365:203 PAUL HORNSBY

I’ve always been interested in rituals. This image could be considered for the shortest photowalk ever! In this case from my bedroom to the bathroom. This walk is a daily occurrence for me. It’s the first thing I do every day and had kind of taken it for granted, but the more I thought about it the more I realised I behaved in exactly the same way every day. The sequence starts like this……

Having walked into the bathroom, I’d look into the mirror (normally to register gentle disapproval at my aging face. I’d place the sink plug in the sink and then I’d turn the hot water tap on and let it run until hot. After a few moments, I’d add cold water to get the ideal temperature. Following this, I’d wash my face in preparation for a shave. I realised I’d always apply the shaving foam to the right-hand side of my face before applying it to my chin and onto the lefthand side of my face. Shaving followed the same routine, right-hand side, centre then left. Next onto brushing my teeth, then into the shower!

This is one of my daily rituals and never really varies (the sequence of events is always the same). The strange thing is I often have exactly the same thoughts whilst taking part in my daily ritual. I’ve tried consciously to change the sequence of events but this always feels awkward and unsatisfactory. Maybe I need help?

Anyway I began to think how much attention I actually paid visually to this scene and so decoded to document it in detail. The image of my ritual site has been photo stacked for maximum fidelity. The result is this image.

See more of Paul’s work on his website.