[Unstagram] A Day Very Similar to All Other Days

How Did Shirayama from 'Perfect Days' Choose the Photos?

Director Wim Wenders' film Perfect Days (this article contains no major spoilers about the film, though spoilers hardly matter in this movie) features Shirayama, the protagonist who cleans restrooms in Shibuya, Tokyo. On workdays, he eats a sandwich and drinks milk on a bench in front of a shrine for lunch, then looks up at a tree and takes a photo with an Olympus 'Mu' film camera. It is hard to say whether what he captures is the tree, the sunlight, the wind, or all of these, but one thing is certain: the place where he is?the 'present.' The present is not singular; it refers to all the 'now' moments (至今 · up to here) in the entire world that relate to me.

I took a photo while passing by a neighborhood park that resembles a park from a movie. Unlike Shirayama, I took three or four shots. Photo by Heo Yeonghan

I used the same model of camera for a while about 30 years ago. Compared to other automatic cameras, this one was smaller, lighter, and had better focusing capabilities, resulting in clearer photos. The photographer’s job was simply to slide open the lens cover, look through the viewfinder, decide what to capture and what to discard, and when to press the shutter. No special skills or techniques were needed; it captured the present I was seeing plainly yet neatly. It was similar to other automatic cameras but also very different.

There was also a restroom in the park that had a similar feel to the one seen in the movie. Photo by Heo Young-han

When he finishes a roll of film, he develops the photos at a photo lab. Holding the photos in his hands, he flips through them one by one, choosing which to keep and which to discard. What distinguishes a good photo from a less good one, or a photo to keep from one to throw away among similar shots? Of course, that standard lies within the individual’s inner self.

The leaf, receiving sunlight from above, showed prominent veins resembling capillaries. Photo by Heo Young-han

A good photo might be one that is stylish, beautiful, and conveys a clear message. Or it might be a photo that is indifferent and dry, making it hard to tell what it wants to say, yet still touches the heart. Speaking of the depth of sensation as traces of humanity, I have more affection for the latter. The swaying of a tree that always looks the same and the sunlight filtering through the branches are never exactly the same each time; that difference is the speaker’s mind and attitude. Moments that seem insignificant may only touch the unconscious of the speaker and listener, but for someone, they may evoke intense emotions.

Under the tree, this kind of scenery unfolds. It seems there was a similar scene in a movie as well. Photo by Heo Yeonghan

It is difficult to say what criteria he uses to select photos. Conventionally, it is not about well-taken shots but rather photos that move the heart for reasons hard to explain, photos that somehow attract him. The decisive difference comes from a subtle difference at the fingertips at the moment of shooting. The photo he chooses is the one single shot very similar to all the others. Like his dreams every night that are similar but different, like a single day very similar to all other days.

I often took photos of a zelkova tree in the neighborhood while walking the same path. It was always the same yet different tree. Perhaps everyone has at least one tree they hold dear in their heart. Photo by Heo Young-han