Research Diary
A photography journal from an upbeat-pessimist — documenting beauty in overlooked places, tracing repetition, stillness, and slow collapse. Part research, part wandering, part attempt to make sense of the noise.
Tales from the Loop: When Restriction Becomes Reality
What started as a strict experiment in repetition soon grew into something more. From McCarthy’s bleak novels to weeks of forced rest after injury, The Loop began to evolve into Tales from the Loop — a project where fiction, restriction, and rediscovery intersect.
Tales from the Loop: In the Shadow of the Monolith
After weeks of anticipation, I finally held my first framed print from Tales from the Loop in my hands. Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag and finished with non-reflective art glass, In the Shadow of the Monolith came to life in a way that was both humbling and inspiring. In this post, I share the process of printing, framing, and exhibiting the work — and reflect on how it connects to the broader journey of the project.
Tales from the Loop: Discovering a Theory
In this reflective post, I explore the concept of hypernormalisation through my photographic project, The Loop. Inspired by Alexei Yurchak’s Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, I discuss how ritualized walking and image editing reveal shifting perceptions of urban decay, endurance, and social critique in a dystopian landscape.
Tales from the Loop: When Apathy Strikes
After months of daily walks and image-making, I found myself caught between routine and restlessness. In Chapter Four, I explore the creative plateau — how I tried to push through it with experiments in abstraction, large-scale printing, and a surprising encounter with political theory.
Tales from the Loop: Repeating the Walk
Returning to the same route again and again, I began to see the value in repetition—not as limitation, but as revelation. Inspired by Georges Perec’s observational writing, this chapter explores how photographing the mundane transformed my creative process.