Tag: In Passing

The Beauty of Ordinary Places

Ordinary Places Are Not Empty Places

The phrase ordinary place is often used as though it described an absence. A location is called ordinary when it lacks architectural distinction, historical relevance, social prestige or an obvious reason to be photographed. It is a place without a recognised claim on attention: a side wall, a service entrance, a corridor, a waiting area, a municipal staircase, a vacant shopfront, the rear of a building or the strip of ground between two functions.

Yet such places are not empty. They are simply free from the burden of having to represent themselves.

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Why Some Photographs Should Remain Unexplained

The Growing Pressure to Explain Images

Contemporary photography rarely appears alone.

Images are surrounded by captions, context, intentions, personal stories, political positions, technical details and interpretive guidance. Before viewers have had time to encounter a photograph, they are often told what it means, why it was made and how it should be understood.

This habit is understandable. Explanation promises accessibility. It reduces uncertainty and gives an image a clear place within a narrative. It can also make photography easier to publish, discuss and categorise.

But explanation is not always clarification.

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