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Behind The Clutter

A patchwork of objects spills out over the grass. Everyday items once folded into domestic life now lie side by side—some new, some used, all a little out of place. It’s a reminder of how easy it is to accumulate things—stuff we once needed, or thought we might. Together, these objects form a portrait of a life in transition. Shifting priorities—maybe growing children, abandoned routines, a move, or the quiet decision to start fresh. It’s as much about making space as it is about letting go. Just everyday life, laid out in the open. And in that, as someone who’s terrible at goodbyes and letting go, I see something tender.

Behind The Clutter

Shannon DinhPorShannon Dinh
1 de julho de 2025
em Ensaio

Selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

A box of tangled chargers. A stuffed bunny lying face-down. A chipped teacup. Princess dresses hanging off the side of a van, swaying gently in the breeze. The car boot sale is full of things let go of, but not quite forgotten—objects in limbo, between one life and another. Amid the mess and noise, quiet stories emerge for those who pause long enough to notice.

The atmosphere is raw, unfiltered—just people, belongings, voices, and negotiation. There’s a certain honesty in this exchange that draws me in. People from all backgrounds come to the market with a similar purpose: to sell, to buy, to trade, to make do. It’s messy, but familiar. As a Vietnamese person living far from home for the past seven years, I feel oddly at ease here. Somewhere between insider and outsider, I move through the space both observing and belonging—documenting moments that feel at once deeply personal and somewhat universal.

This photo essay explores the social and emotional rhythms of a local car boot sale in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England. While these markets function as second-hand exchanges, what’s behind the clutter is more than just stuff—it’s memory, value, necessity, and sometimes loss. Sellers often come with family or friends, and in their conversations and gestures, there’s evidence of shared rituals, everyday bonds, and unspoken histories.

Every object a memory.
Every stall a mirror.
What do we choose to let go of?
What do we keep?
What does our discarded stuff say about us?

Behind the Clutter is a reflection on those questions, and a celebration of the human stories buried just beneath the surface.

A stall shaped by instinct, practicality, and whatever space the lot allows. Car boot sales are full of these improvised theatres—each one giving away something about its owner. Some are neat, others chaotic, but all feel personal.
The choice of items for sale, the way they’re arranged, the care taken—or not—speaks of taste, urgency, and circumstance.
Are they making room? Moving on? Or simply hoping someone else will see value in what once mattered to them? In these small, makeshift displays—we catch a glimpse of an unintended self- portrait, told through things.
People drift in and out of frame—waiting, wandering, letting the day unfold around them. No one’s in a hurry, and maybe that’s the point. You don’t arrive at a car boot sale knowing exactly what you’ll find. It’s more like a slow treasure hunt—part browsing, part hoping, part passing time. And that kind of searching can’t be rushed.
Unlike most objects at a car boot sale, which only draw attention if they’re needed, a mirror creates an immediate, uninvited encounter. In passing, you don’t just see the mirror—you see yourself.
These are intimate household items, once part of private spaces—bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways—where they silently witnessed daily rituals and passing years. Now, at the car boot sale, they sit exposed and out of place. There’s a sense of vulnerability in that. For a brief moment, as you walk by, your reflection appears—and in that fleeting instant, a face, a memory, or a fragment of the self is revealed, both to you and to those around you.
A familiar sight at car boot sales: kids tucked away in the back of a car or van while the adults run the stall out front. Especially on warmer days, they retreat into the shade, passing time however they can—phones, snacks, naps, or just watching the world go by.
While the buzz of selling and chatting hums outside, the van becomes a little world of its own—a place to wait, daydream, and stay out of the way.

Most people don’t come here alone—neither sellers nor buyers. They arrive in cars packed with both belongings and company. Families like this one come together, and it’s in their small interactions—the glances, the exchanges, the care—that the deeper stories of the market unfold. It’s part of what draws me to these spaces.

Inscreva-se no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

Shannon Dinh

Shannon Dinh

Shannon Dinh (Collagewise) is a former film student from Vietnam who traded moving images for still ones. She finds beauty in the everyday and seeks out fleeting moments of tenderness, capturing life in its most subtle form. A bold maker with a quiet mind. She began taking photos before fully understanding what photography was. It started as instinct —a way to hold onto moments she couldn’t explain or knew she’d soon forget. Over the years, she explored other creative paths—from dance and playwriting to media production—but always returned to photography. It offers a kind of discovery and reflection that feels most aligned with how she experiences the world. Her approach is closely tied to the name she works under: Collagewise. It reflects how she sees both photography and life—not as fixed or absolute, but layered, fragmented, and always shifting. Shannon works with a range of gear and enjoys how different tools push her to see and shoot in new ways. She’s drawn to real-world creativity, especially the ways access, limitation, and routine shape the stories we tell.

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