Army (2007)
work note
On August 23, 2005, I joined the army. It was a time when I had to learn new things for the first time, and my previous experiences were of little help. During my military service, I wanted to take photographs, but I was told it was impossible since photography was not my major. So, I recorded meaningful scenes with just my eyes.
One day, a military officer asked who could take good pictures, and I raised my hand without hesitation. He said he didn’t think I would do a good job, but since there were no other volunteers, he had no choice but to give me the camera. His order was to take a picture of the military unit’s environmental cleaning operations, and I used all the techniques I had learned so far to take one shot. The photo was published in the military newspaper the next day, and as a result, I became a soldier who could take photographs.
I was able to bring one 35mm lens, a few rolls of Tri-X film, and my own camera to the army. I mostly shot in natural light and sometimes used a Nikon manual strobe light.
During a leave, I had the opportunity to develop the films, and this experience was fascinating as the images stored in my memory came to life before my eyes. I scanned the films and held my first exhibition in the army. I made continuous efforts to document myself and my comrades through relentless research. Now, I want to share the results of that research with you.