Guest Lecture - Miguel Gandert
Justin Burr
Miguel's presentation was different from any other presentation I have had, first off it
was very informative and I liked how he just talked about his photography and it felt like
you were there. Most of the images that he showed us were in black and white which I thought
was very interesting. I am not a huge fan of black and white photos but something about his
made them seem more personable and unique. The image of black and white gives me a sense of
an older photo that has a lot of history behind it which is what he seemed to be trying to
show so these colors fit his scheme perfectly. I really thought it was interesting how
creative a lot of his shots were, so much goes into taking a good photo that I would have
never thought of. It was also interesting to hear about all of the books he has put together
each one has a different theme but they all resemble cultures and people. I like that he has
stuck to his roots and shoots the things that he is really passionate about, also how he
still uses film and prefers it compared to the many digital cameras that are available now.
It still gives him the sense of magic when a picture is being developed and you never really
know what it is going to look like until it is. For me this talk taught me to look at things
from different angles and you might see a side to things that you had never seen before.
Also to not give up on your ideas and dreams because even if they don't seem to be working
out at a particular moment they might come around some day.
Three questions I didn't ask:
- How long does it normally take to develop a picture on film?
- How long does it normally take to create a book?
- What is the hardest thing about being a photography and why?
Three future directions I would take the presentation:
- I would add some color photos to the slide show just to give a perspective of how much they differ from black and white photos
- I would talk to people about the different aspects of the pictures that make them a great photo
- I would think about a demonstration on how the equipment that he uses works (such as the film cameras)
