- 2nd
- April
- 2010
Do I have to name my photos?
I seem to get into this conversation with people often about my photography where they inquire why I don’t have a title associated with an image they were looking at. I usually then get a strange look when I respond by saying that I don’t like to title any of my photographs. I should elaborate a bit. If I am shooting commercially, then of course I don’t have to name my work but I don’t title my work even for personal projects. For whatever reason, I don’t think every image needs it. I at times feel that by associating one title, I have then forced my viewer to be within a certain boundary of what the photo can mean. I had someone counter that by saying that I would then make it difficult to share the point I was trying to get across in the image. Well, I think the photograph should be able to speak for itself and I invite the viewer to go beyond my thought and discover things within the image that may be hidden from even me. I have had people look at images of mine and tell me it meant certain things to them that never even crossed my mind and yes there have also been times when I could clearly see the multiple meanings an image may have and purposely waited to hear another’s thoughts on it before sharing mine as to not influence their first impression. I like to know what they see in the work, I like to see how my vision is translated to them more than just a judgment of whether or not I got my singular point across. After all, we each see the world in our own unique way. I would gladly share my personal thought or inspiration on any of my images but was never good at naming them. I catalog all of my work by code or if there is a model in the image I attach their name to the file or negative sheet. As I set out to start exhibiting my work, I wonder how much of an issue this would be. I probably won’t be sitting down attempting to name all of my photographs from years ago but might be requested to do so if I was to create a new series. I don’t think it’s that weird that I don’t name each image but thought I would share my thoughts on this.
by K.Parris
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“All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.”
quote by John Berger
