Creazione - Creation in Miniature: Photo Story

I just finished my newest photo story The Nerd. The whole thing began when my old cell phone died and me and Juhana - my spouse - decided to take it apart and, if you allow me use Finnish idiom, "see what it had eaten". We spend the best part of last Sunday afternoon mutilating the poor devise and I was surprised by the microscopic scale of all the innards. They were so tiny they kind of worked in 6th scale too!

When I was in high school, I had this friend who´d always sit in his room, sleeping all days and grouching over his desk at night, putting together his dream computer from parts. He almost hated the day light and always had curtains drawn if he´d be awake in the light of day. So I get this idea of profiling my new repaint that had no name yet after him. An antisocial nerd, not always easy to deal with but I do always remember him with affection. ;)

So my FR Erin OOAK became Myong Shin, a Korean top student moved to Paris - as that's where my stories take place - with her parent who work too much and whom she never even sees. Similarly to my old friend she is messy, frank to rudeness, sometimes takes things only as literally as a brilliant mind with no social capabilities can, jealous over her stuff and loves junk food.

The original idea of the diorama had nothing but a desk in a dark room full of my old cell phone parts, but I wanted to make the room more whole. Its still needed to be crammed but also give a tiny hint that this was in fact a girls room and not the layer of an old treckie going bold and still living with his parent - although Shin really does. I decided that she only worked in the room and slept elsewhere. It gave the room more space and was reasonable as the dust from bedding is not good for electronisc.

So, as you can see, the room became small but economical, nothing extra, just the basics. I wanted to put a foldable chair to the corner to indicate that she does, occasionally, have guests - not that often though. As it turns out the chair is fenced in by a horde of empty cola bottle which are essential part of any nerds room.

Shin does have a serious disrecard towards computer safety as she eats and drinks next to her laptop and electronics all the time. This was an aspect that always confused me in my friend, for after lecturing me about dust and such he´d eat over his key board and drop bread crums in it. Accordinly, Shin´s room and especially the desk are a mess.

Originally, I started shooting the story in a morning sun light and I loved the general airy lighting of the scene. But then it started to rain and it rained the nect day too and I lost my lighting after only 10 story frames. So I had no choice but the change the storyline - well I suppose I could have waited until the weather changed, but I have no patience when inspired. ;)

I made a change in storyline, Shin asking Morwen to come back later - her later being around midnight. The night view seen thru the window is a part of a photograph taken by Riikka Kaakkurivaara (all rights reserved) from my balcony in China, Peking.

I actually like the effect the "window" gives as the glossy surface of the photo reflects the scene in fromt of it. I´ve been thinking of making windows for my doll house for ages, but now I have second thoughts as that would limit the use of interchagable backdrops like this.