In addition to our determination to create images, good images, images that stimulate us, that give us pleasure, we propose a preparatory exercise for this.
To investigate what other people have thought and researched about the photographic process.
In that sense we have the help of someone who has written and theorized a lot about photography and the act of looking, John Berger. We have selected two of his books that you may find useful. They are "Looking" and "Another way of telling"; although the net will provide you with a lot of complementary documentation, including some more than interesting videos.
In one of the chapters of "Another Way of Telling," Berger writes :
"I often feel the need to explain my photographs, to tell their story. Only occasionally is an image self-sufficient. This time I decided to assign others the task of explaining. I took several photographs from my archives and went out in search of those who would explain them..."
Other authors may include Susan Sontag and Walter Benjamin.
Exercise:
We propose you to emulate Berger and interpret the image of our teacher Piko Zulueta. The idea is not to write down what you see, but to interpret it: how does this image stimulate you, what does it provoke in you according to your state of mind, profession, situation...?
"There are no photographs that can be denied. All photographs have the category of reality. What has to be examined is in what way the photograph can or cannot give meaning to the facts".
John Berger