SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS: OF or ABOUT

I was reading a thing about string theory the other day. It’s one
mind-bending way to look at quantum mechanics. No one, really,
can “see” what string theory is about. (It postulates that there are
10 dimensions of space and possibly 2 of time).

Anyway, the author used a phrase she had borrowed from James
Joyce, one he used in Ulysses (a book, by the way, that changed
my life). The phrase being, in relation to trying to get a grip on
something that is, for the most part ungrippable, “almosting it”.

As far as I can tell, that’s the feeling you get when your brain
almost fits all the pieces together, where you get a taste of
the vision you are wondering about, but it never quite resolves.

I bring all this up because whether a foto is just “of” something
or is actually “about” something can be a lot like trying to figure
out quantum mechanics. There’s often a lot of “almosting it”.

©Richard Avedon from: In the American West

Take these shots, for example. Seemingly ripe for being fotos “of”.
After all, they are humans against white seamless. . .specimens.

There are a million knock-offs of work like this and almost all of
them are merely fotos “of”. But Avedon’s fotos move beyond that,
become “about”.

That’s because of his (Avedon’s) intent and his talent and technique
and because of what he demands. Demands of himself and of his
subjects.

Too often fotografers settle for the easy solution; taking a foto just
because, and saying to themselves: “Seems to me that that’s that”.
A surefire recipe to end up with fotos of, really, nothing but surface.

I believe that a foto of almost any subject can be “about” something
if the fotographer won’t just settle for the easy way out, if the fotografer
demands more from themselves and more from that which they are
pointing their camera at.

Otherwise what’s the point?

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

Finally get to see, in print, a project I worked on for
the Carleton University alumni mag. Not only worked
on, but worked on with the better half, Cindy (who is
a writer).

We, for some reason, don’t get to work on too many
projects together. And, truth be told, it was Cin who
got me this job. She had pitched a story about Jesse
Stewart, a professor in the School for Studies in Art
and Culture. He’s a percussionist who plays in all
kinds of unconventional environments.

Fateema, the editor, bought it and then my name came
up as someone who might shoot the thing.

And a complicated thing it was, too. Had to choose and
then find 4 environments that were not only photogenic,
but were also righteous.

As well, each shot kind of needed to have a sliver of context
(i.e. percussion instruments) and show a lot of environment,
seeing as the story was about the weird places Jesse plays.

Kind of complicated. And, boy, was that cave ever dark.

You can see Cindy’s website here. I’ll bet you’ve never seen
writer’s website like hers.

Also out this past week, an interesting take on a rookie
Member of Parliament Ruth Ellen Broussard.

Ottawa Style asked 3 fotografers to shoot her to see what
would happen.

(For those of you outside the country, or those Canadians
who just don’t remember, she was running for the NDP
in Trois Rivieres West, didn’t expect to win and so spent
some of her time in Las Vegas rather that in her riding,
campaigning. She won.)

Here are the spreads:

The fotographers being (l to r) Angelina McCormick, yours
truly and Darren Holmes.

You can see the thing online here. Hit “next page” (top right)
for, duh. . . .the next page.

STEPHANIE (about, not of)

Part of the book of LIVE THROUGH THIS is going to be Steph’s
story, as told by her. We’re working on it now.

It starts with her earliest memory and just a few days ago she
started sending me words about when she first moved to Ottawa.

Just moving there I had no money and no family
and no home I felt alone so I started selling my
body just to have enough money to support my
habbit. I didnt buy food cause thats the last thing
on your mind. I remember thinking to myself “How
did you get so far from home?” I had no family or
friends and the most fearful thing is being alone!!

As usual, she is totally honest and brave in how she expresses
herself, what she will allow people to see and know about her.

These words are not “of”, they are “about”.

Here’s a foto of her from that time, the time she was still very much
living a junkie’s life.

She has been heroin-free now for over 8 months.

Steph, February 2, 2011