Because we don’t know the future, it’s important to document the present. Whenever you take a photo, you aren’t just capturing whatever it is you’ve focused on. You’re also catching what’s on the periphery of the frame, and all the other incidental stuff you’re not paying much attention to. (Remember all those examples, in the early days of Facebook, of people tracking down strangers who appeared in the edges of their vacation shots?)
The treehouse shown in this photo doesn’t exist anymore, except in photos and in my family’s memories. At the time my kids were playing in it, we never thought of the treehouse as a structure belonging to their childhood that we would someday tear down. But, of course, nearly everything that has a feeling of permanence in our lives proves over the years to have been temporary. The house you live in, even, is probably not where you’ll end your days.
As well as freezing time when it comes to capturing the way our loved ones look now, photography also captures the particular details, at this moment in time, of the places we love. Every construction crane and dump truck is a reminder that cities are constantly changing. When I take photos that show me later what a place looked like at some long-ago moment, it makes me so happy. Inevitably I say to myself, “Oh, yeah. . . I’d forgotten it used to look like that.” For me, this has been particularly evident in photos that I took in Toronto in the 1980s. Many businesses and buildings in the photos are simply not there anymore. New ones have taken their places.
When you take a photo, you’re documenting your world.
(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)
Family traditions don’t have to happen every year. “Usually” and “sometimes” are just as legitimate. When you miss getting a photo of an important event, let it go. The purpose of our family photos is to hold and reflect some of the love we feel for our dear ones. In other words, the people are what matters. Don’t waste even a thought on the photos you missed; the love is inside you. Self-compassion makes you a better parent and a happier person.
If you have children and you missed getting a good first-day-of-school photo, you can take a “first band practice of the new year” picture instead. If you don’t get a picture of your teenager holding the newly issued driver’s license, catch a photo of her first trip through a drive-through, or first time driving to school, or first time backing into a parking space. After all, those are all small victories that are worthy of notice.
Remember, too, that spontaneity adds its own charm to a shot. After all, a lot of the appeal of those “first day of school” shots lies in the ambivalent nature of the situation. Some kids are beaming wholeheartedly, all big grins and shiny new shoes; plenty of other children, though, face the first days (or weeks) of a new school year with a heart-tugging mix of excitement, nervousness, and terror. Capturing that mix of emotions is part of what it interesting to snap a photo just before the bus arrives on that first morning of the new year. Any situation that has a similar mix of strong emotions is going to be one that’s memorable and is rich with photo opportunities.
And, of course, you want to be sensitive. As a dad, I’ve often been guilty of wielding my camera at times when my kids just want to be left alone. It’s so tempting to try to memorialize all those big moments. “Come on,” I hear myself pleading with them. “Just one shot.” To give you a piece of advice that I don’t always follow myself—let it go. Someday, some photo you take will be your last. But it’s not likely to be the particular one you’re taking at the moment.
(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)
In North America, it’s full-on fall now. I live in eastern Canada, which is so beautiful at this time of year. That’s nothing special, though; most places are amazing at this time of year. And if you’re in the southern hemisphere, watching spring arrive, you’re right in the middle of all that beauty.
It’s the transitions, I think. Transitions give us incredible opportunities to focus on what’s changing, what’s just coming into its fullest form, what’s on the way out and you’d better get one more quick look in, while you can. Transitions remind us, viscerally, that change is all around us, all the time; it’s with us every moment.
So photographing the changing seasons is a way of both stopping time and acknowledging its continuous motion. When you’re taking photos this month, you might try to let that awareness guide your focus. (And, coming up for the rest of this month: less philosophy; more concrete examples and suggestions!)
(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can read all about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)
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.
