Long Walks and Random Encounters

No matter where I am, something I always find myself doing is just aimlessly walking. Sometimes I wish I could find a place to just sit and relax, but a lot of the time I have this urge to explore. The idea that being idle grows boredom, and that there are many things out there taking place all at once that I could be trying to capture. Some of this feeling as of late has been hindered by the slowness of Armenian authorities. My camera gimbal has been sitting in a container for weeks unopened, I have the feeling that I could just go and get it myself at this point. The videography side of things suffers immensly, as does my motivation every few days, somewhat sparked up again by the photography side of things and the fun of searching for work, creatives and opportunities. At this point, I feel it would've been easier to just buy another gimbal, and that sending things here is just a massive waste of time.

Though I still have cameras to capture stills with, and while the videography side loses opportunity, sometimes I have great fun running around with the cameras, discovering odd and new things here in the small city of Yerevan. This city has a lot of depth to it despite being small. Old malls appear out of nowhere, full of Soviet influence from years gone by. People in the streets show different experiences over their lifetimes. The youth reject a lot of the established way, implementing their own methods of maintaining certain traditions and aspects of culture, a branch into a new direction that shows an interest in doing things a little differently.

Fresh of an old bus I came across a painter. An old man that painted the moments of his life. Family preparing bread. The items of his youth. Locations of Armenia he had visted, lived in, and taken inspiration from. His main job was sculpting, trying to sell his paintings was a side thing, like many, alongside a park in which artists are known for lurking. He showed me each of the works and talked to me about them, not in attempt to sell them to me, but in an interest in being able to share culture and ideas. In the end, I photographed him in front of his art.

In similar fashion, this evening I walked through the cold, colourful streets of the city, to the point in which I stumbled across a new thing for me: an outdoor DJ on the side of the path. A stage setup, which professional lighting I recognised from my days in the film industry in England; the music boomed from large speakers, a single DJ stood there booming that music to a crowd of none. I took his photograph quickly and went on my way. The idea of the gimbal boosted my frustration in the postal service. Knowing a video would have been better. From there I continued my walk, cold still with multiple layers, looking through various shops and bars, pubs and cafes. Some with life, many with none. Faces unrecognised as they're buried in their coats as they pass by, huddled together like penguins in crowds as they wait for the lights to change and give permission to cross the streets.

The city is fun this way. Busy, but far from crowded. Sometimes I feel alone here, in the centre of the city. Sometimes I feel part of something great and feel the need to preserve and capture it, sometimes I feel like it isn't enough, and long for more. But that's life, isn't it? Never satisfied, no matter what beautiful things find themselves before us.

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