Reality, life itself and certainly the uncontrolled moments of it, is never flattering. Censorship makes it flattering, but also less true at the same time. Cruising the local streets, I forget about ethical concerns. Because an image of reality exceeds this temporary and relative feeling…
Not sure I agree with these strong generalizations Luc. Are pictures of your daughter, or your wonderful portraits taken overseas, unflattering? And why is the moment pictured here any more important, or more “real,” than the seconds immediately before or afterwards? Is it only because we get to laugh at this woman’s expense?
I would never say you acted unethically in this situation but neither do I believe that photographers are more privileged than other citizens and therefore free to act without ethical concerns.
Photographs simply capture a moment in time. By virtue of framing, exposure, focal length, and their two-dimensionality, they may or may not point to something we like to call truthful.
I knew we would have this discussion. I humbly admit I abused ‘truth’ and ‘reality’, in a rather ironical way. As a photographer I am a structural liar, because I skip moments, persons, contexts before and after making the picture.
But I do really not admit ‘we get to laugh at this woman’s expense’. Maybe the woman would laugh or get angry when she saw it? I don’t know. Maybe the picture reminds us of our own vulnerability, frivolity and nonchalance in moments we think to be anonymous? Maybe we see ourselves in this woman?
I never use tele lenses and as a photographer I’m always extremely visible and close to my ‘subject’. Within these limits I work as a street photographer. P.s. I only noticed afterwards what the woman was doing. Most of my pictures are plenty of what Doisneau would call ‘historiettes’ – exactly what I’m looking for. Sometimes I get cynical in my images, but I’m never depicting people then. My visual language is always honest, within the limits of the medium photography…
Hahahaha! Excellent. Parr would be pleased to see this quote.
I like this image at the same time I feel for the woman who is caught at such an unflattering moment.
Reality, life itself and certainly the uncontrolled moments of it, is never flattering. Censorship makes it flattering, but also less true at the same time. Cruising the local streets, I forget about ethical concerns. Because an image of reality exceeds this temporary and relative feeling…
Not sure I agree with these strong generalizations Luc. Are pictures of your daughter, or your wonderful portraits taken overseas, unflattering? And why is the moment pictured here any more important, or more “real,” than the seconds immediately before or afterwards? Is it only because we get to laugh at this woman’s expense?
I would never say you acted unethically in this situation but neither do I believe that photographers are more privileged than other citizens and therefore free to act without ethical concerns.
Photographs simply capture a moment in time. By virtue of framing, exposure, focal length, and their two-dimensionality, they may or may not point to something we like to call truthful.
I knew we would have this discussion. I humbly admit I abused ‘truth’ and ‘reality’, in a rather ironical way. As a photographer I am a structural liar, because I skip moments, persons, contexts before and after making the picture.
But I do really not admit ‘we get to laugh at this woman’s expense’. Maybe the woman would laugh or get angry when she saw it? I don’t know. Maybe the picture reminds us of our own vulnerability, frivolity and nonchalance in moments we think to be anonymous? Maybe we see ourselves in this woman?
I never use tele lenses and as a photographer I’m always extremely visible and close to my ‘subject’. Within these limits I work as a street photographer. P.s. I only noticed afterwards what the woman was doing. Most of my pictures are plenty of what Doisneau would call ‘historiettes’ – exactly what I’m looking for. Sometimes I get cynical in my images, but I’m never depicting people then. My visual language is always honest, within the limits of the medium photography…
Thanks Luc. Appreciate your reply. And glad there’s no need to keep the discussion going. I look forward to seeing more of your good work.