"Animal Photography"
For this series, I sought to do animal photography without doing “animal photography.” In more concrete terms, this means I photographed different animals while avoiding cliches and finding unique ways to capture pictures that have been taken before. I went beyond the pictures you’d find in a calendar. In doing so, I was able to capture the animals themselves; their personalities, their emotions; their spirits. Each animal is not just a horse or a dog. They are all specifically individual beings, and I glimpsed into the world they inhabit.
To create my photos, I used 35mm color film. My main influence for this project was the animals themselves. Anyone who has seen other photographs of mine can guess that I enjoy taking pictures of animals. I do this because I love being around them. I take a photo to capture that feeling of love for a moment, experience, or a subject, and this often happens around animals. Animals inspire me for their complexity and individuality. Like people, you will never find two that are quite alike.
In addition, I was inspired by the book Henri Cartier Bresson: City and Landscapes, a compilation of Bresson’s photos. What I appreciated about this collection of work the most was the diversity of composition for each image. No two photos were similar whether it be different subject matter, location, etc, but they all fit seamlessly together.
As I compiled my own series, I found a wide variety of photos that seemed to have little in common. This was not unintentional, as I sought to capture each animal’s individuality. I tried to link my photos as cohesively as Bresson and the editors of the book so that the viewer can see the connections I know exist. One of my favorite connections is between the two photos that each feature a single dog. Each image was taken in a different place at a different time with a different subject. At first glance, they are visually similar with large dark areas being the focus of the image and smaller brighter areas in the background. They also both have a dog as the subject and similar colors making up the overall image. If you study the images, however, you will find striking differences between the two dogs and the unique worlds they inhabit whether that be driving through suburbia or running into a barn in the countryside.
After completing this series, I would like to improve my skills of crafting cohesive series of images and keeping this in mind while I am photographing. This series challenged me to do so, and gave me a better lens for finding connections. I know I will keep photographing animals, but I plan to try to incorporate what inspires me about them into taking photos of new subjects.