Peter Cripps Photography

“I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Some day, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed.“

Christopher Isherwood, Goodbye to Berlin

There is an interesting experiment I’ve seen suggested in a few places which is that you should try going out without a camera but frame things you see and which interest you as a potential photograph. The idea is that you focus on seeing without the extra hassle of having to worry about actually capturing what you observe.

Why on earth would you want to do that?

As photographers we have a desire to make images of things or of situations we believe are worth capturing. Whether this be a street photograph, a portrait, a landscape or closeup of a flower or insect we usually bring the camera to our eye and press the shutter because we think it is worth the effort. Of course when we look at the picture on the back of the camera or later in Photoshop we may realise that actually no, that was not an image worth capturing and delete it.

For those images we do choose to keep however, whether for our own personal satisfaction or to share with others, we have captured something that was seen by only our eye, our photographers eye. We now have an image that is detached from the place and time at which it actually existed and preserved for a period of time, maybe just for a few moments or maybe for several tens of years. As John Berger says:

“Every image embodies a way of seeing. Even a photograph. For photographs are not, as is often assumed, a mechanical record. Every time we look at a photograph, we are aware, however slightly, of the photographer selecting the sight from an infinity of other possible sights. The photographer’s way of seeing is reflected in his choice of subject.”

John Berger, Ways of Seeing

Great photos come from looking carefully. If you rush to take a picture, you might miss what makes it special. Using your camera should be the final step after really observing the subject you are about to capture.

But don’t be turned off by thinking the image you want to make is unlikely to make a great photograph (whatever that might be). When you focus solely on capturing “nice” subjects like sunsets, pretty flowers, or a good looking model, you may struggle to create unique and compelling photographs. These subjects often come pre-packaged with conventional ideas of beauty, which can make it challenging to capture them in a fresh and interesting way.

While these subjects may be visually pleasing to many people, they will likely lack the depth and individuality that make for truly captivating photographs that are uniquely yours. Attempting to photograph such things can result in images that feel generic or uninspired, serving merely as substitutes for experiencing the real thing firsthand. In essence, relying solely on these “nice” and “safe” subjects can limit your creativity and prevent you from exploring more unique, meaningful and challenging photographic opportunities. A good photograph should cause the viewer to pause and ask questions rather than being something viewed in a few tenths of a second in an endless stream on social media.

“A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers.“

Leonard Bernstein

In his book The Zen of Creativity John Daido Loori tells of his time as a student of the American photographer, theoretician, critic and educator Minor White. Loori describes the first workshop he took with White to be a disorientating experience as no one touched their camera for the first three days but instead participated in meditation classes.

Even on the the fourth day when cameras were permitted Minor’s instructions were to: “Venture into the landscape without expectations. Let your subject find you. Wait for your presence to be acknowledged. Don’t try to make a photograph, but let your intuition indicate the right moment to release the shutter“. Loori said: “I really wanted to learn to see the way he did, to capture my subjects in a way that didn’t render them lifeless and two-dimensional. I didn’t realize that Minor was teaching us exactly that: not only to see images, but to feel them, smell them, taste them. He was teaching us how to be photography.”

Go beyond the predictable and uncover beauty in the unconventional. Seek out subjects that inspire you and ignite your passion, rather than settling for those that fit the standard notion of what is photogenic. Don’t worry if these are not images that will garner you lots of ‘Likes’ on social media platforms – just make images with feeling that provokes questions.

Above all make work for yourself.

*The image used to illustrate this post probably needs some explanation. It is one of a short series I did following the death of my mum in 2017. I had been clearing out her flat and was wondering what to do with all the mementos she had left. There were too many for me to take and anyway they were a part of that place – a place that would soon be owned by someone else. Having looked at these things over several visits I eventually decided I would photograph them in situ to capture a time and a place that would soon be gone forever.