In a world where cameras are at our fingertips, tucked away in our pockets at all times, just how does a photograph remain unique and innovating?
Anyone can take a photo, perhaps not a good one, but with the wonders of modern technology the means to do so are widely available to all. Has this accessibility meant a loss in authenticity to the world of photography?
I would beg to differ. Whilst indeed anyone can take a photo, not everyone can capture the magic of a moment.
A photograph is more than the snapping of an iPhone camera, it is the snapshot of a single second that tells an entire story in just one frame, this is not necessarily an easy photographic technique but perhaps more the eye of an inquisitive photographer.
Good photographs require depth, texture and genuine feeling; something the simple click of a button won’t give you, it is far more than just clever photographic technique.
Take the works of photojournalist David Hicks. Hicks captures fascinating imagery, full of the passion and vibrance, he makes his viewers see what isn’t there, we look through glass as if it were not there, but Hicks wants us to notice the glass, its marks and lines, to sharpen our vision through his lens. Benefiting from his wealth of travel across almost 100 countries to date, David Hicks’ images have a worldly and wondrous feel and appreciating that to be unique you must create something different, so Hicks created ‘Photomentary’, where he prints his photographs on the appropriate substrate for the project.
Heavily textured and layered images in Hicks’ Exhibition range from Taxi drivers reflections on vintage rearview mirrors to English Country Gardens photographs printed on distressed greenhouse glass. Obviously this technique cannot be used with all photographs but as a way of presenting photography in a truly unique way this works so well.
The successful photographer truly connects the viewer to the image, creating a curiosity and true sense of intrigue. A good photographer allows us to see the world through their eyes, for what could be more unique than that?
And therein lies the true magic of photography. A photographer whose lens becomes an extension of his vision, Hicks captures life beyond the camera, and brings us a perspective we may never experience again. To stand out in the crowd you need to be inventive and relevant to your subject matter, something a photographer like David Hicks manages very well.
Written by Lisa Freeman BA (Hons)
I am passionate about sharing art and new artists work, creating and developing new visions and ideas for artists whilst raising their profiles.
skype – quitegr8