I am always amazed by the result of reflections when taking a photograph facing a transparent or semi-transparent surface. The image which appears is always a source of surprise and inspiration, revealing visual elements which were impossible to see otherwise because they were hidden under the veil of the “logical, physical and visible reality” … if I can say it this way.
Making “collages” is quite an old artistic technic, and today people often use softwares to manipulate images in the same way. But in those cases, the action is always subjective because the artist is the one who controls the manipulation. Even if it is “ramdom” – like playing randomaly with filters in a digital software – we are in control of the level of randomaly.
Of course there is no way to totally get rid of subjectivity. Even in this case, even if the photograph was not manipulated, I was the one to choose to take the photograph at this specific moment, with this specific angle. But there is really a wonder in letting life surprises ourself when looking and discovering all the elements the image can reveal, rather than trying to surprise life by applying our own filters to a more personnal image. There is so much to discover, a whole realm hidden in the reality, just around us, just around the corner.
