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As I was combing through my photos of the last two years looking for print candidates, I was surprised at how many I was rejecting. I suddenly realized I was looking with an entirely new lens. A photo that was suitable for the small screen in Bēhance didn’t make the cut for framing and hanging on the wall. For that purpose, I had unconsciously decided, a photo had to be "arresting."
It took me awhile to digest all this, and analyze what in fact made a photo "arresting." Here’s what I came up with: 1) The photo had to have "presence." I can't define what I mean by that word, but as they say about pornography, I know it when I see it. 2) The subject had to be simple and self-contained, not a fragment of a larger scene or story. And 3) the subject had to contain an element of surprise, of novelty, a twist on everyday life—to pique the viewer’s interest.
All this would be clearer to you, I’m sure, dear reader, if you could see those I’ve rejected against those I’ve selected (above). I’ve since chosen a few more print candidates and presented them here in Part 2. The two series, together, form a retrospective, as all these photos have been shown before on Bēhance—although the newly presented will have had their contrast boosted slightly in order to produce vibrant prints.
