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#48 – Flower Moon

*Nikon F90 + 28-70mm | Fujicolor C200 | @emilyyyung*

Falling for you
Is like being mesmerised
By the flame of a burning candle
A light so bright
I can’t take my eyes off you
Like a moth to a flame
I am oxygen
And you draw me closer and closer
Again and again
An attraction so blinding
So passionate
So enticing
My hands hover over the fire until
I reach out to touch you
Even though I know
It will backfire
And it will burn
My arms are outstretched again
Attempting to hold on to you
An intangible, flickering flame
And on this wintry Spring night
You shine brighter
Than the majestic flower moon
And the Sun can’t see
The miracle she’s created
By bringing you to me

with love, emily

Film photography, Photography, Poetry, Brisbane, Fujicolor C200Emily Ung19 May 2019Poetry, Film, Film Photography, Fujicolour C200, BrisbaneComment

#45 – Grace

*Nikon F90 + 28-70mm | Kodak Portra 400*

A familiar flutter
A wayward dance
A wilting rose
Does so with elegance

Hello. Hi!

I have neglected this little space on the interweb for a long while – almost 6 months to be (kind of) exact. So, I’ve decided to pop in to say hi. Hello! I hope you’re well, wherever you are on our beautiful Earth.

I’ve been alright, although, that’s like my default answer when anyone asks me how I am. It’s a vague kind of answer, but it’s mostly the truth. Time has, as always, flown past in a blur. There are days where I feel amazing, and days where everything seems to get on my nerves, so I guess “alright” is a pretty good average. Wouldn’t you agree?

When I was last here, I talked about my first solo exhibition Bloom, and I have finally gotten around to editing and uploading the photographs from opening night! (Only 6 months late, but it’s ok.)

Here are a few snippets:

You can click here to take a gander at the full album on Facebook! All images were kindly taken by my friend Brendan Manning.

I will also be putting up the full Bloom collection in the near future, along with an updated portfolio of work + a little revamp to the site! I’ve been saying that for ages now, but I will definitely get to that during my summer break! (I now have this in writing to hold me accountable.)

In other news, I am going to Brisbane next month! I am so incredibly excited to take a much-needed breather and go somewhere slightly foreign to unwind. Brisbane was the destination of choice because of Yayoi Kusama’s Life is the Heart of a Rainbow exhibition currently showing at QAGOMA. I first heard of the exhibition while it was in Singapore earlier this year, and I knew that if I had the chance to see it, I had to grab it. And the moment I laid eyes on the exhibition poster, it was a rather spontaneous decision, but I had to go! My tickets and accommodation are booked, so if you have any recommendations on what/where to eat, things to do and places to see, please leave me a comment on this post, email me or send me a direct message via Instagram!

I plan to take some time off the socials (do a short social media detox) while being away in Brisbane – very much like what I did when I went to Melbourne 2 years ago. Going about daily life, it’s hard to realise the sheer amount of time and energy that is spent online – it’s pretty scary to think about. I’m looking forward to unplugging; to wandering aimlessly with my camera in hand; to take life even slower than I usually do; to journal and read and write; to immerse myself in art; to relax, recharge and refuel; to plan personal projects; to spend some quality me time; and to hopefully dig deep for an intrinsic motivation that I desperately need to drive change in myself.

But for the moment, it’s come to the pointy end of the semester and I have a mountain of projects to complete in the next 2 weeks (wish me luck!).

Before I go, I just wanted to leave you with a few videos that I’ve recently discovered (click here and here).
Cheyenne is just so honest + genuine + sincere with her presence online, and I’ve fallen in love with her work, her words and her sweet soul. The first video is a reading of her poem paired with video and text and it is so beautiful – I had it on repeat for a little while because it resonated with me so much. It made my heart ache a little, and made me feel tension yet at ease. The second video is just her sitting in front of the camera and talking through her thoughts – it’s a little lengthier but I’m sure that when you watch it, it’ll resonate with you, and she dishes some really wonderful nuggets of wisdom and encouragement in the second half of the video. If you need a little encouragement or pick-me-up, I hope these videos might help in some way as they have for me!

