On Photography

I've been reading essays on photography; "On Photography" by Susan Sontag and "Camera Lucida" by Roland Barthes. Rich suggested I immerse myself in reflections on photography so that I could read how others view it and in turn uncover my own perspective. The reflections have been interesting; Sontag is depressing, reflecting on the raw, the absurd, and the hollowness of photography--at least, that's my take on her writing thus far. Barthes uses Sartre's "L'Imaginaire" to inform and direct his narrative. Up until now, I hadn't thought of photography from an intellectual or philosophical perspective so reading these two books has made me conscious of what my personal take on photography may be. I see this as an opportunity "to exhaust a philosophy...to reflect within its perspectives, and create my own private ideas at its expense..." (John-Paul Sartre)

Even though I haven't consciously thought about why I photograph what I do, I do have a perspective that I want to explore. My fascination lies in what I call "snippets" or parts of the whole. I have always been fascinated by isolation of parts, by gathering bits and pieces, whether it's in what I write or what I photograph. I'm constantly gathering "snippets."

A photograph cannot capture the whole. Perhaps that's why I like it so much. I look for the story within the story, and, even within the story; folding in on itself like a Mandlebrot fractal, looking for an essence...The Essence.

As I think about this, though, that isn't possible in photography. The closer in you get, the more the view becomes abstract and unidentifiable. I wonder, though, if it's the search that fascinates me...always searching. The journey.

How this will fit in with my project, I don't know. I'm not sure where the project is going yet.

I'm in the image gathering stage using Camera Raw. It has been difficult because I don't have a lot of time to devote to the photography now that I'm working full time and teaching part time. So I'm trying to listen to myself and work with myself and with what I have available to me so that I am satisfied and content with my subject.

I feel guilty taking photos. I should be doing something I don't like instead. But because I love taking photos, the pleasure I feel is full of guilt so I haven't taken many photos. But I plan on it this weekend.