Several weeks ago a person stuck his head in my studio and asked me if there was such a thing as a bad photograph. I was very tempted to make a snarky comment about I often wondered if there was such a thing as a good photograph, except for my own of course!
However I sensed that it was really a serious question that deserved more than a flippant answer. It was a particularly relevant question considering that I had had several conversations recently with photographers whom I respect about how it was almost impossible to take a technically bad picture these days with the sophistication of the auto-exposure systems built in to the most unsophisticated cameras. By "technically" I mean that the exposure and focus are almost always reasonably correct. Composition and subject matter are a whole different discussion but I'm sure the manufacturers are working on that too. It's probably just a matter of time before cameras will be so automated that a red light will blink in the viewfinder to tell you that the subject is good and well composed. However, I digress!
When people show me their work today one of the first questions I ask them is, "Why did you take this picture?" That usually elicits a pregnant pause because they rarely thought about it.
I think it was Andy Warhol who said that he photographed something to see what it looked like photographed. This is a very legitimate reason. It doesn't have to be profound. It can be as simple as I want to record the day-to-day event of my kids' lives. Or, I'm new to photography and I'm just learning to use my camera and want to take some better pictures.
The second question I like to ask is something like, "What do you hope I will take away from the viewing experience?" This is probably a nicer version of "Why should I care?" This usually brings on another pregnant pause because they rarely, if ever thought about it.
These two questions are loosely related but not interconnected. Why I photograph what I photograph is frequently an internal motivation. What I choose to show to others involves decisions on how and why I wish to share my visual journey and what I want the viewer to experience.
Alexey Brodovitch, the great art director for Harper's Bazaar, said to his photographers, "Astound Me!" He also said if/when you look through the viewfinder and have seen it before, don't click the shutter. On the other hand, Thelonious Monk, the great American jazz pianist and composer said something like first you imitate, then you integrate, and then you innovate. I guess you didn't show it to Alexey until you reached the innovation stage.
I don't have any earth-shaking conclusions other than I wish folks would give a little more consideration to why they photograph what they photograph and even more thought about why their images might be compelling to others. If more photographers gave these questions a little more thought they'd be on their way to being better photographers.
I take a picture because it triggers some emotional response. I consider the resulting print successful if it can trigger the same emotional response. You are right if you guess that my success rate is pretty low.
ReplyDeleteI'm a painter and newly exposed to photography as an art form. I struggle with questions such as "how much of a photo's success is the subject vs. how much is it the photographer?" And "am I to assume that every photograph I see is not a true representation?" There is unspoken knowledge that paintings are manipulated. Perhaps I need to apply the same knowledge to photography?
ReplyDeleteWe all see things our own special way. We paint or photograph what grabs our attention. There is manipulation in photographs. One way or another (photoshop or manipulating the exposure)I emphasize what grabs me in the picture and de-emphasize what I am not interested in having there. And I assume that painters do the same thing. I am trying to show you what I SEE! And sometimes it even works!
ReplyDeletefortymile
I'm always curious about how painters know when to stop.
ReplyDeleteSuccess is a product of both subject AND the photographer. Some subjects are compelling in and of themselves, but some photographers have the talent to make what would otherwise be a boring subject, interesting and compelling.
Certainly Sebastio Salgado and Edward Burtynsky are two of the most talented at this.
Every viewer bring their own baggage and we have little control on what they take away from viewing our images. We can try to show but we have only limited control over interpretation.