recording time.

at core, photography is about capturing time, and at its most obvious, it attempts to record a glimpse of reality by freezing a moment. regardless of the simplicity of the basic concept, still-images of our reality can appear quite magical because fleeting time and inevitable movement in our surroundings are the phenomenological minimums we experience.

the introduction of different technologies allow photographs to be manipulated and widens the possibilities of pictoral presentation of time. michael wesely’s compelling images are a result of his decades long work on inventing and refining long exposure techniques. his negatives are subjected to such a diminished amount of light through filters and a tiny aperture, that the exposeure time can extend to years instead of fractions of seconds.

wesely’s most famous works include a collection of photos of the rebuilding of potsdamer platz in berlin completed in 1999 and the construction of moma’s renovation in 2003.

my favorites are his tulips (click to enlarge image), the perfect spring adornment. although flower arrangements are a recurring theme in art, wesely's handle on the subject, creating an image from freshness to decay, brings about a pleasing originality.



tulips are also one of my favorite types of flowers and with these photos in my mind, i'll head to the florist for my own bouquet.