In the ever-evolving tapestry of urban life, each moment holds a story—a fleeting whisper of existence that often goes unnoticed. As a photographer, my mission is to capture these ephemeral narratives and weave them into a visual chronicle that transcends time. This photographic series, Time in Frames: The Panoramic Street Chronicles, is an exploration of this concept—a journey through the continuum of urban moments that collectively form a narrative of “time travel.”
This series is born at the intersection of traditional street photography and modern digital technology. Employing a manual approach, I traverse the streets with a keen eye, seeking the decisive moments that Henri Cartier-Bresson once spoke of. However, I extend this philosophy beyond a single frame. Each panoramic photograph in this collection is not just a snapshot of a moment in time but a fusion of multiple instances, stitched together to create a seamless narrative that unfolds within a single image.
The panoramic format allows me to capture the rhythm and flow of urban life in a way that a single frame cannot. It presents a linear, almost cinematic depiction of daily scenes—a group of tourists lost on Hollywood Road, pedestrians in Rednaxela Terrace (where Dr. Jose Rizal resided during his stay in Hong Kong) going about their daily chores, Cheung Chau island fishermen plying their trade—all frozen in a continuous sequence that invites viewers to step into the frame and traverse the scene as if they were time travelers themselves.
In this digital era, the process of creating these types of panoramic photos is both a technical and artistic endeavor. The manual act of shooting—selecting the optimal spot to position the whole rig, waiting for the perfect light, anticipating the movements within the frame, and then consecutively shooting each frame—remains at the core of my practice. Yet, it is the digital stitching and editing that are the most time-consuming. But it is this stage of the process that allows these moments to merge into a coherent whole, blending the boundaries of time and space.
Each image in Time in Frames serves as a portal to a different dimension of urban existence, a reflection of the myriad experiences that constitute city life. Through this series, I aim to challenge the viewer’s perception of time and space, urging them to look closer, to see beyond the immediate, and to appreciate the intricate dance of moments that define our daily lives.
About the artist:
Rodolfo Canete Jr., a seasoned freelance journalist and media producer based in Hong Kong, is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist with a diverse creative portfolio. Over the past year, his work has garnered accolades in international art competitions across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Currently, he is the artist-in-residence at ANASAEA Artverse in Berlin and Vienna. His unique style of panoramic street photography and award-winning digital collage are featured in the “Visual Narratives From Overseas Filipino Artists” exhibition at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre.
