Writing about your work

projectbasho · Dec 12, 2014

Hello,

For the most recent post on the ONWARD blog, we had a Q&A with photography writer Jorg Colberg (who runs the Conscientious blog) and he discussed the importance of writing about your work. He mentions that writing about what is in the pictures helps you to understand what the photograph is about.

Here is the article: http://bit.ly/1yIErY3

Do you agree that writing is important for photographers?

frank · Dec 12, 2014

I can only say that writing about my photography is difficult. Because its difficult, it's probably important. I can see how writing about it would force you to better understand it and yourself. It's the same idea as learning a topic in order to teach it.

MDR · Dec 12, 2014

Depends on the photographer writing about what's in the picture sorry I can see what is in the picture writing about my intentions or the thoughts behind the picture is another thing. Some people need to write down everything others don't like to write and again others like to write but don't find it necessary to write in order to clear their head. In art school we were taught never to start a project without a written concept. Most written concepts were pure B.S. and more hindrance than help imo. But another form of concept is the book and this helps me a lot a book in this case means a collections of objects, textures, colour samples, music pieces, scraps of newspaper articles, images etc... that are related to the theme or emotion I want invoke for the work. The various objects are glued, stitched, taked etc into a notebook the music text is written down of course. So in a way it is a visual concept not a written concept if I present my work I don't need the written words I have the colours, the textures, the things that inspired me as reference. In photography and film school we had to draw everything beforehand I still prefer my book to that.

As a final word: talking about music is like dancing about architecture > writing about photography is like dancing about architecture as well

billbretz · Dec 12, 2014

Writing about your work is a critical element in some facets of photography, or at least MFA programs and the FA world where "what your photography is trying to say" is as important, or more so, than aesthetics. That's not a dig at the fine art world, there is a lot to question in FA photography but a lot to like, as well. The blog post is not really aimed at the typical photographer. And by "typical" I mean the casual or serious photographer who doesn't aim to communicate abstract or even concrete ideas through photographs, but wants to make photographs that are aesthetically pleasing, document a subject, sell a product or record an experience.

MDR · Dec 12, 2014

Bill you hit it on the head this is it in the Idea/concept behind the photgraph is what matters today not the photograph itself. The whole new school of photography is based on that. Gursky, Struth, Ruff etc.. the photograph is not important the concept is important. This whole concept B.S. often hinders the real photographic work imo. The worst thing that can happen to the modern Art photo world is that the written concepts will be lost in the future without those written references quiet a lot of now highly appreciated art becomes more or less worthless or at least nobody will understand what the artist wanted to say with his work.

Chris G · Dec 12, 2014

It seems to me that if you have to write about you are trying to say then you didn't manage to say it with the photograph. I have seen photographs that i really like only to have the artist ruin it for me with their description of what they were trying to say. A photograph should be able to stand on its own allowing some interpretation by the viewer. IMHO

Wayne · Dec 12, 2014

Chris G said:
It seems to me that if you have to write about you are trying to say then you didn't manage to say it with the photograph. I have seen photographs that i really like only to have the artist ruin it for me with their description of what they were trying to say. A photograph should be able to stand on its own allowing some interpretation by the viewer. IMHO

Ditto. Photographs are best left for someone other than the photographer to write about.

Chrismat · Dec 12, 2014

Chris G said:
It seems to me that if you have to write about you are trying to say then you didn't manage to say it with the photograph. I have seen photographs that i really like only to have the artist ruin it for me with their description of what they were trying to say. A photograph should be able to stand on its own allowing some interpretation by the viewer. IMHO

+2.

eddie · Dec 12, 2014

There are different reasons for writing about your work. If you're competing for a grant, you'd best be able to write about your project, to have any chance of getting funded. Almost every gallery I've ever exhibited in wanted an artist statement. Although I don't do any, I think anyone doing social commentary/documentary work should be able to coherently explain their photographs, and the purpose behind them.
Writing, like photography, is a form of communication. It doesn't hurt to be competent in both.

Bill Burk · Dec 12, 2014

projectbasho,

Thanks, I enjoyed reading Jorg Colberg's articles.

If taking notes while you shoot helps you reconstruct the story later, and if writing a little about what you are doing gives you something interesting to say when people ask you what you do -- it's simple useful advice.

