Hit with force
force is feeling
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at the picture for a second and think of it all your life.” - Joan Miro
The idea of impactful image making is something I routinely weigh; these thoughts are often filled with worry, fear and anticipation, but are contradicted with trust, surprise and hope. I think I have always recognized most of my thoughts as contradictions.
How do I make an impactful image? What does an impactful image consist of? What is impact? How do I make it? Does it even matter? Yes? No? Yes. Yes. Yes... No?
I run in circles pondering these questions and constantly imagining new ones. Yes, impact matters, but are my images impactful enough? And what does that even mean to the people observing my images? And don’t even get me started on my contemplation of the level of impact that my images make, and if that impact is even adequate to make any sort of difference to anyone.
For me, impact is tightly knit with feelings. We are more likely to remember images that make us feel something. I have said this before, these feelings are not necessarily always good, they are often messy, indescribable and we’re not always sure what exactly they make us feel, but they do.
I guess when making images, I just want to make someone feel something.
pause...
As I’m writing this I’m realizing that I don’t make images with you all in mind. I actually make images with my interests in mind. When my face is glued to the camera, my goal is to make an image that makes me feel. I immediately understood this realization to be selfish, but as I combed through it, I now understand it to be an example of the core of what makes us all feel. (I have not given this “core” much thought, so we will come back to that).
Popular movies, images, songs, shows, books, whatever, are only so popular because of the large impact they have on a variety of people. I find it interesting, (and honestly, more than anything, exciting) that each individual, with varied life experiences, can be compelled to feel something through consumption of a shared piece. Although it resonates with each of us in distinctive ways, it resonates nonetheless.
Which brings me to this new sense of selfless-image making. Yes, I strive to make images that impact my perception of the world, but in turn, I understand that it shapes your perception too. That’s my impact. When I make images that I know will eventually be shared with others… that’s your impact.
I have more to say about this, but this is far too long already, so here are some perception altering images that I have come across. Impactful images, if you will.
I’ll share some more of my photos next week. The long weekend was more of a “making weekend” for me (two unfinished rolls of b&w are calling my name).
Until then I’ll be somewhere on the internet, or with my head in a book, or deep in conversation, foraging for something impactful.
With all of myself,
Shay
Ps. If anyone has any thoughts on landscape photography and how/what/why it impacts you, please text, call, reply to this letter. I’m trying to grow my understanding of others' appreciation for it, to hopefully increase mine.