it in your pictures. You don’t have to do anything crazy or performance-art-ish or illegal (though that can be awesome too – I’ll post about pictures in illegal places in the future, I promise) and you don’t have to give up on a subject just because someone else has done something weirder with it in the past. Just do what you want and take a picture of it.

RJ

Every Polaroid Picture Has a Frame Outside Of The White One

Hi! So, let’s get Polaroiding here. In my third instalment of In Search of the Perfect Polaroid, I’m going to be using this picture:

Now, my tip for instant photography today comes from the story behind this picture. I was only starting to be interested in Polaroid photography, and was kind of just in it for indie credit. See, I would really prepare for these pictures, setting them up just so and wearing the perfect outfit and getting the light just right, because I wanted them to look as effortless as possible. This particular fall day, I wanted a photo of my sister and I sitting up in a tree looking all chill and outdoorsy, so I persuaded her and my mom to go out on the trail near our house to take it.

We walked out to this tree that was a little off the trail, down a hill. My sister and I climbed up, got in our pose, and my mom was about to take the picture, when she lost her balance standing on the side of the hill, fell down on her back and started to slide down towards, yes, the river. My sister was screaming, “Mom!” and I was screaming, “My camera!” and my mom was just screaming. We leapt down from the tree and thank goodness, caught her just before she slid into the frosty water. She was okay, and much less importantly, the camera was okay, but when she stood up again she hesitantly told me that her finger had pulled the trigger as she was sliding, and the camera had ejected my last Polaroid picture. I was crushed. I really was. I was pretty mad, too. I had put on this great outfit, arranged the little hike and had entrusted my camera to my mom. I regretted the afternoon already.

But then, as we walked home and the picture developed, I saw how really… natural it was. I mean, yeah, there’s nature in it, but it just looks, like, actually effortless, you know? So then I completely turned my attitude around and kept thanking my mom for taking such a fabulous photograph; I don’t know if she or my sister was really impressed with my rapid change in perspective, considering it mostly revolved around the photo and myself. But then, as we walked on and got home, I finally just started to smile at the picture in my mind of my mom sliding down the bank towards the river, and the picture of my caring sister giving no thought to my art and just trying to save our mother. And then they started to smile, and we all started to laugh, and couldn’t stop; long after I put the picture away (until now), we were laughing, about how the afternoon had gone completely wrong and turned out so well.

So, today’s tip is kind of two-fold: first, in a technical sense, don’t be upset when your photo turns out totally different than you expected it to, because it usually will, and second, be natural – don’t try too hard to be indie and effortless in your photography. And second, in an abstract sense, remember that every picture has a story. Every photo has a frame outside of the physical one, a frame that transcends what you can see and is just a good memory. So really, don’t look so hard at the picture that you forget where you were when you took it.

RJ

P.S. Thank you to my mom for being the most genuine artist I know; I should have never doubted your ability to take an amazing picture.

Time Heals All Polaroids

Well, hello there! You’ve come to take part in the second instalment of In Search of the Perfect Polaroid! Now, let’s get right to it! Here are two Polaroids I took in San Francisco that will bring me to today’s tip.

The first is a picture of Alcatraz Island, taken from Pier 39:

And the second is a picture of the San Francisco Bay, taken from Alcatraz Island:

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Okay, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I can guess: you’re thinking, “These pictures are awful! What kind of useful instant photography advice can come from this?!”

Calm down (if that was what you were thinking). Let me tell you why these pictures will in fact be very useful to us.

I’ll start by saying, both these photographs were so horrendous at first that you couldn’t even be sure that they were photographs; the images were so white that it was hard to tell where the Polaroid frames ended and where the actual pictures began. And now, considering the fact that Impossible Project film for Polaroid is roughly $3 per shot, you can imagine my disappointment when my shot didn’t turn out. If you have had this horrific experience of turning a picture over after its thirty minutes of marination, only to see that it is a complete failure, you might even be able to feel my disappointment, somewhere in the depths of your photographer’s heart. Anyway, you get it: I was crestfallen.

But, because we all know it’s nearly impossible to get rid of Polaroid film (to physically get rid of it, I mean; to get rid of film by wasting it on subjects that accidentally blink or on scenes that turn out too dark is very easy), I satisfied myself with stashing the two pictures away in my camera case, and moving on to less overexposed things.

Five months later. Imagine my surprise when I came back to the photos half a year after they were taken, only to find out that I could tell what the scene was in each one! Look at the photos again! Don’t the pictures look better now that you have this image in your mind of what they were before? Of course, we can now also see the large awkward glitch at the bottom of the second picture that looks a little too chemically to be a part of the Alcatraz Island terrain, and yes, both photos look like they were taken in black and white when I was definitely shooting with colour film. But! You can see what’s going on in them! You can make out what I wanted to capture! Exciting, right?!

So, Today’s Tip: give your Polaroids time. Time to develop, time to decide what they want to become. Do not give up on a picture just because it looks terrible an hour after it was taken. Let each photo sit in a cool, shady place (that sounds refreshing), for longer than thirty minutes. Maybe let them sit forever. Who knows, maybe the pictures above will develop even further and in five months, you’ll be able to see Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers still trying to swim to shore!

So go take a Polaroid picture, and watch it as it develops over time!

RJ

P.S. I wish I knew more about the way the ink works in Polaroid/Impossible Project film, and why it seems to keep developing long after the package says it should be done – is anyone an expert who would like to give me a crash course? Leave it in the comments section or go to my Contact page to send me an email!