That’s all from me, for now.
You are a wonderful something – thank you for reading x

With love, Emily.

Exhibition, Events, Film photography, Kodak Portra 400, Photography, Poetry, Thought Post, ThoughtsEmily Ung20 October 2017Poetry, Thoughts, Film Photography, Kodak Portra 400Comment

#41 – Below Zero

Below zero

You’re the poison in venom,

Thorns beneath the rose –

Whoever knew spring could be so cold?

With love, Emily.

Film photography, Fujifilm Superia 400, Poetry, PhotographyEmily Ung7 October 2016Fujifilm Superia 400, Film, Film Photography, Flowers, PoetryComment

#16 – Nooks and Crannies.

Apart from spending my days sipping coffee in a café – either studying or people watching or procrastinating my time away (and by that I mean writing) – I often have days to myself where I visit an art gallery/museum.

I deeply love all forms of art and appreciate its value in illuminating issues and challenging perspectives. I believe that art plays an important role in society – whether you recognise or appreciate it, or not – and has had a paramount importance in my life since my younger years (I wanted to grow up to be an artist). Art has a gut wrenching and compelling quality that is capable of making me stop in my footsteps to admire its glory in totality – its aesthetic, its concept and its message. A question I always ask is, “how did the artist do/make this?” I find myself so intrigued by their work and it has me constantly wondering about their practice.

I think the habit of asking myself that question is attributed to having taken visual arts as a subject in high school – which I loved and excelled in. The study of art theory encompassed the aspect of ‘artist practice’ – all the little technicalities involved – which we were taught to analyse and consciously incorporate into our own art making as well. I loved making art because it challenged me – pushed me outside my comfort zone and taught me a lot about myself. (More of that next time.)

Anyway, on the days I pace along gallery walls, I try to pack more into my itinerary. With my camera I will walk through city streets and lanes, snapping at interesting things and new perspectives. However, while I love taking photos, I’ve slowly refrained from constantly having my camera in hand when I’m in an art gallery or museum – I just feel that it distracts me from my purpose of being there. (I'm secretly happy when photography is not allowed in an exhibition.)

These film photos were taken on a fine day in August when I went to see Aleks Denko’s exhibition “My Fellow Aus-Tra-Aliens” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia – situated in The Rocks, Sydney.

I felt like this was the epitome of my dreams getting mocked at (thumbs up for the curating of the exhibition).

But I loved his satirical humour and social commentary that was carried consistently throughout the exhibition.

Ended off the day with my first escape room experience and quality time with friends.

Looking forward to celebrating the end of exams and assignments with food, friends and fun (plenty of fun) – and of course, getting to do more writing and photography!

With love,

Emily.

Film photography, Kodak Portra 400, PhotographyEmily Ung16 November 2015Film, Film Photography, Kodak Portra 400Comment

#14 – Aftermath.

These are some black and white snaps I took on Ilford FP4 back in late July.

I usually don’t shoot too much black and white film – mostly because I do love colour in my photos, and it’s also a tad more expensive to get black and white film developed. Although, sometimes when your composition is a bit cluttered and there’s too much going on in the frame, I think black and white would work well – it shifts the focus away from the plethora of colour to the focal subject and overall composition of the image.

I haven’t tried other black and white films, but I love Ilford FP4 for its soft, faded look and low contrast – which is pretty much my kind of aesthetic. It has a sensitivity of ISO 125, which is great on a clear day. You could try bumping up the ISO setting on your camera and “push” the film, but I have yet to try that technique (not quite that brave). I generally like to use films that are ISO 400 – I find it’s the most versatile for my use.

I have 2 rolls of Kodak T-Max 400 sitting at home – I’ll let you know how they turn out when I finally get around to using them. In the meantime, enjoy!