man & nature # 6 ~ quiet and mysterious beauty
Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 11:11AM 
more signs of Spring • click to embiggenA batch of new photo books arrived on Tuesday and amongst them was a delightful surprise.
A book that I included, almost as an afterthought, in the order turned out to be the shining star of the bunch - Beyond The Forest~ About A People Believed To Be The Descendants Of The Children That Were Led Out Of Hamlin, photography by Clare Richardson. I didn't even look at it until 2 days after it arrived but, unlike the other books, "important' works by "important" photographers, this little book - 40 pages with 17 pictures - captured my attention like none of the others that I had ordered.
Simply put, the book is an exquisitely wonderful reminder (if you need one) of how powerful and involving - even in this era of the 'staged' photographs - "quiet", straight, and straightforward pictures can be. There appears to be absolutely no hocus-pocus involved in their making. There are a few portrait-type pictures and few involving people wherein the subjects are obviously aware of the camera but they certainly are not models hired to pose for effect.
Part of what really grabbed me about the book was not just the delicious photography but how those pictures where elevated to a higher realm of the imagination by the 3 "introductory" paragraphs (the only text in the book):
He lives in a world of silence. A world of hard work and necessary patience; waiting on the weather and growth. They call him Mr. Pipe, a diabetic, water passes through him. His mother worries he shall never marry. He loved the butcher's daughter once, but her father sold the mountain. Claiming the common ground, he felled the forest and sold the oak. A rich man now, his daughter should marry well, a businessman from the town, perhaps. Spurned, the boy strung up a lifeless scarecrow in his own image, a reminder to the girl of her father's betrayal.
The butcher's wife says the photographer is barren, and has come to buy the children to operate her domestic machines. She welcomes the photographer, preparing a meal with the greatest of care and measure.
The forest taken, the horizon is restored. It offers no shelter now. An emptying landscape. As claims are made, fences erected and the horizon breached. Only Mr, Pipe remains, the others have now gone, they spoke of a life beyond the forest.
FYI, the pictures were made in a small farming village in Transylvania. Literally translated, Transylvania means "beyond the forest". The children that were led out of Hamlin are those that legend has it are the children who followed the Pied Piper.
I purchased the book because of a single picture that accompanied the book description. It just caught me eye. I knew nothing of the book's content. Now I can't seem to put it out of mind as my imagination wanders and wonders. And all of that because of a delightful and intriguing combination of pictures and words.
Words, yes, words. A word that seems to strike terror, fear, and loathing into hearts and minds of most photographers. Even though a picture may be worth 1,000 words, don't ever ask a photographer to write a few about their own pictures. No, not that! Because, as everyone knows, a picture that needs words is a failure. After all, photography is a visual medium.
IMO, the world would be a better place if those who couldn't write a coherent and interesting 1,000 words about their pictures had their cameras wrenched from their hands and smashed into a zillions bits (or a zillion bytes if it's a digital camera). Or, better yet, how about if you couldn't even buy a camera unless you submit 1,000 words about the pictures you intend to make with it. And, oh yeah, one of the rules is that, if you even mention equipment in your 1,000 words, they poke your eyes out.
Of course, even in that perfect world, anyone would be able to buy a 2mp P&S. After all, I am the benevolent one.
gravitas et nugalis
Featured Comment: someone named Robert left a 1000 word essay as a comment. At the end of his essay, he asked; "Can I buy a new dslr now?
my response: A good effort, Robert, but unfortunately, the answer is "No". While you did mange to avoid mentioning equipment in your essay, you did use the word "pretty" - a mortal sin of the highest order - to describe the pictures you wished to make with your new dslr.
Sorry. Better luck next time.
Reader Comments (6)
phew. I think I just about pass that test. I released a book yesterday of pictures and the accompanying introductory text tries to explain what I'm doing without talking about the equipment.
I fail in that the second essay talks about the camera gear and other technique related gubbins. But that's hidden away at the back...
I've never believed this nonsense that a good picture shouldn't have any context provided. There are so many fine examples that prove it is nonsense, that I don't know why it still gets trotted out.
Miguel just posted similar topic today too...
http://exposurecompensation.com
Amen to that Mark!
Great post Mark. I linked to it from my blog.
Best regards,
Miguel
I want to make very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very pretty photos. Can I buy a new dSLR now?
Her photographs could be wonderful, but that writing is cringeworthy and completely destroys your own "rule." And no one expected essays out of Miles Davis before he was allowed to play a trumpet. What you propose is something that, really, only a photoblogger would care about, so at least it is understandable in that context.