Blog #147 Don’t Know Your Past, Don’t Know Your Future
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📷 📷 Amateur
Ziggy Marley sang “Don’t know your past, don’t know your future” in the song titled Tomorrow People on the album Conscience Party back in 1988. An education in the history of photography can be entertaining as well as beneficial to the practice of the art form even today. Depending on how far you want to go back, how many decades, that is, you may find some interesting artists, trends, and work.
The heyday of photography arguably occurred In the middle of the 20th century, just after the 35mm film size become widely available. From around the 1940s through the 1970s was really where it was at.
Various works broke through barriers, pushed the envelope, and rewrote the rules. Photography was launched to the moon and beyond through the brilliant efforts and vision of the great masters such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Friedlander, Godon Parks, Elliot Erwitt, Gary Winogrand, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, Minor White, Ansel Adams, and more.
I came across a few really terrific documentaries and watched them all over one weekend recently. The links are below. While there are many photography documentaries, these should be on the “must watch” list.
Cook up a bowl of popcorn and pour your favourite drink and get cracking!
Masters of Photography: Diane Arbus (Documentary 1971)
Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable
Don’t Blink - Robert Frank
The light is always right.
JHG
*Images: © Limelight Limited
Where: Hong Kong
Subject: Street Photography
Gear: Nikon FM3a SLR, 28mm f/2.0 Prime Lens, 35mm Fujifilm Neon Acros 100 black and white film with a Yellow #8 Filter, Developed in Bergger Berspeed and scanned on Epson V600 @ 1200dpi