My aim for the Forum last Friday was to encourage members to talk about photography and photographs as a creative medium, an art form. We looked at the unique nature of photography, the challenges it poses and some critical analysis. I introduced ways of understanding photographs through the writings of John Szarkowski (Looking at Photographs) and David Hurn and Bill Jay (On Looking at Photographs). The group then discussed five photographs by Jane Bown, Sebastiao Salgado, Robert Mapplethorpe, Bernd and Hilla Becher and Gregory Crewdson. Three key points emerged: each person will interpret a photograph in their own way; appreciation of a photograph is enhanced by knowing its back story; and you need to take time to look at pictures. See my presentation at www.zimbushboy.org/photo-forum-2018-19.
Photo: Sebastiao Salgado, Ice Castle, Weddell Sea, 2005