The other day I had to attend the airport for an arrival. A previous delay on take off meant they arrived two hours late. But it was a Saturday, and the Zvartnots Airport isn't made to be anything significant, more a supposed temporary answer to the much older Soviet one that unfortunately now left to rot next to it. A beautiful structure that I truly hopes gets revived so the modern soulless one gets demolished. This two hour delay, on a Saturday, resulted in an additional hour of waiting for them to get through customs. But hey, I don't go anywhere without my camera, and so I spent the majority of the time running around the airport and taking photographs of the various scenes around me to pass the time. It's a small place, without anything interesting to see aside from a glimpse of the older airport by the side. But instead, I chose to find composition in the people, the stories being told in the arrival and departure zones. The emotion that was found within the patient faces waiting for their loved ones to finally pass through those gates. But I couldn't help but want to find composition in the empty space of the airport. The lack of life in much of it as most people reject the airport prices.
As I said, it's an incredibly small airport. Most people are just bundled around the departure or arrival zones and few get there early enough to really sit and wait for anything. I was a little cautious of having my camera around as I had the assumption that some of the security there just might not take too kindly to someone running around with a camera and taking pictures. But it seems that nobody really cared. The security would walk by, give a little nod in a form of formal greeting and move on. It surprised me given my 85mm lens is quite big. It sticks out and it's evident when I'm taking pictures, that front element that sticks out, widens as the focus shifts. I don't think I'd stick around one area for too long to seem odd, and between photographs I'd also be actually waiting and checking my phone. Weaving. Between people holding flowers, gifts, drinks, or just patiently waiting themselves. Though with an apparent boredom appearing on their faces as the time went on, few people coming out of customs at a time the feeling of the heat started to kick in as it reached midday.
With boredom starting to even set in with myself, I chose to point the camera upward. Shooting the strange typical airport structures that are found all over the world. Large steel structures that hang above and give the building such depth. It's interesting how airports tend to all share the same style, and again that depressing realisation that from one of the windows sits the rotting former airport with such an incredibly beautiful design that gives the airport and location such identity. There's something interesting about this design, but I have to say that it isn't as creative as it could be. Many not even paying attention, but I guess that's the intent. Tall buildings that are strong, almost with a bit of a warehouse aesthetic. After a few images of this I grew a bit bored again. I could feel the lack of patience starting to build within me, the time passing quickly, but not quick enough. Before I knew it, most of the day was already gone. But it was still in an interesting experience, the views of all the different people coming and going. That realisation of how each person feels the same emotions, even at the same moment in time despite no actual connection to the person they're standing next to.
I tried to find creative compositions within the airport, with the 85mm lens was probably too tight for a lot of them. A narrow space that isn't usually optimal for such a focal length. Especially with so many people within that space. It's probably the one major weakness of it. Performing great on small groups of people from afar, but not great at crowds up close, people almost morph into one unrecognisable object. You sort of feel that with the shallow depth of field too. But this wasn't an intentional photography trip, and to those reading this it's probably more of an encouragement to do as I do. Take that camera with you everywhere you go, even if you don't expect to take anything. Because sometimes things don't work out, you have a lot of free time waiting for something or someone. A moment crosses you that you want to capture. Moments in time that you notice but you wouldn't be able to capture otherwise. Sometimes all it takes is just having that camera with you to take some of the best, unexpected pictures of the week, or even month.
I try to tell people this a lot. And my photography is rarely something that is planned. It's just something that I take with me everywhere I go. But during walks to one place from another, there are those moments between. Those beautiful areas and moments. You wouldn't really notice them otherwise. And I think keeping the camera with you really helps build that observational skills that help you think, and feel what others may be as you see life unfolding around you. That's how it is with me, at least. And I do think I became more empathetic once the camera became a more integral thing in my day to day life. The influence it holds as you begin to experiment even in quick moments or areas you might usually consider dreadfully boring. It builds that creativity and emotion within. For many, this space was one of sadness and joy. The moments of greeting a loved one after a long time apart. And those sad moments of saying goodbye. It's easy to feel both of those emotions, looking around and seeing the hugs, the expressions on people's faces. The passing of time before our eyes. And the moments in which we express our most vulnerable sides.
