Mike Davis on Photos

The Image Deconstructed recently interviewed Mike Davis, a guy I feel like I know though I’m not sure I’ve ever talked with him in person. (I have seen him speak at a couple of conferences so maybe that’s it.) I love his approach to building images and stories.

In the interview he was asked about the language he was using to describe images, specifically the idea of “conveying a quality” as opposed to moment or mood. His response:

The gist is that a photo will be no more than you set out to make it. If the goal is to show something happening (with an emphasis on the happening) then it will just be a verb photograph. Whatever you photograph you’ll approach the making of the image similarly because the reason for the photo’s existence doesn’t change. Instead, if the goal is to convey a quality (an adjective or adverb) of what you’re photographing, then every situation requires a unique photographic approach.

Well worth reading the interview and spending some time on his web site, too.