My Photographic Philosophy

I once came upon an essay by the great twentieth century writer-philosopher Unamuno, in which he lamented the dehumanization of painting and sculpture. If he were alive today he would be grief-stricken at the dehumanization of one of our most popular art forms, photography. The Digital Age, despite all its blessings, has increased exponentially the dehumanization of the photographic art.

Predictably, a current of reaction and nostalgia for human content in photography is setting in. Our love affair with technology, while in full swing, cannot dim our universal, emotional need for truthful, compassionate depiction of the human experience.

We were born with an innate, unquenchable need for and an appreciation for beauty and sentiment. Capturing on film those precious, fleeting instants, decisive moments, for posterity to enjoy has always been a great satisfaction to me.

John Livingstone
12 April, 2012