“Every time I look at your photographs,
I discover something new that I didn’t see before.”
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Photography is very present in our society today; it is as much a part of our lives as ever. We all produce images at an unstoppable pace—we observe them, critique them, and often skim through them. Yet we are never indifferent because photography shapes and transforms thought: Some photographs stir desires, while others awaken consciousness.
A photograph is where the interests and desires of the viewer intersect, and these are just as important for the person taking the photo as they are for the viewer. Sometimes, the message aligns, and sometimes, it does not. That is why photography, rich in meaning for both the photographer and the viewer, is always an OPPORTUNITY:
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It is an opportunity to become aware of existence, both one’s own and that of others. No social existence is possible for someone who refuses to reveal themselves. Where we are, what group we belong to, where we come from… It is all in our photos.
Photography is an opportunity to participate not only by producing images but also through our observation and critique.
Photography is an opportunity to see things as they are, to imagine them, or to feel them—even when doing so is painful or ugly.
Photography is an opportunity to interpret reality and tell others, “This is how it is,” “This is how I look at it,” and “This is how I see it.”
Freud once said that visual thinking is older and closer to unconscious processes than verbal thinking. This makes photography a privileged means of self-discovery and self-knowledge. It is the direct language of emotion and intuition.
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Photography is a powerful tool for efficiently connecting with oneself and fostering personal growth. Through the photographic experience, we can discover a new gaze, much like in a game. By being present, we can step away from our limited, dark world, opening our eyes like windows and discovering a new way of looking at things. A new use of thought, emotion, contemplation, speech, chaos, art, and expression.
That is why photography is a way of connecting with oneself and the world, a path to self-discovery and understanding. As Galileo said, “The greatest wisdom is to know thyself.” Photography tells the experience of a journey, a process, a personal evolution… Once completed, it will grant eternity and knowledge.
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Through photography, you can symbolically possess what you photograph, capturing objects as if to devour them. But you can also embrace what life and your gaze offer you.
Photography shows details, points of view, representations, and identifications. It is a way to access memory and glimpse the future, navigate fantasies, and reveal another reality to others and yourself.
It is history—an archaeological discovery, a trace of a past event, the result of a gaze—the one created in the moment by the photographer and the one experienced in the present by the viewer. Therefore, it is also an object—a mysterious object, a fetish we often choose to keep with us—”I always carry his photo in my wallet.”
Photography, portraiture, and self-portraiture fuel exhibitionism but also foster the search for our own image. Sometimes, we do not recognize ourselves, but we understand that photography shows us how others perceive us, right? It is an effective tool for self-assimilation and transformation.
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Victor Hugo said that the supreme happiness of life is knowing that you are loved (looked at) either by yourself or, more precisely, despite yourself. In a personal sense, photography offers the opportunity to look inward by directing your gaze from the outside. It allows you to meet, love, possess, accept, express, and be yourself, along with all the experiences you have lived.
