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The professional photographer talks about his approach to photography and gives advice to students.
How did you get started in photography and what inspired you to pursue it?
Growing up nearsighted was part of it. I was maybe 12 or 13, when I got glasses
and all of a sudden the world was suddenly sharp and in focus. And before that,
I remember being able to hold a photograph close and see things that my naked
eye might not have seen. I built a darkroom in the basement of our house when
I was about 13 or 14. I was able to make photographs. That was the excitement.
What draws you to a particular place?
I guess my curiosity about the way the world is and seeing it for myself. That
is what I think brought me to Tibet and to Nepal and all the other places I’ve
been as well.
When you first arrive in a new place, what do you do first? What is your process?
If I’m on assignment, very often the writer has gone before me, so I’ll pick
his or her brain. Then I do my own research. There are all kinds of ways to
do research, but nothing really prepares you for when you arrive in a place.
What goes through your mind in terms of composition and lighting and how do
you know when to take the picture?
Edward Weston would always talk about pre-visualization. If I’m working that
way, I might wander and wander with the gear on my shoulder, and then slowly
I’ll get to a place and feel potential and possibility in a location. I’ll sort
of move around to where things seem to come together for my eye.
Cartier Bresson talks about being like a cat ready to pounce. When I’m doing
that kind of work I always have at least one camera with me. It’s one thing
to be a passive observer, and it’s another thing to be an active observer, as
in ready to make a photograph.
What advice would you give to the student photographer?
I would say that the Web is really wonderful. There are places where you can
find wonderful portfolios of photography. There are countless places to reach
really excellent photography on the Web, and that was not available when I was
younger.
The danger I think for young people is to become passive and to be just the
consumer or just the viewer. They don’ t have to just surf the Web or look at
the magazines. They can also have their own critical way of appreciating or
analyzing what they’re looking at.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Photographer Kevin Bubriski's work has been featured in numerous magazines and exhibits. He has published three books of his work, including Pilgrimage: Looking at Ground Zero. Most recently, Bubriski received a 2004 Hasselblad Masters Award.
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