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Thoughts

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Thoughts

Black & White vs Color

updated on

Here is another common debate. Which one is closer to reality? Black & white, or color?

Many say black & white has little to do with how we see things. After all, we perceive in color, not grayscale tones. But for some reason, I always found the argument a little pretentious. What does it mean color photography is closer to reality? How exactly a black & white photo would lie about what describes more than a color photograph would do? After all, a house in a photograph is still a house whether it’s color or not. read more
Thoughts

The Documentary Impulse

updated on 
2021-07-17

Thoughts on Stuart Franklin’s book, The Documentary Impulse

Photography vs Painting

Stuart Franklin believes that there isn’t much difference between photography and painting. The need to capture an event, i.e. to transfer an image onto a flat surface, is common to both disciplines. What he seems to overlook is how that need is triggered by the respective crafts.

A painter draws from imagination and memory — unless the painting is based on a staged act — whereas the photographer captures the reality as is, at once. read more
Art, Thoughts

On Photography: History, Art and Digital Age.

updated on 
2018-12-30

Towards the identification of the medium.

Why and how

I’m always interested in learning more about the beginning of photography.

I establish a stronger connection and deeper respect for the discipline when I study it, which often ends up revealing unexpected findings. By going through this research, it just so happened I have found one. It’s been right under my nose for a long time, only I didn’t connect the dots. read more
Thoughts

Cartier-Bresson vs Winogrand in the digital era

updated on 
2018-03-11

Quest for the subject matter.

I’m a big fan of Garry Winogrand.1) I consider his approach one of the purest and most honest. Not only is his work outstanding, but I also consider his attitude toward photography the most inspiring and one of the few, true artistic approaches.
The point with Winogrand is that the very photograph is somehow secondary, what really matters to him is to observe how the (American) society changes throughout the years.

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Footnotes[+]
Art, Thoughts

Art & Rules

updated on 
2017-08-02

The quote below is from “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind”.
I find it pertinent to our times, as it seems it’s becoming very common to think art doesn’t need rules.

[…] perfect freedom is not found without some rules. People, especially young people, think that freedom is to do just what they want, that in Zen there is no need for rules. But it is absolutely necessary for us to have some rules. But this does not mean always to be under control. As long as you have rules, you have a chance for freedom. To try to obtain freedom without being aware of the rules means nothing. It is to acquire this perfect freedom that we practice zazen.
Thoughts

What is photography?

updated on 
2017-05-21

Trying to answer this question is obviously challenging. I’m not approaching the task with the assumption to wind up with an ultimate answer at the end of the journey. In fact, I don’t even think it’s fundamental to come up with a definitive conclusion, most likely all the opposite. As with any journey, we can learn more as we go through it than at the end of it. There are things we learn during the transition that can definitely enrich us, regardless of the outcome.

Each time I asked myself what is photography, my mind started wandering on territories like art, techniques, technology, truth, society, and medium: can a photograph represent the truth? Is it OK to use Photoshop to manipulate a photograph? How much manipulation is enough? How has photography changed since social media? Is photography art? What is art in the first place? read more
Social Media, Thoughts

Photography as a currency exchange

updated on 
2017-04-19

Considering how photography is being experienced, with a consequent loss of value, it also occurred to me that more than a loss, there’s been a mutation of that value into something different. A substantial change since the system has changed itself.

The main use of social media like Instagram is mostly to grow hordes of followers, therefore the real objective is not photography itself but the number of followers. There are a few techniques to help the process, nevertheless, the main vehicle is still the images that fill up the feeds. read more
Social Media, Thoughts

The day Social Media killed Photography

updated on 
2016-11-28

I’ve been wondering for quite a while whether I should keep my Flickr account or not. One of the reasons why I didn’t close it yet, is because going on Flickr and seeing what others were doing made me feel I had to work harder in order to improve.

Slowly this feeling vanished. Nonetheless, I thought it was an opportunity to compare my work with the work of other photographers. Then I realized there’s no reason to have a Flickr account. I can look at those galleries without necessarily having one. Or better yet, go to a real gallery and see actual printed photos. For what concerns having my work in a social media gallery, there isn’t much reason either. What would be the point? Let’s do a quick analysis. read more
Aesthetic, Thoughts

Streets of Los Angeles and a side note on picture perfection

updated on 
2016-11-13

This is a challenging city for people who want to take photos in an urban environment, or maybe not, depending on what the photographer is looking for. Still, it’s kind of a unique place. One may find similarities between, say, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and so forth, but not with LA.

Distance is really something here. You can see lots of cars, but not a lot of pedestrians. And even the streets, which you would expect full of cars, suddenly might look empty. read more
Art, Thoughts

Another blog about photography? Not really

updated on 
2016-10-30

It seems that lately, anyone with a website and a photo gallery needs to have a blog and share techniques, tips, and their own point of view about Photography.
I followed several of these bloggers, read many articles, and went through the comments and almost every time I did it, I felt disappointed, annoyed, and discouraged (and of course, it’s totally OK if you have the same reaction while you’re reading this).

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