Wind blows, leaves fall is a black-and-white photo series. The photos were all taken with a Nikon F3 film camera with 50mm lens. The project contains images of my personal lifestyle.
Wind blows, leaves fall is about how I feel the isolation between me and the rest of the world as well as searching for myself under the loneliness. Meanwhile on taking these self-portraits, I disassociate me with myself, as well as seeing myself both as subject and object. I choose to use light, shadow, and contrast to create an atmosphere of solitude and strangeness. These photos not only convey the lonely lifestyle of me, but also convey a kind of empathy.
Self-developed films are also delivering the idea of how I construct the reality in the private place, and how I search for myself and open myself to the public.
Wind blows, leaves fall is inspired by how I love watching vlogs on social media. Most importantly, I feel empathy when I'm watching someone else's vlog, which reflects back on me to think about my own lifestyle both in private and public.
Lolita culture has been a misunderstanding for many people nowadays. Lolita has becoming a fashion subculture originating in Japan based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. Some people may think Lolita dresses are childish and exaggerated. Probably some people don’t understanding why would this group of girls wear such exaggerating and inconcenient clothing to school. At University of Oregon, there are some Lolita girls. Jiayi Zheng is one of the Lolitas. Zheng is also a clothes friend of mine. Meanwhile, during the time I spent with her taking photos of her, I understood more what she thinks and the reason for her to become a Lolita. Taking photos of Zheng and her lovely dresses are an enjoyable thing for me to do rather than finishing a project. I think looking through this photo story, people may get some ideas about Lolita group.
Eugene finally gets a sunny day on February 11th. JiaYi Zheng wears one of her favorite Lolita collections “Some Day of Ranunculus Lycia Jumper skirt.” She is waiting for the Emx bus at Eugene Transit Station heading to campus for her first music video shooting. “I get weird looks when I dressed up fully as a Lolita every time,” Zheng says. “If I care about their side eyes, I wouldn’t dress up like this.”
Besides the identity of been a Lolita, JiaYi Zheng is a also a free writer. Zheng wrote some short stories in past years. She is now writing her first novel “White Lies.” Zheng posts one to two chapters on her Wechat (a chatting app in China) official account per week.
Almost the end of the winter term, Jiayi Zheng is busy with her J331 Digital Video Production project --- Evergreen documentary “Night on campus,” which talks about students at University of Oregon stay up late doing their work or projects at school and their safety on their way back home at late time. Zheng (middle) and her group members Qiongyao Shao (left) and Yuqin Cao (right) are setting up light kits for interviewing one of architecture students, Xinyu Yang, in the room 177 at Lawrence Hall on Friday March 3rd.
Jiayi Zheng finally finds a spot at her kitchen to put her baking tray. “I really need to clean up this mess,” Zheng laughs and puts the tray on the top of the sink. This is the final step to make the Su style moon cake into the shape. Zheng is stuffing the marinated pork meat inside the dough she has already separated.
JiaYi Zheng, a member of Portland/Oregon Lolita Tea and Cake Society, also as a student at University of Oregon. The most satisfying thing for Zheng is to look at her closet filled with colorful Lolita dresses. Zheng has about 40 Lolita dresses mostly in sweet and classic style. To Zheng, Lolita dresses are her childhood dream, which not only fulfill her desire to become a “princess;” but also meet her thought of trying to live out her own style without paying attention to other people’s look.
JiaYi Zheng buys many Lolita dress with different patterns on them. “Even though my mom doesn’t like me wear this kind of clothes and forces me to throw them away,” Zheng says. “I just can’t give up all these dresses, any one of them are my babies.”
Putting on a Lolita dress is a long process. "Even it takes me a lot of time to put clothes on everyday," Jiayi Zheng says. "But I sure enjoy it seeing myself become colorful in the mirror."
Even putting on a dress is a long process. Jiayi Zheng can quickly make a bowknot at her back.
Cute Lolita dress doesn’t make Lolita complete. Decorations are the main point to make Lolita fashion on a higher step. Hat, necklace, hairclips, and bracelet are essential. Jiayi Zheng is trying to pick out her decoration for the day before she goes out. “It is so hard for me to pick out decoration because I want to put on all cute things on my head or my hair,” Zheng says.
Another one of Jiayi Zheng’s video project, her group is deciding to do a dramatic short about hunted Allen Hall. The scene about Rebecca Force (front left), who is a faculty at SOJC at University of Oregon; is located outside the women bathroom on the third floor at Allen Hall. Before shooting the scene, Jiayi Zheng (front right), Qiongyao Shao (back left) and Yuqin Cao (back right) are discussing about how the move is going to be like.
Final scene of the music video “Friday, I’m in Love” at Skybox Apartment balcony. Jiayi Zheng (right) is checking her storyboard of the music video while Jie Qin (left) is waiting action call at his spot. Even it is a cold and windy day, Zheng wants to show the best of her in her Lolita dress in front of the camera and also while she works.
Nobody knows how much power it contains in human body. Representing different things and emotions with human body make themes much stronger and meaningful.
Rice to me is 'My Root.' This project is inspired by a Japanese photographer. His Jizo project uses the same object, which is a paper draw jizo, through all his photographs. I used a bowl of rice to represent my background, and also the path to the future.
Nick Jagels, an antique clock repairer, owns “Anderson Jagels Antique Company” with his wife for over 20 years. He likes vintage clocks and want to pass down his technique.
This is a clock repair shop within an antique shop. Jagels’ wife Patti Jagels loves collecting antiques and Mr. Jagels likes to repairing clocks and collecting some antique clocks. Sometimes, there aren’t many people walk into the antique shop; for Mr. Jagels, he likes to spend time with his clocks, repairing and rebuilding. “Repairing is a handy thing and it also needs strong focus.” Mr. Jagels says.
One of Mr. Jagels’s biggest wishes is to perpetuate clock repair skills to the next generation. He thinks there is very few younger people seem to have much interested in antique clock repairing. Mr. Jagels doesn’t earn a lot of money from repairing clocks, but he thinks vintage clocks are carrying part of the history and the memory of the development of handicraft industry. “I want to protect it,” Mr. Jagels says.
Nick Jagels has been rebuilding this Australian vintage table clock back in 1870s for two days. This clock strikes the hour every 15 minutes and has two clock gauges, one for the quarter, another gauge for the half. Because of this vintage clock with many small parts, in order to keep it work, Jagels need to oil it once a week. “It is so important to put oil on clocks. I forget to eat, but I will never forget to put oil on my babies,” Jagels says. “Clock and watch, especially vintages, are practical, they need to continuously maintain.”
To Jagels, the process of manufacturing vintage clocks represents the most advantaged machinery and technology in the past centuries. “Under gorgeous appearances, vintage clocks have extremely exquisitely complex mechanical transmission system,” Jagels says.