As a part of the promotion for Photo London 2016, the exhibition team has put together a video with five fine art photographers who are interviewed about their love of photography. This short shows off some of their captivating work and really brings to light how many unique reasons there are to love the craft of taking photos.
The reasons we come from all corners of the globe towards a love of photography are as varied as the photographs themselves. Some of us, like Rankin, just tried it one day and thought: "Oh, I could possibly do this. This could be my passion. This could be my love." Others of us, like Chloe Dewe Mathews, were in art school, and the love developed from practice and assignment.
For me, photography fell into my lap via an accident, but having it become the love of my life was due to a a natural progression from my computer geekiness and graphic design background. Mathews and I love photography for the exact same reason:
What I love about photography is the balance between the practical aspects — the more technical, scientific, research-based part of myself and then also a more poetic, quite spontaneous part of the process as well.
Photography is the perfect marriage of two parts of being. The technology nerd in me loves the finite technical aspect of camera equipment and the physics behind light and how it is captured. When it comes to the camera, there are rules that the universe has ordained and must be followed. But then, my artistic, creative side loves how these strict tools are used to create a product that is bound by no rules. A photo may be a canvas, but the brush isn't just the camera; it's the entire lighted universe.
The video also talks about the Photo London exhibition itself and how photography, while considered an art form in the United Kingdom, is not nearly as respected there as it is in the United States. If you happen to be near London during the period of May 19th to the 22nd of 2016, I encourage you to attend the show and show the world how important photography is to you.
Why do you love photography?
Photography, for me, was best summed up by Mr. Henri Cartier-Bresson when he said, "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event."
Mary McCartney touched upon this same concept when she said for her it is about capturing images that help the viewer make up their own stories as far as what is happening in the image or it will invoke a memory for them.
I consider myself to be more of a "Documentarian" with my photography. I fully embrace the Cartier-Bresson quote in that I want to just document everything for future generations. So many things change in this world so quickly, so rapidly that if you blink you might miss something. So for me I want to capture imagery of whatever I can so that future generations can look at my images and wonder what it was like to be there at that very moment I was there.
That's what drives my passion for photography. That and helping others. :-D (*Huge Grin*)
For me, it is the "seeing" that excites me. When I'm out and about and I notice some small little piece of the world that presents itself in a visually or compositionally interesting way, I get a little thrill. The photograph is almost an afterthought (not quite, but sorta), a way to share what I saw. I just want to make sure others see it too!
Did Idris say "Diversity"? I'm not seeing it.