Sheila Bocchine, Photographer

A pinhole photograph of Snow White on Brother One Feather’s van in Santa Barbara, California.

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What do you live for?  What’s your passion? What’s the one thing you want more than anything in the world? For me, I use to think it was pinhole photography. I’ve spent countless hours visualizing a successful career, prints in the Whitney Museum, gallery openings in which I look ravishing in couture gowns from my favorite designers. Of course I want all that but I seem to put a little more energy into where will the wind take me next.

I think that dream of pinhole fame, takes a second place to traveling around the world. I always remember a favorite childhood game… closing my eyes, spinning the world globe and randomly placing my finger on the textured map. Where o where will my finger land… visions of warm sandy beaches, cloud touching skyscrapers, cobble streets, exotic animals, would flash, as the tingly sensation of excitement overcame my body.  I knew it was just a game, but where ever my finger landed was my next destination.  I’d often take that destination and look it up in my encyclopedia set, obtaining background information for another favorite childhood game: the magical swings!

Swings in the park would often bask in a glow of glittery light.  The swings were my ticket to freedom, the catapult to worlds I’ve only dreamed of.  I’d get comfy, start pumping, close my eyes and would honestly believe that when I opened them, I would be in land far, far away.

I’ve been playing a grown up version of these games since I was 18.

I have a collection of beautiful pinhole photographs, a dreamy documentary of my adventures. I intend to exhibit them all over the world.

Pinhole photograph of Gnomes on Brother One Feather’s Van in Santa Barbara, California.

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I love being drawn to the right place at the right time. It was Friday night, my one month anniversary of living in Suwon and I was determined to meet some new people.  My co-workers and I went to the Now Bar, the foreigners bar in Suwon. They introduced me to some of their friends and wandered off.  I met so many wonderful people, a couple of girls from England, men in the Air Force and others.

The excitement started when Julie came up and said hello.  She was the absolute darling that helped me get out of the Seoul Airport after 24 hours of travel.  Without her I would have been stranded. Looking around for the guy holding my name on a piece of white paper, he was no where to be found. My welcome to South Korea wasn’t the movie moment I pictured.  After getting me through customs, luggage and showing me how to exchange money, she let me borrow her phone to call my recruiter. Moments later we saw someone running towards us…with a white piece of paper!

She was between jobs and headed to SE Asia for vacation. On Friday night she was in Suwon before heading to her new school a few hours a way!

After spending a few hours talking with the very interesting people at my table, I was getting ready to leave.  I had afterall been sick all week and did a breathing treatment earlier in the morning at the doctors office.  OHHHH yes, I couldn’t swallow or talk and went to the doctors.  He gave me a breathing treatment and minutes later I came back to life.  I even wondered had I really been so sick, that at night I awoke gasping for air because even breathing hurt.

BUT turning around at the perfect moment I was face to face with Kingston, that really nice Korean boy that stopped me a few weeks earlier asking for directions to the very bar we were in! He and his friends joined us and I stayed a few more hours talking with them.

A reunion of sorts, it was the best night in Suwon since my arrival.

Aliens and Mermaids. In Santa Barbara, we had the pleasure of hanging out with Brother One Feather. He created this incredible piece of art, on wheels. His van! I spent hours pinholing it, and I’ll be featuring the best pieces. Brother One Feather, if you’re reading this, can you send me your email address. I’ll spend some time searching on Google as well, but perhaps Google alerts you when someone writes about you.

SO, which pinhole do you like better? I can’t decide. I like the sunburst one, because I love sunbursts, but I like the other because it has a little more color and the swaying beads wrap around the bottom of the van. They are very similar… sooo I need a little help from my friends. Thanks!

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Things I love about South Korea:

*The explosion of color! Color everywhere! Today I was taking my morning stroll and a man walked by in pink pants, a pink tie and a grey suit jacket. Totally awesome!

*Pink! Butterflies! Flowers! Glitter! Seriously, did I die and go to an alternate Universe? Four of my favorite things plastered everywhere.

*The use of building space. They build up, use all the space and announce it on the sides of the buildings. In NYC interesting businesses could fill the buildings and you’d never know. Giant neon signs crawl up the buildings making sure everyone knows in South Korea!

*Energy conservation. Many of the escalators don’t start moving until you step foot on them.

*Recycling. Outside most of the apartment buildings are recycling bins!  They make it soooo easy! Perfect!

*Giant square, thick black framed glasses!  I’ve been looking for a pair in the States for years!  I will acquire a pair very soon.  I ‘ll surely miss comments like these, a boy I don’t have came up to me and said “Hi, I’m Alex.” I said “Hi, I’m Sheila.” He says “Sheila, you have funny glasses.”