Snap it

Via Kris Wehipeihana on Twitter last night, the lovely Wellington Park Bench project.

Oriental Bay - Wellington Park Bench location #4

As everything Nina Simon has ever taught us about participatory projects shows, it's getting the right ask that is crucial. In this beautifully simple project, a disposable camera is left tied to a bench in Wellington (mostly so far on waterfront locations). A note encourages people to take photos; the photos are uploaded to Facebook when the film's done, and the camera moves on.

Running since late January, the camera has moved around around four locations and only been stolen once (boo, participatory-project-hater). I'm looking forward to travelling along with it in coming months (I will even visit Facebook, my bete noir, in order to do so, but luckily I can also follow the project on Twitter).

NB.
The lightness of touch evinced by this project reminds me of another Wellington photography project that I love, Tuhonohono, which every day weaves together a new and an old photo. Imagine if the two collided ...