Even though the history of documentary photography is generally well- known in many aspects, it still calls for a fresh evaluation. In documen- tary photography, cultivated by an awareness of the painting of occasional scenes in the history of art, understanding of both the shifts in aesthetics and in the perception of the genre by society are essential. Still, not only popular but also theoretical interpretations usually come from a certain historically determined perspective.
The changes of perspectives of this reading are themselves a fabu- lous adventure! However, if the proportion of history is not to prove indigestible, it cannot include everything in its scope. I believe it is not necessary to preach about the virtue of choosing eloquent details to those who already have an interest in photography...
A Solitary Seer
The poet Josef Václav Sládek was also a passionate photographer. In the summer of 1886, he put the knowledge he had arrived at down in writing. He presented a summary of technical progress which had gradually allowed a shortening of the exposure rate to such a degree that the former rigidity of the shot was overcome: he mentions developments in connection with names like Gustave Le Gray, Frederick Scott Archer and Richard L. Maddox, arriving at a point conducive to the taking of snapshots: ”People, when appearing in landscapes, are no longer obliged to stand still like wooden puppets, staring at the camera; animals no longer have five heads and a kind of fluid, amorphous mass in place of legs; even when the wind blows, trees are no longer merely black spots, but retain their natural form. We cannot deny, that in impromptu photography one has to equip oneself with a certain amount of guile, particularly in relation to one's human victims, if you are trying to capture them, for instance, at work in a field. Just appear with your camera, and instantly all hands are folded in laps, all eyes turned to the lens; any amount of persuasion to keep on working as usual is all in vain; rather let them be as they are, fiddle a bit with your camera and say that it's done; only when they have been convinced that their precious portraits have been taken will they resume their work; you then press the spring of the shutter and happily go home.“1/
The poet quoted here reflects his own sense of spontaneity. But his ambition was more than to just personally record his contemporaries and to retain their naturalness. The article leads to a programmatic statement, an instruction of experimentation with photography. It sides with the unaffected impromptu shot (which he terms 'momentka'), which the general opinion of the time pushed outside the borders of art,(full article is available after purchasing a subscription - not available now)
The changes of perspectives of this reading are themselves a fabu- lous adventure! However, if the proportion of history is not to prove indigestible, it cannot include everything in its scope. I believe it is not necessary to preach about the virtue of choosing eloquent details to those who already have an interest in photography...
A Solitary Seer
The poet Josef Václav Sládek was also a passionate photographer. In the summer of 1886, he put the knowledge he had arrived at down in writing. He presented a summary of technical progress which had gradually allowed a shortening of the exposure rate to such a degree that the former rigidity of the shot was overcome: he mentions developments in connection with names like Gustave Le Gray, Frederick Scott Archer and Richard L. Maddox, arriving at a point conducive to the taking of snapshots: ”People, when appearing in landscapes, are no longer obliged to stand still like wooden puppets, staring at the camera; animals no longer have five heads and a kind of fluid, amorphous mass in place of legs; even when the wind blows, trees are no longer merely black spots, but retain their natural form. We cannot deny, that in impromptu photography one has to equip oneself with a certain amount of guile, particularly in relation to one's human victims, if you are trying to capture them, for instance, at work in a field. Just appear with your camera, and instantly all hands are folded in laps, all eyes turned to the lens; any amount of persuasion to keep on working as usual is all in vain; rather let them be as they are, fiddle a bit with your camera and say that it's done; only when they have been convinced that their precious portraits have been taken will they resume their work; you then press the spring of the shutter and happily go home.“1/
The poet quoted here reflects his own sense of spontaneity. But his ambition was more than to just personally record his contemporaries and to retain their naturalness. The article leads to a programmatic statement, an instruction of experimentation with photography. It sides with the unaffected impromptu shot (which he terms 'momentka'), which the general opinion of the time pushed outside the borders of art,(full article is available after purchasing a subscription - not available now)