Loved reading this. I have just started a masters in visual and critical studies and I'm excited to begin having conversations like this one ... and also a bit daunted because I'm a smart girl but I feel like there's a whole language that I am not versed in!
I do think giving photographs a title is debatable and ultimately boils down to an aesthetic / strategic choice by the photographer. We photographers can suffer from the curse of too much information; we know all about the photograph, but the viewer comes at it cold. Compositionally a photo should stand on its own, but contextually it may not. "Warsaw, 2019" may have meaning for you, but could be Greek to me and background research may not help. A non-documentary street photo's date or location may be meaningless to the image itself, while a creative or informational title could secure its meaning and enhance the viewer's appreciation for it. I respect your choice, and I believe a title can do more harm than not, so "tread carefully" Is always the advice to offer. But i think it important to critique the choice of title or no title on a case by case basis.
I'd like to see or get more detail off what you mean here: "My own particular bête noire is a poor photograph masked by the photographer bestowing upon it unconvincing intention or an interpretation with all the substance of a homoeopathic remedy. "
Thanks, Neil, a thought-provoking piece, which I feel may be a pre-cursor to the types of discussion I'll be privvy to at uni! Never thought I'd say that ;)
Looking forward to more content like this to keep me ahead of the riff-raff!
By profession, I'm a writer. By love, I'm... well, I'm a writer again, but I have always loved using my camera. I'm not a street photographer, being more tempted to capture macro shots in nature. But I found this post to be an excellent description/analysis of photography in general. When I look at my own shots, I ask: "Is this a photograph or a snapshot?" And the answer always has to do with "Does it make me feel something? If so, what?"
Hi Neil - an interesting article - thanks. It got me thinking about how often these days we barely pause long enough to look at an image to really see it for what it is - before doom scrolling to the next one. I like this idea of ‘describing and interpreting’. It means having to pause long enough to really think about the image - what it is and what it’s saying. I for one need to spend more time thinking about what images are saying, and not just what they are.
Good points here, Neil..These guidelines are informative and useful in a deeper appreciation and understanding of a photograph. I would add though that at the end of the day, reading photography is subjective. And, these approaches aid the viewers to cultivate their own tastes.
These are some salient points and puts a framework around discussing photos to which my own personal willy nilly approach could surely put to good use. Good start Neil, looking forward to more like this.
Loved reading this. I have just started a masters in visual and critical studies and I'm excited to begin having conversations like this one ... and also a bit daunted because I'm a smart girl but I feel like there's a whole language that I am not versed in!
I do think giving photographs a title is debatable and ultimately boils down to an aesthetic / strategic choice by the photographer. We photographers can suffer from the curse of too much information; we know all about the photograph, but the viewer comes at it cold. Compositionally a photo should stand on its own, but contextually it may not. "Warsaw, 2019" may have meaning for you, but could be Greek to me and background research may not help. A non-documentary street photo's date or location may be meaningless to the image itself, while a creative or informational title could secure its meaning and enhance the viewer's appreciation for it. I respect your choice, and I believe a title can do more harm than not, so "tread carefully" Is always the advice to offer. But i think it important to critique the choice of title or no title on a case by case basis.
I'd like to see or get more detail off what you mean here: "My own particular bête noire is a poor photograph masked by the photographer bestowing upon it unconvincing intention or an interpretation with all the substance of a homoeopathic remedy. "
Thanks, Neil, a thought-provoking piece, which I feel may be a pre-cursor to the types of discussion I'll be privvy to at uni! Never thought I'd say that ;)
Looking forward to more content like this to keep me ahead of the riff-raff!
By profession, I'm a writer. By love, I'm... well, I'm a writer again, but I have always loved using my camera. I'm not a street photographer, being more tempted to capture macro shots in nature. But I found this post to be an excellent description/analysis of photography in general. When I look at my own shots, I ask: "Is this a photograph or a snapshot?" And the answer always has to do with "Does it make me feel something? If so, what?"
Hi Neil - an interesting article - thanks. It got me thinking about how often these days we barely pause long enough to look at an image to really see it for what it is - before doom scrolling to the next one. I like this idea of ‘describing and interpreting’. It means having to pause long enough to really think about the image - what it is and what it’s saying. I for one need to spend more time thinking about what images are saying, and not just what they are.
Good points here, Neil..These guidelines are informative and useful in a deeper appreciation and understanding of a photograph. I would add though that at the end of the day, reading photography is subjective. And, these approaches aid the viewers to cultivate their own tastes.
Very good post, Neil. I think you're just scratching the surface of a very, very deep rabbit hole. I look forward to reading more about this.
I spent some memorable time shooting the Praga District. Love that neighborhood. One of my favorites.
Good points addressed here, Neil. Great starting points for a decent discussion. Thanks for sharing.
These are some salient points and puts a framework around discussing photos to which my own personal willy nilly approach could surely put to good use. Good start Neil, looking forward to more like this.
useful things to take in consideration? hell yes!!! very useful!
Having never formally studied photography there is a lot of thoughtful pointers here. Thank you Neil.
It is my experience as a Photographer nobody understands the process of actually taking a picture, the joy and reward is yours..