Martin Parr's advice for better photos[video]
Martin Parr might be one of the most pivotal figures in contemporary photography. Through his lens, the quirks and idiosyncrasies of society come alive. His distinctive style has forever altered documentary and street photography.
In this series, I put together the inspiring and educational words of renowned photographers. Each episode is a curated collection of quotes that offer a glimpse into the creative minds behind the camera. My goal is to provide viewers with a source of motivation and insight, weaving together the wisdom of photography's greatest artists.
"I don't take many good pictures. I do a lot of very bad pictures because you have to do a lot of bad ones to get the good ones. So the struggle goes on to try and make a good photo, which is not easy.
Most of the people watching this are not doing very good photography, and that's because they're a bit lazy. They haven't found the right subject. They like the idea of being a photographer, a street photographer perhaps, but they haven't really found their own vision within that.
Most of the books that are published, and there must be two or three thousand photo books published every year, most of them aren't very good. And I guess the reason is that they thought they've got something original, and perhaps they haven't. People overestimate their own talents, and often you can look at it and think, well, I've seen all this before; it's very familiar, doesn't tell me anything new.
I'm looking for a personal insight. Good photography comes from when someone has a good connection to the subject and they've used photography to articulate that, and that really is the bedrock of what all good photography is. So, that's what I'm looking for. But at the same time, I'm looking for that unique situation where it's the photographer and subject in that connection that surprises you or makes you intrigued or makes you want to look at it further.
I'm very optimistic about the future of photography. And it's difficult to earn a living from it, to be a photographer. But those who actually do come up with something that's interesting are going to find it relatively easy to make a living. The trouble is, if that's all you want to do, you'll fail. So, if you sit there and say, 'I want to be a famous photographer,' you're fucked okay because you'll never do it.
The people that really go on and do well are the people that aren't interested in being a famous photographer. They're interested in the connection and the fact that they found a subject that really suits them, that moves them, that makes them feel one way or the other. And they're the people that will succeed. But if you're sitting here asking, 'How can I go out and be a better photographer?' you're basically failing.
So listen, don't be lazy. Don't overestimate how good you are. Keep working, keep at it, and you might come up with something." - Martin Parr
