Less is more?

One of my fundamental tenants is that photographs can happen anywhere, and often do. You don't need to go to foreign lands or have special access to events to get good photos. In fact those types of photos are often the most boring because their perspective becomes homogenized through redundancy. All those photos of indigent buskers and fingertip receptions tend to blur together. Can you remember who photographed any of them? Yet walk outside your doorstep and you are guaranteed to experience your very own personal slice of the world.

About a year ago I put my fundamental tenant to the test when we moved from Portland to Eugene. Although I was sure I would find subject matter here I knew it would be different. In Portland I could spend an hour right outside my doorstep and run through 2 rolls of film. Eugene requires a little more exploration, often with a car. There are less concentrated crowds here, less anonymity. I go through less film here. So instead of taking shots like this Portland scene



in Eugene my work looks more like this



Both scenes just outside the front door, but the door has moved 100 miles south.

I think the fundamental tentant is why I've been so drawn to the Grid Project. The whole idea of the grid thing is that wonderful scenes are all around us. We don't need to go to foreign lands, and we don't need to construct exotic scenes in a studio. The world right here right now is mindblowing. In photography as in life.