Photography and Trust
Art is the only man-made thing I trust.
To me photography isn’t just a creative mode of expression it’s also spiritual, social and intimate. When I was a shy, awkward 14-year-old immigrant- an often bullied outsider, having a camera in my hand gave me an in with people I would have never otherwise had. It allowed me to step back and use my status as an outsider as an advantage. I was an observer and commentator. My camera has been a great and faithful friend.
My secret to a great photograph is trust, trusting the moment, trusting my model to open up and shine, trusting my camera, trusting my eye, trusting my timing.
For me the enemy is control. The more I let go and not try to control the better the results are- it’s a life lesson about trusting my intuition and going with the flow. Most of the time when I finish a shoot I’m not sure at all what I got and if it’s great or not, and I love that, I love the unknown, the mystery- it means I went right to the edge and took enough risks to not be certain of any result. It means I laid it all on the line and risked my reputation and self-confidence- and almost every time the universe rewards me with astonishing photos that are far better than anything I could have choreographed or controlled, photographs that can never be repeated because they were truly of a singular moment and a singular meeting of artist, subject, time, place and mood. A great photograph for me is like the weather, impossible to control or predict but if you harness it right, you have access to unimaginable power.- ricardo scipio