Unexpected beauty
For other examples:
Lewis Baltz p. 27
Maciej Dakowicz p. 116
Robert Frank p. 121
Where My Grandfather Drank #1 is the simple and poignant title of this image by Stephen J. Morgan.
Beauty. Stories. Visual poetry. They’re found in the strangest of places. Morgan found them all in the corner of a run-down social club in Birmingham.
It’s with the ‘nice’ subjects – sunsets, pretty flowers, hot air balloons – that you’ll actually struggle to find any of these things. The ‘nice’ subjects offer you a package deal of conventional beauty. Sure, everyone loves a sunset but your photograph will, at best, only act as a substitute for the real thing.
Average photographers imitate beauty. Great photographers create their own.
See past the obvious and hunt out a more personal and surprising version of beauty. Look for subjects that, for whatever reason, interest you, rather than the ones you think are ‘photogenic’.
Where my Grandfather Drank #1
Stephen J. Morgan
2002
Pepper #30
Edward Weston
1930
