This month’s project is a bit of a departure for my blog: 31 days of taking meaningful photos, right where you are. (I’m using the phrase “in your backyard,” but of course plenty of readers don’t have a backyard. The idea is to continually practice looking for the beauty that surrounds us, wherever we are.)
What’s “31 Days”?
Every October, the blogging team over at 31 Days of Writing puts together a month-long blog link-up. It covers a number of categories, and participants write on their chosen topic throughout the month of October.
Here’s what I will be writing about this month:
On Mondays, “Taking Meaningful Portraits”;
On Tuesdays, “Documenting the Present”;
On Wednesdays, “Making Use of Unique Points of View”;
On Thursdays, “Capturing Light”;
On Fridays, “Moving on from Missed Opportunities”;
On Saturdays, “Using Childhood Memories to Add Resonance”;
On Sundays, “Celebrating the Rhythm of the Seasons.”
I’ll be delighted if you read along throughout the month. And I urge you the check out the other bloggers involved in 31 Days. People write about a wide range of topics in various categories. Some writers focus on offering helpful tips; others share inspiration or take readers through the steps of projects they’re working on.
My blog focuses on photography–specifically, I spend a lot of my time exploring New Topography (i.e., the human-altered landscape). To those who aren’t familiar with this phrase, this movement came into prominence through the work of photographers like William Eggleston, Robert Adams, and Stephen Shore. Lee Friedlander, though he wasn’t precisely aligned with the New Topographers, is another photography giant whose work has always fascinated me.
What I’ll Be Sharing in October
This month I’ll be sharing short essays, one each day, on the topics listed above, along with photos. I’ll also be doing my regular blog entries, including interviews with photographers whose work I admire.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading some of these posts. If you want to subscribe (click on the button over on my sidebar), you’ll receive updates automatically as they appear on the blog. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on anything posted here!
Photographer Victoria Campa loves to photograph people, especially the people she is closest to. She says, “My primary concern, even beyond just photography, is people and their stories. There is nothing more valuable than human connection, and I am fascinated by what occurs when someone is in front of my camera.” Her portraits are youthful and vibrant. Be sure to check out her work on her website and Instagram.
I asked her eight questions about her work and her current projects. Our online conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I was born in New York but my family moved to Spain when I turned 4, so I spent most of my life in Madrid. When I turned 18, I moved back to New York City for university, and I just graduated in May 2017. Right now, I am traveling throughout India and southeast Asia, so I am living in between hostels and trains.
I collaborate very often with my brother and sister, and we made many photos together this summer that I am still putting together. Another project that is very important to me is a collaboration with photographer and my dear friend Victoria Zavala Carvajal where we create double exposures by combining our two perspectives in one frame. It is called Layers of Synergy. And now that I am traveling for a while, I am photographing a lot, so we will see what shall come of that.
You shoot mostly in black and white. What attracts you to monochrome?
The truth is that it goes by phases, and this summer I made a lot of color photographs as well as in black and white. I am attracted to monochrome because sometimes I think that color distracts from a photograph and what it is trying to say. By adding a whole other dimension, it complicates the image in a way that makes a viewer dismiss it more quickly. To me, black and white feels more intimate and more revealing, especially since I mainly photograph people.
You do lots of interesting and lively portraits—young people in their environments. Is portraiture something you specialize in?
Yes. My primary concern, even beyond just photography, is people and their stories. There is nothing more valuable than human connection, and I am fascinated by what occurs when someone is in front of my camera. My favorite thing to do is photograph those closest to me, as if by making something beautiful with and of them I can properly communicate what they mean to me.
You graduated from Barnard College, in New York City, earlier this year. Has your approach changed now that you are out of school?
My photography has changed significantly from the beginning of my studies (four years ago) to now. Probably simply from spending many hours with my camera, I think I have found the subjects I am interested and I have begun to develop a voice of my own. I am sure my work will continue to grow and change over time.
What’s your state of mind when you’re taking good photos? Do you think there’s any connection between your mood or mindset and the results you get?
I definitely think there is a connection, and I think the connection is even deeper when it also involves the subject of my photos. It is important to feel comfortable and for there to be total trust between me and my subject. At the same time, my mindset varies. Sometimes I know exactly what I want before looking through the viewfinder, and other times I am surprised by the resulting frame. At this point, my “camera mind” is always on, and I don’t think I will be able to turn it off anytime soon. I see photos all around me all the time.
