I started interviewing photographers to understand their photographs.
Over the years, I noticed that the answers I remembered were rarely about the finished pictures. They were about decisions. Why someone abandoned an idea. Why someone kept working when a project still made little sense.
That changed what About Photography became.
Hi, I'm Martin Kaninsky. I have interviewed photographers from around the world about their projects, their books and the choices behind them. This site keeps those conversations, mostly in the photographers' own words. It also builds Photopedia, a library about photography itself: its photographers, photobooks, history and vocabulary.
Where to begin
Interviews. Photographers talk about one project: how it started, how it changed and how it was edited.
Book Spotlights. Interviews about photobooks, with the photographer and often with the publisher.
Photo Essays. Series sent in by readers, with the story behind them.
Photopedia
Photopedia is the reference library of About Photography. It is new and still growing.
Photographers. The masters who shaped the medium, and the photographers we talked to.
Stories. How famous photographs were made.
Photobooks and publishers. The books from our interviews and the publishers behind them.
Timeline. The masters and the photographers we interviewed, placed in time.
Genres and movements. How each genre works, and the groups, schools and agencies that shaped how photographers worked.
Dictionary. Terms, processes, magazines and awards, explained in plain English.
Gear. Camera brands, their history and their product lines. This is not a gear site, but every photograph is made with something.
Photography, Reconsidered
About Photography records what photographers made and how they describe it. Photography, Reconsidered is where I return to that material and ask what another photographer can learn from it.
I originally trained in law, so I tend to look closely at evidence, decisions and what happened as a result. Every Friday, one issue looks at one problem in photographic practice, for example how a project begins or when to stop adding photographs.
Watch and listen
Many interviews also exist as conversations and video essays on YouTube. There is also a podcast.
Take part
If you are working on a series, you can share it as a Photo Essay.
If you have a photobook or a long-term project and would like to talk about it in an interview, write to me.
A few honest notes
English is not my first language. I use AI tools to check my writing and to help with formatting. I check facts against sources, but mistakes can still happen, and new information about history sometimes appears. If you find an error, please let me know and I will correct it.
The site is free to read and does not sell anything itself. Some articles about books and gear contain affiliate links. If you buy something through them, I earn a small commission. You never pay more, and you should never feel obliged.
Thank you for spending your time here. Start with one interview, and watch for the decisions.
Martin
