Sunday Edition: Michael Coyne
PHOTOSNACK #242
Every Sunday, I reach out to photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.
Today, I am sharing with you the message I got from Michael Coyne.
Michael Coyne
Documentary photography involves being close, sharing the challenges, conditions and lifestyles of the people, creatures or environment you are photographing.
I shared the lives of villagers when I spent time documenting Numurkah, a small country town in Australia. The documentation resulted in images that were called amusing, insightful, and whimsical.
When I was in Numurkah, I stayed at the local pub and had a room above the bar with a view down onto the lane where amorous couples would meet, and young men would brawl after a night of drinking. On a Friday night, it was impossible to sleep because of the noise coming from the bar, so I would go down and join the townsfolk as they celebrated the end of a working week. One night, I was leaning on the bar and chatting with a farmer about photographs I had taken of his family. At one point in the conversation, he looked up and said, “Excuse me.” He walked round to the other side of the bar and punched a man hard enough to make him fall over. He then came back to continue our conversation.
True documentary photography is a reflection of the people, time and place and when completed the project becomes an historical document.
Michael Coyne was featured in PHOTOSNACK #220.
Sunday Editions 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 readers of this newsletter.
It makes their responses genuine and personal.
I hope you enjoyed today's Sunday Edition.
Until next time,
Tomasz
His photography is exceptional, I love this story he chose to share.