Last week via a posting on their instagram channel, Magnum Photos shared a series of photos made by Martin Parr. They came from his work on tourism. That post came very timely for me. I’m just back from a holiday, and witnessed the tourist in full action again. After the long period of travel bans, work from home and so on, seeing this animal again in the wild was nice.
Creative Stimulus. Or not.
Rereading previous posts, this blog seems a bit too vitriolic, angry at the world and putting itself (a.k.a. myself) in a moral superior position of sorts. Which is all wrong and pretty undesired.
Why all this anger, and what can anyone take from it? Is it all just me blowing off steam, or could there be a bit more to it?
Viewer
Most of the recent posts are about making photos. The craft of creating a compelling image is a fascinating subject, as it touches both a technical side, pure craft, and a creative, imaginative side, which tends more towards the black arts of art.
There is also the side of being a viewer. Watch a photo, look at it carefully. Let your imagination, rational thoughts run with it. Find a superficiality or depth. Try to understand its maker and the message (if any).
Never forget
Today, May 4th, in the Netherlands, it is memorial day; a moment to remember in silence the high price paid for the freedom we enjoy today. Tomorrow, on Liberation Day, we celebrate this freedom. And we’re really lucky to live in one of the most free countries in the world.