I kind of get how, if you look at your photographs and compare them to what you said you were trying to do, you can know what's missing and needs to be done still... Kind of like looking at Google Earth, zooming in on any part of the world that interests you and seeing all the pinpoints of photographs already submitted to the servers. Not literally but taking that idea to your idea of what you wanted to accomplish, you can see what still needs to be done (and maybe avoid rehashing old work that you already did well).

Alan Klein · Dec 12, 2014

How honest can you be about your photos when you're writing about them, for example, in a blog? Wouldn't it be better to have others critique your work, people you trust to give honest, clear and informed comments? It's often hard to see the forest through the trees looking at your own work much less writing about it. Our egos are too tied up in our work.

An exception to this would be a photo essay where the words are telling a story and the photos complement them.

blansky · Dec 14, 2014

Self reflection is enlightening but self promotion is fucking annoying.

Unfortunately the better you are at self promotion, the less proficient you become at self reflection.

Bill Burk · Dec 14, 2014

Hey blansky,

Nothing to do with the topic at hand... I just noticed your avatar is black and white now...

Meanwhile...

I think that as much as "we" have written, APUG members and subscribers are very likely able to write honestly and clearly about our photography. We do it all the time.

NedL · Dec 14, 2014

There may be a difference in writing about our photography for our own personal use and writing about it for others to read.

Bill Burk · Dec 14, 2014

Maybe I'm speaking for myself, but my writing about my photography has improved significantly here...

What frightens me is that my writing is starting to outpace my photography.

cliveh · Dec 14, 2014

As I mentioned in another thread:- A good photograph doesn't need a crutch; it speaks for its self.

blansky · Dec 14, 2014

Bill Burk said:
Hey blansky,

I think that as much as "we" have written, APUG members and subscribers are very likely able to write honestly and clearly about our photography. We do it all the time.

We all have to write and promote our work, BUT the more we write and the more we promote, the more we start to believe our own press.

And the more compliments we get the more we start thinking that, "damn right, I AM special".

cliveh · Dec 14, 2014

blansky said:
Unfortunately the better you are at self promotion, the less proficient you become at self reflection.

Interesting thought, but can you give some photographer examples for that statement and evidence of their less self reflection?

Ken Nadvornick · Dec 14, 2014

cliveh said:
As I mentioned in another thread:- A good photograph doesn't need a crutch; it speaks for its self.

True that. But it may not be able to say everything about itself that needs to be said. Words are not a substitute, but they can be a compelling complement.

Ken

cliveh · Dec 14, 2014

Ken Nadvornick said:
True that. But it may not be able to say everything about itself that needs to be said. Words are not a substitute, but they can be a compelling compliment.

Ken

I agree, but as a purist I don't want to add a compliment (non Zen).

blansky · Dec 14, 2014

cliveh said:
Interesting thought, but can you give some photographer examples for that statement and evidence of their less self reflection?

No. But as I said above.....the human nature aspect is that the more we are busy promoting ourselves the more we tend to believe the bullshit.

You see it in all professions.

Often you need a "down time" to reflect and re-evaluate and people who are constantly promoting don't get that.

And it's always worse when you have an entourage of ass kissers muddying up the works.

cliveh · Dec 14, 2014

blansky said:
No. But as I said above.....the human nature aspect is that the more we are busy promoting ourselves the more we tend to believe the bullshit.

You see it in all professions.

Often you need a "down time" to reflect and re-evaluate and people who are constantly promoting don't get that.

And it's always worse when you have an entourage of ass kissers muddying up the works.

Yes I know what you mean and can think of some people in other professions than photograph,y who have an ego the size of the Empire State building, but very little talent to match.

MattKing · Dec 14, 2014

cliveh said:
I agree, but as a purist I don't want to add a compliment (non Zen).

I think both Clive and Ken really mean complement, not compliment.

Photographs are found in all sorts of environments, and used for all sorts of purposes. In some cases, writing about your photography will be more likely to distract than help. But in other cases, the words and photographs work together.

Currently I am working with a friend who advocates strongly that if you intend to photograph with purpose, you need to be able to reduce that purpose to a clear, written plan before you take the camera out.

It helps to have accompanying words in mind when you take the photograph if you intend to accompany your visual art with prose (or poetry or music).

Ken Nadvornick · Dec 14, 2014

MattKing said:
I think both Clive and Ken really mean complement, not compliment.

In my case, absolutely. Thanks Matt.

Ken

cliveh · Dec 14, 2014

MattKing said:
I think both Clive and Ken really mean complement, not compliment.

Correct.

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