the wrong side

Today I found myself on the wrong side of a camera. That is, in front of the lens instead of behind it. Considering it was such a small shift in position it was quite unusual and uncomfortable and no, I haven't felt brave enough to watch it back yet.

This was a first attempt at capturing pieces of material for the doco.

I have been reading about tacit knowledge (Polanyi, 1966) this afternoon, that's the stuff we know that we don't necessarily recognise as stuff we know. I can recognise the use of a camera as a tool,

'we become aware of the feelings in our hand in terms of their meaning located at the tip of the probe or stick to which we are attending.' (Polanyi 1966, p.13)

Everytime I've picked up a camera in the past it has been to use it to take shots. Each of these experiences has built up over time to create a  tacit knowledge set. It is amazing to experience this same tool for something outside my experience, being filmed. It is like it is not the same tool at all, all of that tacit knowledge I have around the camera disappears when it is turned the other way. A sense of powerlessness arises when a) the camera isn't in my hands and b) the lens is directed at me.