Post by Admin (Tim Layton) on Jun 12, 2022 16:54:51 GMT -6
I think many people would agree that Edward Weston (1886-1958) was a large format photographer to be admired.
I suspect that we may have many of the same, but also different reasons why Edward Weston inspires and motivates us to be better, even in the 21st century nearly 64 years after his death and three-quarters of a century from his last serious work.
Weston's evolution from Pictorialism to "straight" photography over the years and then his reflection upon his rejection of Pictorialism has always fascinated me.
If you have read much about Weston, then you know his life could be described as messy, probably like many other people. If you have never read the famous Daybooks of Edward Weston, then you really need to make time to do this because it is quite a fascinating ride.
I see Weston in my mind's eye as a man that had something to say and he lived out his creative and personal life in the best way he knew how.
Weston was likely in his prime during the Great Depression from 1929-1939. I often wonder how this impacted him, his work, and his photographic choices.
Most photographers are aware of Weston's simple 8x10 silver chloride contact printing method using the single incandescent light hanging above the workbench, but do we really know why he stuck with this process for over 40+ years of his life? This is one question I would love to be able to ask Weston. I have my guesses, but they are only that.
Weston lived and worked at a time when other greats like Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange. Many other great photographers of this time like Willard Van Dyke, John Paul Edwards, Sonya Noskowiak, Peter Stackpole, and Henry Swift seem to be lost to obscurity.
If I had to use a single word to describe Edward Weston, I think I would choose enigmatic. As much as we think we may know about this man, many mysteries still remain and while he was a prolific writer about his creative life, I think there are many sides to Edward Weston that we will never know.
In short, I am inspired by Weston to keep my methods simple, to work with intention, and push through the difficult times because my work has value and someone is waiting for me to share my photography with them.
-Tim Layton
I suspect that we may have many of the same, but also different reasons why Edward Weston inspires and motivates us to be better, even in the 21st century nearly 64 years after his death and three-quarters of a century from his last serious work.
Weston's evolution from Pictorialism to "straight" photography over the years and then his reflection upon his rejection of Pictorialism has always fascinated me.
If you have read much about Weston, then you know his life could be described as messy, probably like many other people. If you have never read the famous Daybooks of Edward Weston, then you really need to make time to do this because it is quite a fascinating ride.
I see Weston in my mind's eye as a man that had something to say and he lived out his creative and personal life in the best way he knew how.
Weston was likely in his prime during the Great Depression from 1929-1939. I often wonder how this impacted him, his work, and his photographic choices.
Most photographers are aware of Weston's simple 8x10 silver chloride contact printing method using the single incandescent light hanging above the workbench, but do we really know why he stuck with this process for over 40+ years of his life? This is one question I would love to be able to ask Weston. I have my guesses, but they are only that.
Weston lived and worked at a time when other greats like Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange. Many other great photographers of this time like Willard Van Dyke, John Paul Edwards, Sonya Noskowiak, Peter Stackpole, and Henry Swift seem to be lost to obscurity.
If I had to use a single word to describe Edward Weston, I think I would choose enigmatic. As much as we think we may know about this man, many mysteries still remain and while he was a prolific writer about his creative life, I think there are many sides to Edward Weston that we will never know.
In short, I am inspired by Weston to keep my methods simple, to work with intention, and push through the difficult times because my work has value and someone is waiting for me to share my photography with them.
-Tim Layton