66 27 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
© JELENA JANKOVIC - COURTESY OF HOXTONMINIPRESS.COMPhotographer and journalist Damien Demolder has worked in the photographic publishing industry since 1997 and is the former editor of Amateur Photographer. He writes regularly about photography for a
number of leading publications and has also been a judge on a number of prestigious international photo competitions. See his website at http://www.damiendemolder.com.
I
like a picture in which the subject
only fi lls a very small part of the
frame but is so eye-catching we
know immediately where we are
supposed to look. Such images show
how powerful lighting, exposure, or your
framing can be. Often it can present a
far more comprehensive explanation of
the situation than had the subject been
framed tightly. Showing an expanse of
environment while drawing viewers fi rst to
a tiny area of it, is almost like using a long
angle and a wide angle at the same time.
In this shot of a couple making a selfi e at
a concert we get to appreciate the size of
the crowd, while Serbian photographer
Jelena Jankovic points out to us what she
wants us to see. It all works incredibly well.
Jelena manipulates us with powerful
contrasts. The tones and colour of the
mass of deep red make the brighter white
glow of the phone’s own light stand out.
There’s the contrast of patterns too, where
we see people facing us swimming against
the tide in a back-of-the-head ocean.
In Jelena’s own commentary she says,
‘Selfi e culture has begun to dominate our
existence. As a result, we often miss
opportunities to enjoy the world around
us.’ And here, in exhibit A, these guys are
missing their Massive Attack concert in
order to take a picture of themselves.
Selfi e shooters are often accused of
narcissism. But our own obsession with
photography can in itself prevent us from
connecting with an experience and leave
us separated from the world we are
shooting – in just the same way shooting a
selfi e can. Ironic, hey? In the past,
shooting a family wedding meant I didn’t
get to be there. I was there physically, but
my mind may not have been engaged in
the occasion. Thoughts of apertures,
angles, and the like can all easily steal myconsciousness away from the moments
others get to enjoy.
To photograph an atmosphere or the
essence of a place I have fi rst to feel it for
myself. I have to wait, hang back, and take
the time to soak up what is going on. Only
then can I successfully record the event/
occasion/moment. I’ve glided through
whole holidays, birthdays, trips out, with
me paying more attention to kit, light, and
exposure than appreciating the moment
itself. Jumping in lens-fi rst is bound to
divert us from what we are supposed to be
there for. We need to think fi rst before the
camera comes to the eye, to be sure that
when we record we are fully aware of the
signifi cance and potential of the moment.
That’s what Jelena has done here, and that
is why the picture is so striking. It features
in the book Portrait of Humanity,
published by Hoxton Mini Press,
£22.95. See hoxtonminipress.com.Final Analysis
Damien Demolder considers...
‘Selfi e culture’, 2016, by Jelena Jankovic
Photo Critique