An English interview

This week the international quarterly journal of photographic art and practice "AG magazine" was published.
This is a magazine that is produced in the United Kingdom.



In the current Summer issue, a portfolio of the work of the pioneering photographer is published.

With this portfolio comes an interview: the questions by author/photographer Mick Davidson.
Published now on this blog also:

What and who influences your work?

My work results of a state of mind and heart.
Therefore the influence on the mind and heart decides how the work has content and form.

This influence on the mind and heart comes from persons that are in my life, books that I read, films that I see, experiences that I have, etc

This explains how over the years the work has changed and evolved.
Because being open to people and to anything that is expressed by others, results in a constant process of learning and growing.

Besides many friends and partners in life, one most vital and fundamental influence has been and is Osho.


How have you arrived at your current working methodology?

In fact I use a working methodology I developed in the early 70's.
The methodology is to make on the one hand autonomous conceptual photography that is presented almost exclusively in the art environment like museums.
And to make on the other hand autonomous photo documentary projects that are presented on popular platforms like magazines.
This methodology is deliberately applied in order to reach the widest audience possible.
And to be able to explore and practice as a photographer the different approaches needed to reach effectively the specific audiences.


What are you trying to achieve with your work and how close to achieving it are you?

The goal is to use photography as a tool to become and remain flexible in experiencing reality.
To avoid to think in dogmas and doctrines and to be open to new perspectives and insights.
As a process for myself.
But most importantly also to share this with the widest audience possible.
This policy I have with my work is effective.



How does the environment affect your work?

In the autonomous conceptual photography the location where the work is made is very important.
It is carefully selected to be able to work in peace and harmony.
And to be able to make work that can make the point that is intended for myself and for the audience.
With the autonomous photo documentary projects the environment is always a part of the participants in the project.
And therefore enforcing what they have to communicate through the autonomous documentary project.


How does the way you live affect your work?

I live to work.
Which is to be creative with photography.
Therefore, the way I live is decided by how it can make being creative with photography the most optimal.
For example, to be in good physical condition by controlling eating and drinking, by doing daily physical excercises and meditation helps very much being more effective in being creative with photography.

How does technology affect your work and your thinking?

Very much so.
I believe we are very fortunate to live in a time with major technological innovations.
That we can use to be more and better creative.
The introduction of digital photography has been a tremendous blessing.
The same for Internet.
In my case it opened up so many more possibilities to be creative.

How will your work evolve in the future?

This is an invitation to speculation.
Right now I am most interested in my autonous photo documentary work.
And am working on different projects with great pleasure and good results.
However, concerning the autonomous conceptual photography, I believe that this is a field where no innovation is possible anymore.
Anything that is made in that field is a repetition or a variation on what has already been made.
I believe that autonomous conceptual photography has been researched and explored to the most far ends and that nothing truly original can be discovered there anymore.
As I am not interested in persiflage, copying, imitating and making variations and therefore being mediocre, I have left this field of autonomous conceptual photography and enjoy myself deeply with my projects in the field of autonomous photo documentary work.
And expect to continue in this way.




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Become a storming shooter

There are not many photographers anymore that use analog cameras.
Most have switched to digital cameras.
More easy, more options, more economic.

But as always, not everything of what we call progress is that good.
One of the characteristics of a digital camera is that on the back there is a monitor.
A small LCD screen where the photographer can see the results.
Instantly.

This is why that most photographers, after they have taken a picture, immediately look to the back of their camera.
To see on the screen the result.
To check if it is technically OK.
To decide if it is a good or a bad picture.

That is all very fine but besides the huge advantages of having a digital camera there are at least two major disadvantages of this option of seeing instantly the image on a screen on the back of the camera.

One is that the creative process of shooting images is interrupted.
With an analog camera there is nothing to see on the back.
No LCD screen.
Therefore, the photographer takes a picture, possibly looks at the subject, thinks, is creative and shoots again.
And this goes on for maximum 36 images.
However, with a digital camera, the photographer shoots, turns the camera down 45º, studies the result as seen on the LCD screen, turns the camera back in an angle of 90º and pays again attention to the subject.
Hence, for the time the photographer studies the image on the LCD screen, he loses total contact with the subject.
Now imagine the subject is a person.
Each time after taking a picture, the model is left totally alone by the photographer.
Who shifts completely the priorities, the attention and the interaction.
The photographer is going in and out of a relationship.
From being one with the model to being one with the photography.
Most models will not appreciate this approach and way of working.
The model is made a puppet more than ever.

The second vital aspect comparing analog cameras with digital cameras is that with analog cameras no assessment can be made of the pictures that are made until the film is developed and prints are made.
Hence, the photographer shoots left and right knowing that the editing will take place much later.
With this method during the creative process of making pictures no selecting between good and bad takes place.
A lot is made.
Everything is tried.
And later it becomes clear if a successful and convincing picture has been made.

With a digital camera a photographer makes a picture and looks immediately at the LCD screen and gets into the position of an editor.
Who will decide if the picture is good or not good.
We may wonder if editing during a shooting is the best time to do this precarious job.
Is the photographer at that moment cool and objective enough to truly be able to decide if an image is good or bad?
And is it effective to be one moment a photographer and the next moment an editor to return back to being a photographer?
Is that stimulating the creative process?

The approach that is recommended here is to switch off the LCD screen of the digital camera.
And to photograph like it was an orgy by letting go of everything to decide later, after the shooting, what is good and what is bad.
It keeps the photographer in continuing close contact with the model or the subject.
And it makes the photographer a storming shooter.



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