DreamOutLoud

Edward Weston with his Graflex, 1923.

The incomparable SoCal portrait photographer Steve Burns was gracious enough to lend me an excellent book for photographers of every genre, “The Daybooks of Edward Weston, Volume II”.

Weston kept a more or less daily record of what he was up to and although highly redacted by Weston himself due to his discretionary nature, what is left is an engaging narrative of his days and nights of creativity, friends, parenthood, what used to be referred to as “sporting” (he was quite the ladies man) and some observations on his process and the art form of photography itself.  Like most journals, this one may seem repetitive at times and the English (this was written from 1926-1938) may seem archaic, but the insights are genuine and his excitement for his projects is palpable.  He is articulate to be sure and his perspective has helped me greatly.

I wholeheartedly agree that to achieve excellence in any genre of photography is extremely difficult, but, to me, portrait photography (my chosen field) is particularly vexing.  The goal is seemingly simple:  Create an image of a subject that cultivates an emotional connection with the viewer.  No problem, right?  As Bono says, “Just like landing a 747 on your front lawn.  EASY!!!”

The challenges come in many forms.  Every subject is unique, so what was successful with one subject will most likely not be successful with another.  You can prepare as much as possible, but you can really only prepare so much because what you are trying to achieve often feels (and somehow needs to feel) spontaneous.  How can you prepare for authenticity?  You go into the session with as much presence and clarity as you can muster and do your best.  Contrary to every wedding photography website on planet Earth, portrait photography is not about “capturing moments”.   This is not about voyeurism; it is about setting the right conditions and engendering authentic emotional content from your subject.  You need to be on your game because when those emotions arise, portrait photography is like music or cooking, in that it’s about beats:  A half second too early and the eggs are runny; a half second too late and the bass is behind.  The best portrait shooters in the world (a la Richard Avedon) are great manipulators and can consistently derive emotion from their subjects but it will never, ever look the same way twice.  Sometimes you can come out of even your best sessions completely knackered.

Technology has changed since Edward Weston was creating images, in that it is much easier and less expensive to make more attempts per subject; he was using an 8X10 or Graflex.  But the core challenges, the deceptive ease, the elusive goals remain the same.

From the man’s journal, recollecting a conversation with Henrietta Shore, dated 23 April 1927:   “… I cannot possibly conceive my complete, final result in advance… I hold to a definite attitude of approach, but the camera can only record what is before it, so I must await and be able to grasp the right moment when it is presented on my ground glass.  To a certain point I can, when doing still life, feel my conception before I begin to work, but in portraiture, figures, clouds – trying to record ever changing movement and expression, everything depends on my clear vision, my intuition at the important instant which if lost can never be repeated.  This is a great limitation and at the same time a fascinating problem in photography.

“Imagine if you had to create in, at the most a few seconds of time, without the possibility of pre-visioning, a complete work, supposed to have lasting value.  Of course my technique is rapid, and serves me if coordinated at the time with my perception.

“So, not being able to anticipate – depending on quick decisions – many negatives are destined to be named failures.

“This should not be when dealing with inanimate matter, and the fact is, working so, I discard very few attempts.

“However, a quick decision is different from a hasty decision and there is danger in acquiring the latter habit, growing from the necessity of having the former ability.

I am explaining the limitations of photography rather than apologizing for it; if a medium needs apology it is already dead.  I accept the limitations trying to make the most of photography’s possibilities.”

Incredible insight to be sure, but even more interesting in historical context because it was artists like Edward Weston and his contemporaries who demonstrated to the world, contrary to egregious skepticism, that photography was indeed an art form.

Having said all that, there is only one way I will ever get better at this:  Keep shooting.