In my experience, inspiration can come from anywhere. Whether it’s from the way the light falls on a rock on an afternoon walk, or a conversation with a friend, or even a specific feeling or memory stored deep inside of you that you can’t even recall. I am constantly looking at the work of others, both photographers and other visual artists. I also like to read a lot, and I am very influenced by film. However, I am most inspired by real people and the real happenings that surround me.
One final question: Can you tell me briefly about a couple of photographers I may not be familiar with yet but you would recommend checking out?
Some of the photographers I look to often for inspiration are Quentin de Briey and Hollie Fernando. Lately I have been very into street photography in New York and have fallen in love with the work of Andre Wagner.
Many thanks to Victoria for doing this interview. I’m so appreciative of her thoughtful answers that provide insight into her work. Be sure to check out her work on her website and Instagram.
Nick Prideaux shoots beautiful photos, on film, that form a visual diary of his life. His photography is about subtraction, which he approaches with a simple and minimalistic process – focusing on the smaller details, the beauty in the little things. Be sure to check out more of his work on his website and Instagram.
I asked him eight questions about his work and current projects. Our online conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from, and where do you live now?
My name is Nick Prideaux and I am originally from Byron Bay, Australia, a small coastal town on the east coast. I studied film production in Melbourne, spent some time in China, then moved to Japan, where I lived for 5 years as a freelance photographer and teacher. Currently, I am based in Bangkok, Thailand, where I’ve lived for the past year and a half.
I wrapped up my first major solo exhibition in May this year, so since then I’ve spent the last few months putting together my next body of work. I’m always shooting so it’s never quite clear instantly what the project will be, but somewhere along the line, I find the thread that ties it all together. I’m also putting together a group project with some friends in December, and a new solo show in February in Malaysia.
You seem to prefer film over digital. Can you tell us why?
I spent my time in high school shooting film on and off but switched to digital for its convenience and ease of use. I soon found though I could never find my ‘style’ with it as the images I produced were kind of flat and uninteresting; I was never really happy with them. I switched back to film about four years ago and never really looked back. I love film for a variety of reasons but I love its color, its feeling, and the romance attached to it. I like the timely process too; waiting to see the images later is another huge reason why I love it – I don’t like to have that instant gratification that digital offers. I try to practice mindfulness as much as I can, and shooting with film offers that.
The approach you take is simple and minimalistic – “focusing on the smaller details, the beauty in the little things.” How did you arrive at this way of seeing?
I think it’s just a process of subtraction rather than addition. I try to love my life as simply as I can so I think my photography is, of course, just an extension of the way I see my life and see the world. I generally approach most things with a ‘less is more’ way of thinking. Even the cameras I use function in this way, as I shoot on mostly simple point and shoots.
You shoot stories from your life that form a visual diary. Is time and memory important to you?
Definitely. I think it’s an age thing, along with living abroad for so long – you start to forget things more and more when you aren’t documenting them in some way. The camera for me acts as a kind of conduit for memory.
Do you use a flash for most of your photos? What do you like about it?
I use the flash quite often, although try my best not to over use it. I guess my style has a particular color palette to it, and the flash can often help those results ‘sing’ a little more than without. I’m drawn to particular colors and subjects; often the flash can help heighten a particular mood or feeling to it.
What’s your state of mind when you’re taking good photos? Do you think there’s any connection between your mood or mindset and the results you get?
I think there is a type of flow that comes with taking good photos, something akin to a zone, or the runner’s high – it just comes in a beautiful free flowing continuous moment. It’s rare though, and it’s always fleeting. Most of the time though I think it’s best you just have to find that feeling in the process. There is definitely a connection between your mood and mindset and the end results. I look back at my photos even a year or so ago and they have a different feeling to them. I’m in a really good place now emotionally now, better than I was a year or so ago, so I think my work is reflecting that.
One final question: Can you tell me briefly about a couple of photographers I may not be familiar with yet but you would recommend checking out?
There are so many! But first and foremost is a friend of mine who goes by Yatender – she’s an incredible photographer and I admire her work greatly. Also, Rosie Matheson is a wonderful portrait photographer from the U.K who I love. Daniel Arnold is documenting life in the U.S now with his street photography; I think he is an absolute master. Lina Scheynius‘ work breaks my heart in the most beautiful way.
