Sea of Love by Cat Power

Sea of Love, by Cat Power.

nobody reads descriptions so this should be safely unread. i reached a milestone tonight, a million views on this video.

i write a confession, what happened. i started to take photographs to take my mind of a horrendous relationship breakup. i didn't want it to end but it did. it was the first time i felt so alone in this world. and then being without her mattered so much that it felt like i was dying.
This song was my anthem around the time. Cat Power it seemed, had suffered a similar fall from grace. it was and still is, a sad song.
this milestone then, a million views, makes me want to write something about why i uploaded this video in the first place, but the fact is that 95-99 % of viewers click on this video to hear Cat power sing Sea of love, and not view my pictures. of course that's why they click on it, they haven't heard of me, but they have watched Juno, and they have seen Cat Power on stage somewhere, or heard her voice on some friends' CD player. don't get me wrong, i am not insecure, i am totally confidant about my ability to take a photograph as a means to express myself. the music i use in my video merely aides the emotional connection, music has always done this.
i am nearing the end of my twenties. in a couple of months i will be thirty years of age. i don't have any children, and i don't have a partner. i make a living as a photojournalist and freelance photographer.
for as long as i can remember, i could never fit somewhere. there's nowhere i could call home. i barely recognise myself from the young man who entered university thinking that a formal education in psychology was going to make me happy, that this prescribed route was going to make me stop wondering, and actually live my life, instead of scratching at it, watching it.
the solace of a camera then seems in retrospect like an obvious thing to do, but as luck would have it, i finally found something that i was truly a natural at, expressing myself. you see i have a lot of pain. of course everyone and their dog has pain and i am no different, but what i find myself trying to do with the camera is just ignore everything that i have ever learned or experienced, just blissfully forget about the taxman, the banker, the things that make up the world around me, and just think about me.
when i take a photograph i am there, being hit by a wave, happy in a graveyard, in a box, or even a garden plastic rabbit, these are all expressions of myself. yes they exist and i didn't arrange them, but i am drawn to them as soon as i sense them, and for however long the scene is as such, i want to take a photograph of it, and when i do, i feel momentarily invigorated, an orgasmic sense of something recognised and understood and captured, a reflection of myself.
so from someone with no artistic background, via a Machiavellian relationship breakup, i find myself with the perfect medium to express myself with, the camera.

thanks for reading.

Raymond McCarron

my facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/RaymondMcCarronPhotography
you can click like, if you like, but only if you like.

website: www.raymondmccarron.com

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• cat
• power
• workingsux
• ireland
• photography
• candid
• bresson
• doisneau
• arbus
• belfast
• winogrand
• tyrone
• irish
• british
• strabane
• raymond
• mccarron

[olisgirlfriend]

Hey, so... I only clicked the video to hear the song, but some kind of force in the universe made me read your description, and dude, you are great. I was kind of wondering a lot of stuff to tell ya, but... It's not necessary. You just need to know you helped me,with your story, and thanks.

[CaptainPeeners]

Those words, those photographs, that music. Just...beautiful. Whoever you are who uploaded this, I honestly hope you are doing better than you were during that break-up.

[KayThankYou]

Love this song..also love the movie Juno the song is in

[kurtywurty85]

Raymond, you are lovely. You remind me of Raymond from Fight Club....not you, as in your personality... but your name haha

[Lenin426599]

Touching story

[jerseygirlxox2]

Happy belated birthday! What you do is wonderful and I wish you another great year of it. x

[mdhookey]

Cat Power's version of this song always makes me feel like I've been punched in the stomach. We cannot ignore the worst moments in our lives, yet we can always learn and reflect on all that has happened. I tip my hat to you, Raymond, and hope for only the best of you in 2012.

[gabriellataminato]

I needed the google translate to read the description

God i'm so bad.

[bluebendphotography]

I Love this song!



[ReligionsACult]

I want this song to play at my fake wedding 8D

[Spradley816]

Photos were great! Keep your head up!