Art of Seeing 2008

A famous photographer was once asked why he practiced
photography. His somewhat enigmatic answer was “to see
what things look like when photographed.”
This is more than a glib response. For many photogra-
phers it lies at the center of their personal quest for
self-expression through photography. When I have a
camera in my hand the world shifts. I am no longer just
passing though. I am an active participant. Colors are
more distinct, reality more sharply etched. I am more
aware of both the immediate environment and the
actions of people around me.
It also makes me a voyeur. Being able to isolate and
visually dissect my surroundings removes me from being
a participant and turns me into an observer. This creates
a cognitive dissonance. On one hand, being a part of,
while on the other, being removed from. Maybe this lies
at the center of what it means to be a photographer; to
live in a “no-mans-land” where the moment is constantly
slipping past, and yet where we have the power to fix it
forever, a time as well as place.
Do we photograph for ourselves, or for others? If
you were the last person left on earth, would you
practice photography?
The Art of Seeing
Don't answer too quickly. Yes, most photographers seek
recognition. We need an audience. The feedback we
receive becomes part of our raison d'etre. Just the fact
our images exist out in the world in more than just one
copy somehow enhances their reality and provides a form
of permanence to the art that we have created. But now
remove that audience, as desirable as it might be. Does
our work still have purpose? Would we still do it?
The answer to this will vary with the individual. For some,
knowing that our work has reached a wider audience than
just friends and family provides satisfaction. For others,
exposure to a wide audience is intended to lead to either
commercial or artistic recognition and success.
For many photographers though, it may simply be enough
to see what things look like when photographed. But the
sharing of these images with others—discovering how
others might respond to what we have captured and
shown them—provides a satisfaction that cannot be
denied. There is still magic in photography, the sharing
as well as the doing.
Michael Reichmann
January, 2008