Blog Post #4

Self censorship in photography, is it for you ?

I recently had my attention drawn to a book that goes against the grain in the world of photography publications. Every magazine or book I have ever picked up on photography either portrays a photographer’s best work or provides coaching and instructions on where to find the best shots and how to take them. The book in question is called “Photo No-Nos: Meditations on What Not to Photograph”.

In the description of the book it states that it,

“reveals the personal red lines set by some of the world’s most talented photographers and photography professionals……. this is a fascinating insight into the self-censorship practiced by professionals – and a useful lesson in how to avoid cliched and uninspiring metaphors in your photography”.

I must say at this point I haven’t purchased the book or viewed its content, it is more the concept of self-censorship that intrigues me.

I suppose I have been applying self censorship for years and havent really thought about it as there are some things I would steer away from through choice. I don’t tend to photograph things that can be repeated at any time, or set up by someone. I prefer spontaneity and capturing people or moments that occur then pass. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t take a funny scene if I saw it but it would have to be my shot and not one where I was stretching over others or queuing up to take the same photo as them.

Here is an example of what I mean

I was outside a cafe in Tenerife and saw this dog struggling along in the heat looking for a bit of shade. As fortune had it it plopped itself down right beside the Hot Dog sign. I grabbed my camera and took the shot. As soon as I did the dog got up and walked inside the shop where it was cooler. It was the moment I wanted to capture. If someone had produced a dog and lay it down in front of the sign I would not have even considered taking the shot.

In the main I consider everything and anything to be fair game to photograph with my camera. I know where my boundaries are and stay within them. I know some people that would not photograph people that are down on their luck, begging, sleeping rough etc. and I respect their choice not to do that. I however feel that it is important to show life as it is without airbrushing out the stark reality of life on the streets today.

So back to the book. I doubt that I will buy it but I think it poses an important question on self-censorship. If you consider all the boundaries listed by the 200 or so photographers who contributed to the book then you may be right in thinking “what’s left to photograph then ?”. In street photography some of the boundaries I set myself are;

1. Nothing is taboo, so long as it is legal

2. No pictures of people just walking down the street. There has to be either an aesthetic or “moment” to make the shot

3. No cliché or contrived gimmicky shots.

4. Don’t take boring pictures

It may be worthwhile taking time out to consider where your boundaries are (if at all), and the things you want to steer away from photographing as opposed to what you want to photograph. I think they are important things to keep in mind but I would never let them paralyse my enjoyment of photography.

Would you consider taking any of the images below for example ? How would it reflect on your image as a serious photographer if you made them public ? Are you aiming to portray a particular style or genre to your photography that you want to protect ? Food for thought.

Thank you for reading this blog post, sorry but I don’t include a comments or “Like/Dislike” button. If you want to contact me you can do so by using the “Contact Me” facility in the website header.

Peter Degnan