There are many photography web sites that offer advice on “how to”.
How to photograph portraits, how to photograph children, how to take pictures of pets, how to shoot sports, how to take pictures at night, how to use a wide angle lens, how to take pictures with a flash, how to take pictures without a flash, how to . . . ad nauseam.
But there are few sites that talk about “why”.
Why photograph portraits, why photograph children, why shoot sports, why use a wide angle, why use a flash, . . . ?
I used to think I couldn’t lose anyone if I photographed them enough.
– US photographer Nan Goldin
The “how to” affects the technical aspects of a photo. The “why” affects the actual content of the photo.
…photography is equally capable of recording everything and revealing nothing.
– Peter Galassi, former photography curator for The Museum of Modern Art
Camera owners and cell phone owners tend to use photography as a way to collect things – a visual record of moments in their lives. Pictures replace memories.
Serious photographers often use photography as a form of inquiry – a visual attempt to understand moments in their lives. Pictures try to answer questions.
I photograph to see what things look like photographed.
– US photographer Garry Winogrand
