another day another photo

a pause between pictures

I was thinking on building a tumblr featuring some of my pictures and talking about how the photos were taken and what am I saying or wanting to say with them, my intentions when I framed, composed and all that jazz; what happened when I saw the frames three days after (casualties if some, afterthoughts about the photo, rational justifications, etc.). All this happens to be a little bit stupid since a picture should talk by itself, maybe with just some information to complete the circle, like a title, a description, a hint, or whatever that push some more details on the drawing of the frame.

But why do we need this? Why won’t the picture talk alone? Well, because is more like a social science, and not a logic statement meant to talk without any subjectivity, hence the necessity of building a bridge of comprehension between the viewer and the photographer.

I find the people now is too much up to aesthetics, magnificence, makeup, sparks, photoshop magic, etc.   So do I -it’s not a coincidence that I’m people too-. All this sort of things push weak photographers to take this paths to please the audience and forget the most important bits and pieces about photographing. I’ve taken this bridge million-thousand times, it feeds my ego, it feeds my desire for taking photography but definitely, it doesn’t make me any better.

And fuck, it came to be really really boring at the end. AND, I wanted to be a better photographer, so that’s how I came to be somehow strict about the photos I do, specially when they’re for me -as “for me” I mean: not journalism, not clients, not someone that wants to look alright on the photo, not for an audience waiting for some rightly-composed photo-, hence I did a little manifesto for the “for me” photos:

- Never reframe digitally
- Never to vamp colors
(and the most important shit of all the shits, despite equipment, light, obstacles, money, travel or not, place, where you are doing the photo, etc.)
-SAY SOMETHING. BUILD SPEECH. HAVE A STORY.

On the other hand, I am completely aware that there is people that knows how to read a photo, and there’s people that don’t. But to be honest, is completely up to the viewer to read the photo or not.

There are two conditions that need to be sticked together so both ends find:

1. Photographer saying something

and

2. Viewer reading something

When both conditions are happening, then there’s a lightbulb on, and idea, a message getting across the universe, a bond built. When this bond’s built, then there’s a recognition of the product, the person, the style. It doesn’t really matter if they don’t completey agree, but what matters is that they can see each other.

So, will I be explaining something on my pictures? It is more likely that I won’t, reason why I’d recommend to follow me if you like photography and please oh please, share with me your thoughts, and your photos as well, because I want to read your photos, and plug you to mines.