Questions to Myself, with Taras Bychko

Mentorship Fragments / March - June / Warsaw, Bucharest
Since end of March I have decided that lack of my education in photography is bothering me. I was looking for schools where I could fill that gap, but I ended up in applying past sport concept - get a mentor. Second, it is magical to have an opportunity to work individually with a master of photography, and fulfill that teenage dream.

In the span of three months we have managed to discuss a lot of diffrent topics and I had an initial idea to complete a series in that time, but for the lack of quick progress in material decided to extent that to some additional time. In this note I would like to archive some insights for myself that stood out to me during those conversations.

∙There are a lot of ways to achieve success in photography, but you still have to play the game by the rules that were set long before you. What is considered a success in the field is a whole another point of discussion.

∙There is a difference between photographer and artist, decide which path to take.

∙Photography is like any other language to speak with the world. Learn how to speak with your images.

∙Do not show the whole story in the frame, leave the unknown to a viewer to analyze the frame and ask questions. Where is it? Why is it there? What is the relationship between the objects? How did this situation happen? Leaving out or including enough objects in the frame has to be intentional. What is in the frame belongs there.

∙Algorithm behind building a series is picking the right tools such as: visual instrument, mood, setting, technique that allows to achieve result. When analysing the work of authors it is important to decode why and how that was combined together. Daido Moriyama cannot walk around with a huge camera with his philosophy of photography. On the other side, Todd Hiddo has a a completely different and distinct photographic algorithm: specific weather, diffused sky, large format camera, light from the window, depth of field. The combination of small factors contribute to cohesive visual style. After decoding number of photographers it becomes easier to see the recipe for the appropriate dish.

∙Building sequence: Analyze the photobooks structure. What story is being built out? How the photos are combined together? (Color, Objects, Repetition, Contrast, Leading Lines). When you start to understand the sequence it is easier to see what can be connected by a thread in personal works.

∙The “headliner” photos are present in every series, they can be an anchor that start to build out mini sequences. They can convey the message about the series and generally have to be in the final selection. Put different combinations together, it may not make sense in the beginning. A lot of photographers print out the photos, hang them on the wall and let them sit for some time. Then you can start to make connections between them.

∙Long list of shots, short list of shots, final selection.

∙When working on a series sooner or later everyone hits the barrier in terms of visual images, and general exhaustion creeping in upon repetitive shooting. This period will pass and images will arise, but the photographer need to endure this period.

∙When you have the right internal state for the series that you would like to convey, keep working on it, despite the barriers. While the state lasts where you have something to say capitalise on it.

∙Walk somewhere where you have not been before, walk inside where you did not think you can find a photograph.

∙Keep asking yourself the right questions. 

∙1 + 1 = 3, where an object and a reflection makes it two, but what can we add to a photograph to make it 3?

∙Being honest with myself about what I photograph and why I photograph. The long-game of photography stretches in different timeline and tempo. 


* more to be added


Andrii