Blurred Illusion: KH Explores the Space Between Reality and Dream
- WODACC
- May 2
- 3 min read
At the World Grand Prix Photography Award 2026 Spring Season, KH YEH was awarded the Platinum Award for Blurred Illusion, an experimental photographic work that dissolves the boundary between perception and emotion.
Using Polaroid film and alternative processes, the work transforms petals into abstract forms—hovering between presence and disappearance. Through softness, blur, and tonal warmth, the image resists clarity, inviting viewers into a sensory space where memory, imagination, and reality quietly overlap.
This is a Polaroid film pre-exposed by airport X-rays. The emulsion yields a hazy, distorted palette, merging intentional pink lighting to transform organic reality into a dreamlike chemical experiment.
Interview
Q: What inspired you to take this award-winning photo? Is there a story behind the piece you’d like to share?
KH:
My idea was to capture the feeling between reality and dreams. I chose petals because they represent softness, fragility, and fleeting beauty between blooming and fading. The developing process of a Polaroid film is like a dream slowly coming true, and the blurry boundary is exactly what I wanted, a mix of reality and emotion.
Q: Were there any challenges during the process of creating this series or image? How did you navigate them?
KH:
The main challenges came from the Polaroid camera itself, such as the fixed lens, the long minimum focusing distance, and the viewfinder parallax error. I solved the focusing distance problem by using a macro lens, which also created a very shallow depth of field, strengthening the warm, blurry feeling of the image. Finally, to create the dreamy pink tones, I intentionally used the X-ray pre-exposed Polaroid film. This experimental method allowed me to turn these imperfections into abstract emotional colors.
Q: How do you approach the balance between technical skill and emotional/artistic expression in your photography?
KH:
I believe that technical skill is the foundation that gives us the freedom to express ourselves.
I personally don’t look for perfect sharpness or exact exposure, because I see reality as reality itself is imperfect and full of uncertainty. However, we still need to maintain good control of light and shutter speed to successfully "deconstruct" reality. My way of balancing both is to first decide the emotion or atmosphere I want to convey, and then choose the right technique to make it happen. To me, having enough technical skill and clear thoughts is what supports the release of intuition and feelings.
Q: What message or feeling do you hope your photography conveys to viewers?
KH:
I hope my photography can bring viewers a gentle and dreamy feeling, like stepping into a space between reality and imagination.
In modern life, we are used to chasing clarity, precision, and definitions. However, I hope viewers can let go of the need to "see everything clearly" and simply feel the warmth, atmosphere, colors, and emotions.
Often, this uncertain beauty is like the vague but deep moments we all have in our minds, it’s a kind of warm memory.
Q: In your view, what role does photography play in today’s world?
KH:
Photography plays many important roles. It is a tool for recording real life and social issues, and it is also a medium for reflecting on reality, expressing emotions, and challenging how we see things.
I believe another great value of photography is that it offers a different way of seeing. It can slow people down, help us let go of over-analyzing, and simply feel the emotions, atmosphere, and poetry. It reminds us that blurry and fleeting moments are also the most touching and real parts of life.
Editor’s Note
In Blurred Illusion, KH YEH embraces what photography often tries to eliminate—uncertainty.
Through softness, abstraction, and experimental process, the work invites viewers to pause, to feel, and to accept that not everything needs to be defined. In doing so, it reveals a quiet truth: sometimes, what is most meaningful exists precisely in what cannot be seen clearly.
Follow the Photographer
Taipei-based Polaroid enthusiast, capturing interesting fragments of life through Polaroid because of its one-of-a-kind, unrepeatable, and tangible nature, embracing the uncertainty and imperfection of the process, often leading to unexpectedly beautiful results.
