Of all the photographers whose work I was introduced to while at Pratt, Mitch Epstein is still one of my favorites. We saw a selection of prints from this body of work “American Power” a couple of years ago. They were printed pretty huge (larger than 40″x60″) allowing some of the images to really stand out, but also swamping others. I’ve stopped buying photography books since I graduated as I don’t have the same kind of finances or the time to read them, but I may invest in this one.
Reading the introduction to his book “Work” helped me a great deal when composing my thesis statement. He says:
“I didn’t want to lose the magic I felt when I spontaneously opened up to a situation I hadn’t see coming. Along with the fear of deadening the creative process, I feared killing a picture with intent.”
This is an elaborate (and more intelligent) way of saying how I feel about shooting, where I’d rather just walk around taking pictures, than planning situations or creating images that represent my inner struggle. Not that personal issues can’t be in the final content of my work, I find that preconceiving the image flattens the final images or just doesn’t fit. This way of shooting means I need to create a lot, and the editing and sequencing becomes critical. None of which is happening right now as I’m completely consumed by my event photography (translate as – “making money”)
Book Signing: American Power - Presented by The Strand, New York. – Thursday, October 22, 2009. 7-8pm.
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