Favorite Kind of Photography

Fisherman, NW Branch of the Back River, Poquoson, Virginia

Since I first fell in love with photography in 1970, documentary photography has become my overall favorite kind of photography.  I also classify photojournalism and street photography as sub-specialties under general heading of documentary photography.

In photography, I find the most interest and intrigue in the human condition, found largely as is, unaltered and spontaneous.  No staging of photographs, no set ups, no additions or subtractions–just the story of people either as a single image or a series of images.

My all-time favorite photographers are also documentary photographers, for the most part.  W. Eugene Smith is probably my all around favorite.  Even though he manipulated his images through extensive burning and dodging to accentuate his message, I think he put so much of himself into his work that he ruined his life over it.  He truly became an eccentric and extremely difficult with which to work because of how he felt about his work.

Additionally,  I truly admire Salgado, Helen Levitt, Cartier-Bresson, Bernice Abbot, William Albert Allard, Mary Ellen Mark, Alfred Eisenstadt, Walker Evans, Gordon Parks, Bruce Davidson, Arthur Rothstein, Jack Delano, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, August Sander, Lewis Hine, Eddie Adams, David Douglas Duncan, Robert Capa, Nachtwey and on and on and on.  You can understand the types of photographers I mean.  I find their images captivating.

Summer Day at the Beach, Norfolk, Virginia

Documentary can also include documenting place instead of people.  Again, as found.  No modifications, cloning out items that don't belong, picking up trash or anything like that.  Usually, the things I like are the vanishing aspects of society.  Things that were common in the past, but are largely now gone and forgotten.  For example, old steel bridges, railroad stations from the days of steam railroading, old factories, old small farms and its buildings, grain elevators, etc.  Things that remind me of days past and a simpler, more direct way of life.  My favorite photographer of this genre is David Plowden.  Second would be a gentleman with which I had a chance one time to have a long and satisfying conversation–O. Winston Link–mostly famous for his nighttime steam engine photographs along the old Norfolk and Western Railroad.  There are others in this genre also that I admire.

The irony, of course, is that I don't often practice my favorite kinds of photography.  As you are aware, I'm primarily a landscape, nature and travel photographer.  I do have favorite photographers in this genre.  Of course, for most of my generation, Ansel Adams stands out as someone who changed the game with his vision and skills.  The drama of his landscape and nature photographs opened my eyes as well as thousands of others.  Additionally, I enjoy and admire the works of Edward Weston, Art Wolfe, David Muench, Nick Brandt, James Brandenburg, Eliot Porter, Galen Rowell, Michael Kenna and many others.

Over the next few posts, I plan on posting some of my favorite "documentary" and "street" photographs.  Now, I'll warn you.  I'm not much of a street photographer, but since I write this blog, I get to choose which of my images I'll share with you.  One of the reasons I write this blog is to share my images with others.

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy!

Dennis Mook

Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com.  Please pay it a visit.  I add new images regularly.  Thank you.


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