Communities

The Photography Blog

Documentary Vs Art

This discussion threads itself through almost every chapter of photographic philosophy I have ever written. It was time I wrote something directly on the topic. Where is the line between documentary and art and why does it matter?

No Bystanders

It can be very very difficult to connect with people, to crack open a gap and peer inside the lives of others. It demands patience and honesty. There is no camera upgrade or new technology to make it easier.

Heading North of Hanoi

It's all about the rice. Rural life in Northern Vietnam is heavily focused on the production of rice grain, but there's more going on around the paddies than just planting and the harvest. Ethnic diversity and the history of a nation are a part of the landscape too.

Snow Leopards in Tibet

"The Velvet Queen" is a movie about much more than photographers and snow leopards. It's a call for all humans to connect with our true nature as creatures of the wild.

Quiet Moments with a Thunder Dragon

The people of Bhutan refer to their nation as the land of the Thunder Dragon, a title that evokes images of fire breathing monsters and villages fleeing from destruction. The reality is something far more peaceful.

Life Without The Algorithm

There's more to photography than being popular. Being genuine counts for something too. In the new frontier of the Fediverse the focus is on enjoying your craft instead of being crafted by the algorithm.

What Is A Photographer

When so much of our lives exist in the digital landscape, what does it mean to be a photographer these days and does it matter if your work is never finding its way into a physically printed form?

In Review In Paris

Every year a handful of festivals coordinate some of the leading institutions and publications around the world to meet with photographers and review their work. It costs serious money to participate in these sessions, and the level of critique can range from belligerent to brutal.