I AM AT a major junction, looking straight into the sunset of life. Every one of my senses has made new discoveries.
I can see things now with greater depth and perspective. I am more likely to hit my personal pause button when encountering majestic sunsets and sunrises. I want to freeze-frame moments of exhilaration experienced by my young children. I know expressions of grief, longing and suspense so when they arise, I like to rewind the moment to see their precursors.
I also see things in my mind while standing or sitting with others. Sometimes I see Irish or British housing estates scroll through my mind while viewing a single detached structure thousands of miles away in the States. I also see logos in scenic places where they never originated and I wonder why that is happening to me.
The sunset in the photo comes with a soundscape but not one that I recorded. I remember the peaceful surroundings of the landscape, the quiet nature of the road where I stood to take the picture. It's a place where fewer than 30 cars pass every day. You can hear cars start their engines 200m away. You can hear crowds roar in a football stadium located less than one mile beyond the treeline.
Every neighbourhood I visit and every street corner I pass offers unique smells. The sunset snap offered a hint of skunk in the air because skunks feel safe in the biodiverse garden at the rear of the photographer's position. Deep in my memory sits smells I never forget. I love oregano and start salivating when I smell it. I hate the smell of paper mills and of most public toilets. My list of unwelcome smelly places gets longer every year.
When walking a new ground or an unfamililar park or a fresh soccer pitch, I like to touch the ground itself. As a young college student, I associated wet grass with recycled irrigation water and often ended up smelling like a toilet for days after rolling on the wet grass.
I w9nder if any of my impressions resemble yours. I'm intrigued by the strong power a picture of a simple sunset can achieve. I know several other senses can be triggered to best effect. I have discussion sessions with creative media students so we can jointly discuss key frames of still photography and feature films.
[Bernie Goldbach is the senior pilot creative multimedia lecturer in the Limerick School of Art & Design.]