Many thanks to Nick for doing this interview. I’m so appreciative of his thoughtful answers that provide insight into his work. Be sure to check out more of his work on his website, and Instagram.
Eric Frot is a photographer and graphic designer who has been taking photos in the Paris area for over 30 years. Though he is known for his black and white work, his colour photos are vibrant and thought provoking. He doesn’t differentiate between shooting on the street and shooting in the forest; it’s all about expressing his ideas. In his words, “I do not want to show the reality. I want to show the reality that inspires to me. There is no truth in my photos, only my falsehood.” His photos are now on display at Médiathèque Jacques Duhamel in Le Plessis-Trévise, France. For a more in-depth view of his work, check out his website, Flickr, and Instagram.
I asked him eight questions about his work and current projects. Our online conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I’m almost 53 years old. I love music. I love light. I love darkness. I love shadows and silence. I love wind and thunder. I love my independence and do what is needed to be to live as free as possible, what doesn’t mean anything, but it motivated almost all the choices I made in my life. I was born in a small town, 100 kilometres from Paris, France. I moved to Paris when I was 20 to study photography and lived in the city for 30 years. At the end of 2014, I moved back to the countryside to a very small village between woods and fields where I live among horses, rabbits, and roe deer.
You’ve said you tend to shoot mostly in black and white but are also drawn to colour photography. (You have a fantastic sense for colour!) Has your feeling about those two ways of shooting changed in recent years?
Thanks for these kind words. That’s an interesting question. A few years ago someone told me I was a black and white photographer. This statement surprised me, as I have used colour as much as black and white since the early ’90s. But maybe my black and white work has more impact on viewers.
In the ’80s, I used to shoot a lot in black and white for all my personal work because it was cheaper, and black and white was very common in the newspapers and magazines. But I’ve never asked myself if I preferred black and white, or colour. It depends on my mood, on what I want to express. Some photos need color, other need black and white, so I always carry two cameras.
You do a lot of street photography and you live in Paris, which has such an incredibly rich tradition of that. Do you find there are resources there—I’m thinking of galleries, exhibitions, colleagues—that inspire you? (And, if so, do you have any advice for those of us who don’t have such access?)
I haven’t done much photography in Paris since I left. But it’s an incredible city for photography, culture, and inspiration. I have a pass for the Maison Européenne de la Photographie where I love to go a lot. I saw a great exhibition there about Japanese photography recently. The Ed Van Der Elsken exhibition in the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris was really awesome. I also like the Polka Galerie which is much smaller but where the works exhibited are always inspiring.
Painters are a great inspiration to me. I really admire the great painters’ work. Brueghel (both the Elder and the Younger) would have been great street photographers if they had had a camera, as would other famous painters such as Le Tintoret. I love abstraction and I tend to experiment with some form of it in my flash photography.
The internet is also a fantastic tool to discover and learn. There are a lot of websites (museums, galleries, press agencies or newspapers, Tumblr, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, etc.). But it’s very time consuming and I prefer to look at books at home or in libraries and bookstores.
I usually prefer shooting on my own but sometimes I go with friends whose work I love. Isa Gelb, for example, who is the curator and designer of Underdogs, a stunning magazine in which she gives us the opportunity to discover the work of photographers she enjoys, and Laurent Bichaud, with whom I studied photography at school. He is an awesome photographer. I invite you to check his work about the Velvet Revolution in Prague in 1989, or his series about Paris 911, among many others.
Can you describe any interesting experiences you’ve had in doing street photography?
I never thought of me being a street photographer. I think I shot in the street because it was my immediate surroundings. I don’t differentiate between shooting in the streets or shooting trees in the woods. My state of mind is the same shooting candid or staged photographs. First you need an idea, second you have to make the photo– framing, and exposing correctly to get the result you want with your idea. I do not want to show the reality. I want to show the reality that inspires me. There is no truth in my photos, only my falsehood.
How do creativity and self-expression in your photography relate to creativity in your graphic design projects? Are those processes quite similar for you, or pretty different?
Well, photography, painting, or graphic design is all about making a picture. Different tools, different techniques but same skills. I guess graphic design helped me to develop my sense of colour.
