Marcin Gorsky – Slow Photography
What does exactly „slow photography” mean to me? I have to admit that I had to think about it for a while before giving an answer. There are things and feelings that seem completely natural, obvious and so well defined that they shouldn’t require any further explanation. Do we really have to talk about it, deliberate over it? Nevertheless, I made an attempt to put it into words.
Photography is an integral part of my life. As natural as having breakfast, a morning coffee or reading before falling asleep.
As I’m writing this, I spotted a photograph in a local newspaper, which reminded me of the reasons why (in 2007) I named my blog “Slow Photography”. The picture shows the demolition of an old city stadium. The structure of the building is all falling apart but the quality of the image is not any better. It’s overexposed, there are no horizontal nor vertical lines, composition is just not there. It seems like it was taken from the hip while running. What drove the photojournalist to do it that way? And what made the newspaper editor allow this one to be published?
Deadlines, negligence, lack of good taste, disrespect? I don’t know and I don’t really want to waste my time to find out. It simply hurts just to look at it. There are many people like me who value quality photography; a well composed meaningful image taken by an author who cares about the audience.
Slow Photography is a silent manifestation of the values I believe in. It opposes the tsunami of trashiness I see around me. In my case it translates into twelve shots on a roll, taking up to a month to finish. It translates into hands stained with collodion, cloths smelling of a fixative solution. It’s photographing what day brings and not thinking about projects. Slow Photography is the joy of looking at prints and diving into photo albums.
My professional life is always a run. I meet hundreds of people and process tonnes of information on a daily basis. Photography is an escape from everyday chores, my hideout where I can catch my breath when I’m not on the go. It’s a luxury which I can’t always afford. A holiday during which I prefer to have a good meal in a restaurant rather than rushing for the fast food. That’s why I don’t use a digital camera, counting on a lucky hit while shooting thousands of misses. I prefer to spend time talking to people who may ask me to shoot a portrait of them.
I carry the film camera to make notes of the events that happen and the people I meet everyday. It’s my good companion and I does the job for me. I don’t need things to be newer or faster. No, I’m just happy to have the opportunity to enjoy photography, to fit a daily dose of it somewhere between breakfast, a morning coffee and reading before falling asleep…
Marcin Gorski
