Lobotomy Lab: The Trinity of Fundamentals
Lobotomy Lab: Offering piercing insights into photography
I have spent a lot of time in the world of photography. First as an amateur photographer then as a more professional event and studio photographer to now something of an attempt at an art photographer. With that I have spent a lot softie studying the works of other photographers. Some in well constructed online gallery others in the onslaught of Instagram feeds. Some was the work if masters in large bound books, others were upstarts with a small zine. All helped to inform me on some level.
Admittedly I have far more respect for printed work than digital feeds, but I think many people feel the same way for obvious reasons. I also have a bit of a bias for the old masters. Again I feel they just have more to offer in quality and insight.
I have attempted to put together a list of 3 takeaways from some of the great photographers of the last few decades.
1. A respect for people and life
2. A curiosity about the world and its workings
3. An ambition to engage with and inform society
Point 1 is that great photographers always have an innate respect for the subject. This may not always be apparent but if you look at the greats photos of people there is an intangible quality that is apparent but very hard to put your finger on. I propose it is a respect for the subject of the photos. some of the great examples of this are the Farm Subsidies Act photographers who traveled across america during the great depression. The people they photographed were generally poor yet the photos focus on the people not their circumstances. They almost never go out of the way to show elements that would scream poverty. While some of that is editing for government propaganda purposes I would implore readers to take a look at these photos, including the “killed” images in the national archives. There is a lot to be learned even from the images that did not make the cut.
Point 2 is a point that I think many documentary and art photographers do very well but often don't get credit for. That is wanting to know the why of everything. I recall hearing Alec Soth saying his photography is him just trying to figure out the world. I think there is little debate that most documentary photographers work with this sentiment at the fore front how their mind. It seems to me this ideology is a great way to foment question and abstract ideas in to something more concise and digestible for the masses. It is process none of us will ever master but everyone should be doing.
Point 3 is one any good photographer does this some level, even if they don't realize it. Things as simple as providing people a copy of a photo you took of them go a long way in what you do and how people see you. It doesn’t stop there it goes on to organizing events with local photographers and doing more with your work than tossing it on an Instagram feed and declaring it a success. While Ambition can be dangerous if unchecked, but a lack of ambition will quickly lead to boredom and cause people to give up and move on to some new more enticing pursuit.
All of these factors demand that the photographer go out and meet people. Despite my 1.2.3. order it may be best to work your way up from the bottom. Either way I think keeping just one of these ideas in mind will very quickly and noticeably improve your photography.
