Deemoed & Verwondering, Michiel Hendryckx.
by lucas dewaele
‘The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people’s reality, and eventually in one’s own.’ Susan Sontag.
‘The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people’s reality, and eventually in one’s own.’ Susan Sontag.
Susan Sontags words are leading me since I take street photos. Thanks for reminding me.
Michiel Hendryckx, one of the most influential teachers in my life as a photographer, made me constantly think of Susan Sontag’s statements, while he was telling the stories about his way of making pictures. He was proving what Sontag wrote about photos : images do not explain anything, it’s the story around the pictures that delivers its meaning.
I totally agree with this. My question would be, what kind of story it is. A story made by the viewer of a photo or that one provided by the photographer?
Hendrycks is a master storyteller. Yesterday evening, in front of 300 souls, he’s proven it again. The stories are totally provided by the photographer and I’m afraid that’s the weakness of his photography. The inevitable Achilles’ tendon for photographers of his/mine generation. The strength of narrative photography is rather limited when it’s depending on mere storytelling and a classical technique (sharp, straight, upright…). I’m sure he’s aware of this limitations, but he cannot really escape from it. Nevertheless it’s interesting to hear his belief in what he is doing: it’s all about humility and astonishment.
Thanks for sharing Luc. Your report makes me think. This kind of words are like nectar: humility and astonishment. Being a complete amateur I need such theoretical advices once in a while.
Omdat het Sontag ist en mijn kleinkinderen
op mijn deemoed en verwondering rekenen …
laat ik mijn woorden nog wat sudderen … pruttelen … garen …
Mooie zondag nog heer Luc.
Je mag deze Bagwan van de amateurfotografen
van veel beschuldigen,
maar zeker niet van een exquise vestimentaire smaak.
En het woord werd beeld. En het beeld een verhaal.
Maar na enige consideratie
vind ik het verloren tijd om er nog meer woorden aan te spenderen.
Dan er al staan.
Ik wens je nog een Zonnige Dag.