MANILA, Philippines - Unless some genie shipped you a DSLR camera from the future, film was the way to go back in the day. Kodak and Fujifilm branches used to tend an actual line of customers, who all waited for their photos to develop.
Now imagine waiting even much longer — a year, to be exact.
Loosely based on Jeff Nachtigall’s “The Art of Waiting,” “Whilst We Wait” claims to be a local analogue photography project that wrestles with the concept of waiting. This all this started in April 2010, when its participants took film photographs every month for an entire year. Not a single photo was to be developed until recently and, well, who knows what sort of insights were accrued over time? Of course, while waiting, everyone went on to convey what they hoped to have captured on film in the form of handwritten letters.
“Its goal is to visualize the future,” says founder Erin Emocling, who doubles as the editor in chief of Lomography’s International Online Magazine. She goes on to explain that this happens “through a heterogeneous analogue-mixture of film photographs and handwritten letters with vivid virtues of anticipation, perspective and waiting.”
In cooperation with Lomography Manila, “Whilst We Wait” will hold its much-awaited public exhibit tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 10 at 55 Paseo de Roxas, Makati, from 4 p.m. onwards.
Lomographers and analogue photography enthusiasts are most especially invited to drop by the exhibit, which will also feature other film photographers: Denver Garza, Francis Ybanez, Geli Balcruz, Gerhard Bandiola, Ivanka Hicban, Jam Licupa, Jenny Bautista, Jimmy Hilario, Joy Asto, Kara Hizon, Lakan Bunyi, Lauren Villarama, Louie Nucup, Rene Nob, Shabby Pablo and Virna Odiver.
Local indie bands such as Hannah+Gabi, Mount Analogue, Outerhope, Slow Hello and The Strangeness will be there as well, providing acoustic sets to complement the gallery and mini bazaar around.
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For more details, you may visit www.facebook.com/WhilstWeWait or contact erin.emocling@lomography.com.