Assignment 2 Revisited

The feedback I got from the Keitai Phenomena assignment was that my message of voyeurism was not strong enough, especially for the last two pictures of the series. But I didn't want the theme and message to be in-your-face; I want it to be subtle, I want it to evoke the feelings of discomfort and even eeriness that comes along with voyeurism. And so I kept a lookout for situations that might suggest an act of intrusion, using my mobile phone to capture scenes of my daily life and editing them to see if they fit the theme. I tried taking pictures from behind blinds, and across my hostel block to capture the feeling of someone watching unsuspecting people. I tried to capture the act that suggests peeping into other people's lives, and these were some of the pictures I have captured, as part of my experimentation:

And then I spotted the peephole on my room's door, and it struck me. A peephole was the perfect example of how one can remain hidden while spying on the lives of others. The essence of voyeurism can be captured through the world that lies within the peephole. And so I took pictures with my mobile phone plastered against the door, taking shot after shot of the outside as seen through the peephole. The girl on the opposite end remains unaware, acting however she liked, unsuspecting that I was spying on her.

Voyeurism 3

Voyeurism 4

The dark areas around the hole, as well as the "fish eye" effect of the pictures adds to the feeling of claustrophobic anxiety one may feel while looking at the pictures. The black and white treatment of the picture also increases the feeling of eeriness that comes with voyeurism. Taking pictures through the peephole may be risky, but it provides a unique, innovative technique of showing a particular theme of intrusion.