The photo is a thing in itself. And that's what still photography is all about.
Garry WinograndRead
The photograph should be more interesting or more beautiful than what was photographed
Interpretation
A photograph should capture something that enhances the viewer's experience beyond reality.
Garry Winogrand's quote emphasizes the idea that photography is not just about replicating reality, but about creating a vision or interpretation that resonates with beauty or intrigue. It suggests that an effective photograph goes beyond mere representation, evoking emotions or thoughts that make it more compelling than the actual subject being captured.
In practice
When discussing the impact of photography in a gallery talk.
The photo is a thing in itself. And that's what still photography is all about.
Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you change those facts.
When Iβm photographing I see life.
Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed.
I like to think of photographing as a two-way act of respect. Respect for the medium, by letting it do what it does best, describe. And respect for the subject, by describing it as it is. A photograph must be responsible to both.
You have a lifetime to learn technique. But I can teach you what is more important than technique, how to see; learn that and all you have to do afterwards is press the shutter.
Language is wine upon the lips.
When I was young, I dreamt of being a starlet in Hollywood. But there comes a point in every African American's life when you realize the limitations, that you could only play maids or some little supporting role. Even Lena Horne couldn't get good parts.
Genius creates, and taste preserves. Taste is the good sense of genius; without taste, genius is only sublime folly.
Limitations are something that I latch onto - like working in genre, or if you're writing TV, there are act breaks, there's a length of time it's supposed to be. The restrictions of budget and sets can be really useful. When you can have everything, it's very hard to make things feel real and lived in.
Dance is not endangered - it will always find a way to express itself.
In America, the photographer is not simply the person who records the past, but the one who invents it.
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