When I work, or when I shoot, I try to empty my mind; this is not so difficult because it’s not really full in general. But it seems to me it’s the best way to allow ideas to come to life. If I think too much or I’m worried about something I can’t get out of my mind, I won’t be able to work efficiently.
Are you exploring any particular themes in your photos this summer?
Summer is ending and I finally didn’t shoot a lot. Summer is the time of the year I do work a lot. I still have an ongoing series about my dreams and my nightmares, but it hasn’t progressed very quickly. I used this summer to put some distance from photography, and clear my mind. I admit that I had an overdose of images, between my job and the internet.
Is there a certain time of day/week/year you find you’re most likely to get photos you’re happy with?
I don’t think so. Light is one of the points in the result in a photograph, but it’s up to the photographer to deal with it. Creativity is needed, specially when the conditions are not favourable. And I love to fire a flash in the dark night.
One final question: Can you tell me briefly about a couple of photographers I may not be familiar with yet but you would recommend checking out?
I previously talked about Isa Gelb and Laurent Bichaud. [Editor’s note: Isa Gelb has been profiled on the site this summer; be sure to check out her interview.] I really love the delicacy of Sylvain Biard’s photos. His series D’ailleurs demain, Badlands, and Shima are awesome; also, the beautiful series Leaving Scars by Patrick Sagnes. I very recently discovered the work of Andrea Buzzichelli. His work Inhabitants is really worth checking out. These are a few among many awesome photographers who deserve attention.
Many thanks to Eric for doing this interview. I’m so appreciative of his thoughtful answers that provide insight into his work. Be sure to check out more of his work on his website, Flickr, and Instagram.
Isa Gelb has a refreshing perspective on the visual world. Her memorable photos are unexpected and challenge our preconceived ideas. The forcefulness of her personality shines through in her wonderful work. I loved reading her nuanced take on why she uses film. She’s known on social media as Punkroyaltiger; be sure to check out her work on Tumblr, Flickr, and Instagram.
I asked her eight questions about her work and her current projects. Our online conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
You seem to prefer film over digital. Can you tell us why?
Indeed, I do, for many reasons. The first one is the color rendering of film. I like, aesthetically, the grain that you get. It is much more pleasing, natural and smoother than digital cameras. Film grain and film aesthetics add another dimension to a photo that in my opinion makes it more interesting and charming. Sometimes you will have a picture that comes out slightly out of focus or with light leaks, and even though it’s not what you expected, you end up loving it.
I also find interesting that you will get results that look very different from what you have seen in reality, by using different films and cameras under different weather and exposure time.
But the main reason I really love film is the limited number of exposures available on a roll. It obliges me to be more selective and shoot less but better. When it’s time to check out the scans, I am not scrolling through tons of images that completely lack of interest. Don’t take me wrong, I’m not saying that with film I take only good pictures; I get many bad ones—that no one will ever see—but I feel I’m wiser in the choice of my subjects. (Okay, not all the time.)
Being liberated of the instant gratification on the screen allows me to follow my instinct and better enjoy the moment. Another thing I also enjoy is that by the time I get back my films developed from the lab, I often have forgotten about some photos I have taken. It makes super exciting the moment of discovering what’s on the roll.
Last but not least, these analog cameras inspire confidence and simply feel right in the hands. The sounds of the shutters and winds are just amazing. The brutal “CLONKK” of the F3, the elegant “SCHLING” of the G2 or the spongy “SCHNNIIUUUUWW” of the Mju are music to my ears.
You created the magazine Underdogs. Can you tell me a bit about it?
Underdogs is a quarterly magazine about contemporary photography. At the beginning, it was a selfish project. I simply wanted to give myself the opportunity to flip through a magazine in which I enjoyed every image. I had viewed tons of online photography magazines over a period of years. I experienced a frustrating dissonance of personal “likes” and “dislikes” about each one. And this frustration spurred me to produce my own magazine, as a place where I could feature those photographers whom I personally appreciate and admire.
One of the defining features of Underdogs is its emphasis on the photographs themselves, and the minimization of textual commentary. I have always believed photographs should be able to stand on their own.
My goal (less selfish) was also to offer exposure to photographers who never or seldom answer “calls for submissions,” and that’s the reason publication in Underdogs is by invitation only. I do not intend to be exclusive for the sake of being exclusive. While a formal submissions process might theoretically provide me with more excellent photography, the truth is that reviewing open submissions would drain my time from preparing and presenting the work I already desire to publish. However, from time to time I receive self-submitted portfolios that I ultimately invite into the magazine.
