A photographic imagination

From 2point8's conversation with Nils Jorgensen

Q: I’ve mentioned elsewhere here (or at least I thought I did) that there are two strong and particular streams in street photography: the Sander/Arbus/conversation side and the H.C.Bresson/Winogrand/candid side. Can you talk a bit about how you ended-up on the moment-based Winogrand side? Have you done much conversation-based portrait work, or is it always candids?

A: Getting involved and talking to people is simply not the way I like to work, nor has it ever occurred to me to do so. It is not in my nature to approach people unless forced to for some reason. It could be that early on I was too embarrassed to approach people, and have simply kept working like that ever since. But the truth is I don’t really want to disturb the flow of life around me. I much prefer waiting and hoping for something to happen. It’s also much simpler. For me the whole point of photography is not to interfere with what is happening, or might be about to happen. It could be more interesting than what I might have in mind anyway. If nothing happens, that’s just too bad.

Q: Why street photography? It takes a lot of time, it’s potentially troublesome, and sometimes people yell at you. Are the rewards worth it?

A: It is a question I have never contemplated too much. It is just something I do. Of course, it’s relatively easy to get started. To start, all you have to do is wander around aimlessly, with a camera. This bit comes naturally to me, and I have no urge to be more constructive with my time. But of course, as you say, it takes a lot of time, and you can wander the streets all day and maybe not have anything to show for it. So that aspect is much less easy. To create an image which remains strong year after year is extraordinarily difficult. The images which remain good over the years become precious to you, as you cannot easily go out and get a few more. Then there are the doldrums, from which one cannot believe one will ever come out of. It can all change in one quick moment. And one may think one can artificially speed things up, (and naturally it helps not to sit at home all day), but in the end there is nothing you can do, except wait and wander. For me an image is just as likely to come to you by just waiting for it to arrive, rather than to go searching for it.

The draw to street photography is strong particularly when it is what in front of you. For me photogrpaghy is like sex, the intersection of what you're intereseted in and what you can get.

I have not ever wanted ever to strike up a conversation with anyone who has found their way in to my image harvests. Perhaps said best by one commenter on my images at Flickr when they said, "You like people. But don't worship them. People lost in space."