snapshot aesthetic

The snapshot aesthetic for me is the most difficult genre of photography. It suggests, just by its description, that the subject and content are not important. The lighting style is not important. The framing is not important. But in fact, all of that is extremely important. If it is done correctly the techniques are barely visible but the end result is captivating. Photographers like Stephen Shore and Nan Goldin have mastered this seemingly simple yet complicated style. I have been viewing Marisha Camp’s work as well recently and she also belongs to this category but, her lighting is so pronounced and part of each image it becomes its own style. I would say each of these other photographers have influenced me from day to day. But today’s image is my interpretation of that influence. I was going for that snapshot feel with the production value I enjoy bringing to every image I produce. This image reminds me of my youth when my parents would take the family to Avalon on Catalina Island for a week during the summer. There are photographs that seem so similar to this, of us in my family’s archives. The personal influence from those files lives strongly in my aesthetic.   http://www.marishaphoto.com http://www.artnet.com/artists/nan-goldin/ http://stephenshore.net