Curating is a special and rewarding experience if I feel free to chose pictures that are not selected by photographers who often tend to send their best series or images that they are proud of. I personally tend to pick up the opposite, the less spectacular, the less perfect, the less obvious because, in my humble opinion, their flaws bring out more beauty. But of course in the end, I never publish a selection that is not validated by the photographer himself.
I want to add that the last issue marked the third anniversary and it really makes me happy to get so much good feedback from photographers and viewers from all over the world. I did not expect such success at the very beginning.
In another interview, you mention that you want to “give credit to that sense of modesty I witness, rather than using artistic means to amplify it and change its nature.” Do you consider yourself a documentary photographer?
Documentary photography is close to photojournalism, requiring deep knowledges of the subject/area the photographer wants to study. With that kind of photography, you have to think about why you originally wanted to work with the topic and make decisions about how you want to represent the subject. I’m far from this state of mind and even if I were in it, I have neither the skills nor the time for such kinds of preparation.
I’m more into the “spontaneous shot” thing: I see, I snap, I move on. My pictures are just some kind of “mental souvenirs”; they “are not memories” but they “make memories” to me. It’s that simple.
The great Saul Leiter once said, “I go out to take a walk. I see something. I take photographs. I have avoided profound explanations of what I do.” I couldn’t agree more.
Can you tell us about the projects you are working on these days?
Making projects is not my thing. I live from day to day and rarely plan ahead. I can’t handle working on series or other long-term projects. I get bored very quickly. I’ve been thinking about making a book, but my laziness is stronger than my will to start working on it. Also, I feel more comfortable making relevant associations with the work of other photographers than with mine.
Pairing/sequencing/laying out pictures is a difficult exercise that must bring out beauty and sense. It requires lot of time and I don’t have much. So for now, I’ll try to keep focusing on Underdogs and shooting as much as I can.
Do you like the region or city you live in? Do you like your home? Do these affect your photography?
I live in the close suburbs of Paris, an ugly place that I’d like to leave if I could afford it. And I work in Paris.
This city is defined as the most beautiful city in the world, but this statement is overrated in my opinion. In the past, walking through the streets was an enjoyable photographic moment but for a couple of years now, Paris has no longer been attractive to me. Lately, most of my good images have been taken while traveling and just a few in my neighborhood. But I still carry a camera everywhere I go because I always anticipate finding a striking subject.
What’s your state of mind when you’re taking good photos? Do you think there’s any connection between your mood or mindset and the results you get?
I actually never know if a picture will come out well. I sometimes have the feeling it will, but I only know when I’m checking the scans. Especially when I use a point and shoot; that can brings unexpected results and often nice and/or interesting surprises.
You know, I don’t intellectualize art, even less my own approach to photography.
I’m more intuitive than cerebral, so before you asked I had never questioned myself if my mood affects my pictures. Actually, I believe it affects more the way I look at my surrounding, I’m less attentive and feel distracted more easily.
But at the end, in shape or out of good shape, it’s all the same to me. If something catches my eyes, I’ll snap it.
I guess all the good photos I’ve looked at through zines, books, exhibitions, websites, and blogs are stored in a corner of my brain and unconsciously inspire me when I come across a subject that is worth being photographed.
All the films I’ve watched about masters and influential photographers who share secrets and allow us to discover the way they work have had a strong effect on me too. They opened my mind.
Curating Underdogs helps me to get inspiration. I learn a lot from others and truly believe that keeping a fresh eye isn’t just about seeing, it also comes from talking. I gain much from the dialogues I have with other photographers.
One final question: Can you tell me briefly about a couple of photographers I may not be familiar with yet but you would recommend checking out?
It’s a tough question! There are many. But here’s my short list: lately I came across the strong documentary work of Stacy Kranitz, which I highly recommend checking out. I’ve also been a big fan of Albert Elm since I discovered his raw work in the British Journal of Photography. And, because I love car pictures, I enjoy the series “Waiting for the Sun” by Josef Hoflehner.
Many thanks to Isa for doing this interview. I’m so appreciative of her thoughtful answers that provide insight into her work. Be sure to check out her work on Tumblr, Flickr, and Instagram.
