The Emergence of the Slow Camera Exchange

unpacked equipment, set up a tripod, exposed the image to the film. I must confess moments of frustration when I wanted to keep going at my usual insane fast pace. Other moments I welcomed the still, the quiet and the slow. I had the chance to see the environment around me through new eyes, to notice new details, to observe how the light was catching the object or landscape in focus. It did something for me…. something good.

In this passage, Jess Marbe describes the importance of the creation of The Slow Camera Exchange and how it aims to contribute to community connections and wellbeing.

Hermann and I were not only partners in life, but also creative collaborators. We were fascinated by creative expression that usually goes unseen and stories that are often unheard and we loved to work in spaces where participation in the arts is broad and accessible. We viewed creative expression as a right for all. It seems fitting for his cameras to be made available for public use through The Slow Camera Exchange and to celebrate the creativity that will emerge from this opportunity.

It was exciting to receive funding from Creative Ireland’s ‘Creativity in Older Age’ fund and to embark on the The Slow Camera Exchange’s first journey with people who are 55+. One of my main hopes with the project is that people will connect with others and feel a sense of belonging while engaging in activities with potential to support their wellbeing. The Cork City Library Service and the Cork Film Centre share this vision and have been the perfect partners to bring this project to fruition.

During the 18 years that I spent as Hermann’s partner, I have had many moments having to slow down while he

Studies in neuroscience now show that slowing down, taking notice and having a moment of being more mindful of our surroundings or our own selves can have positive impacts on our wellbeing.

There are many other potential positive impacts of engaging with creativity and engaging with analogue photography, which is inherently a slower process than digital photography.

Recently, I have been engaging in research around wellbeing, exploring two models: the New Economics Forum’s ‘5 ways to Wellbeing’ and the PERMA model. The Five Ways to Wellbeing, developed by the New Economic Forum in the UK, communicates five simple messages:

• Connect,

• Be Active,

• Take Notice,

• Keep Learning,

• Give.

The other model is from the work of American psychologist, Dr. Seligman. He developed the field of Positive Psychology and its e orts to scientifically explore human potential. Growing out of extensive research in the field of Positive Psychology, Dr. Seligman identifies five building blocks that enable flourishing:

• Positive Emotion,

• Engagement,

• Relationships,

• Meaning,

• Accomplishment.

I see the potential of the Slow Camera Exchange in creating spaces for many of these aspects of wellbeing to be nurtured. We have already seen groups of older people forming new relationships and connecting with each other as they met regularly in the library. Through workshops, meetings and through social aspects of the Slow Camera Exchange, there is a lot of possibility for individuals to connect around an interest and form a sense of belonging and community. Engaging with analogue photography is an opportunity to move the body by physically going to explore physical environments to capture an image. The process of working with analogue photography is an opportunity to engage the brain in di erent ways, with the challenge of learning technical skills of how, for example, to balance lengths of exposure with apertures and all the learning of how to see, notice, frame and capture an image. It is also an opportunity to learn about one’s self, one’s creativity and one’s environment. Creative exploration and experimentation with ideas and images opens the possibility of new ideas and the possibility to create and find meaning. Creating and presenting an image is a chance to give to others, allowing audiences to experience creativity, while gaining a sense of personal accomplishment.

We have witnessed some of these positive experiences already and hope that, as the programme expands and grows, more and more people will have opportunity the to engage with them and to flourish.

My young children, Otto and Anna Rose, and I have journeyed through our loss together. Creativity has played such an important role in connecting with Hermann, with each other and with others. We have made blankets from his t-shirts, cushions from his trousers, a ‘daddy doll’ wearing his clothes. We want to remember. We want to celebrate. We want to share. We want journeys of creativity and of connection to continue and want to be part of that journey. The children are very proud of their Dad and are also excited about sharing their Dad’s passion and equipment in The Slow Camera Exchange.

Jess Marbe