Distillations
It is about distilling the essence of your subject to a simple visual statement.
The excitement begins when I search to distill emotions from what I see in the world. This is what drives me to photograph. I’ve been working from this passion for most of my life. Seeing. Shooting from the gut, without too much thought. Driven by feeling.
I assemble the elements I choose to include in my frame quickly and simply. Simplicity is what I appreciate most in all art. This does not speak to a lack of integrity or importance. In fact simplicity leads one to make the most monumental of discoveries in the smallest of things. Harry Callahan’s work comes to mind, simple subjects, simply stated. Thus a style is created.
Sometimes my negatives have to percolate, and sit for months, and even years, in binders, untouched, until I bring them into the light and decide that this is a great photograph. I’m always excited to look at my proof sheets. It’s then I edit, analyze, and then complete my vision in the darkroom through the printing process. There the excitement continues.
For me photography is an emotional experience. Looking at great images provokes a feeling that is unparalleled. It has more to do with the emotional response than technical expertise. It may be rough, but if it shows me the truth, makes me feel, then it works. It is a wonderful thing and a wonder to me. Words are not necessary. The image speaks. This is visual success.
Photography is visualization defined within the frame. The sum of the parts, become the whole story inside that frame. Sometimes questions are answered, sometimes not, leaving room for more inquiry. Sometimes questions are asked, moving responsibility to the viewer. Photography is interactive in that regard.
Most importantly, when visualizing the image, many elements must be brought together and distilled down to a single visual statement. The more finely this is done, the clearer the vision, the greater the success of the image.
Distillations: A Statement on Photography
Cissy Spindler