Arvīds Barānovs

PHOTOSNACK #690

I regularly contact photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.

Today, I am sharing the message I received from Arvīds Barānovs.

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Arvīds Barānovs

I asked myself the other day, what makes a picture good for me?

Turns out, it’s not the picture itself, but the experience behind it. I tried to remember the last time I was out there for the sole reason of doing photography. I couldn’t recollect any. It’s always been some sort of action, a hiking thing, a travel thing, a work thing. It’s just the camera was present at all times, and the pictures it created are mere results of said action, not the reason behind it.

Say this oldish photo of an aurora in Lapland. There are way better aurora pictures out there. Much better. But here I was - in awe, knee deep in snow, on my way to a wilderness cabin while making my way up north to an artist residence in Norway. Not on a photography trip.

Photographing something that cannot be really photographed the way I saw it. And that’s good enough for me.

Arvīds Barānovs was featured in PHOTOSNACK #623.

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Through Sunday Editions, I occasionally connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.

I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras. I don't ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever comes to mind when they think about YOU, the newsletter readers. It makes their responses genuine and personal.

Until next time,
Tomasz