I read this interview with the Magnum photographer Martin Parr which was conducted by the website Bint PhotoBooks recently. I just thought it gave a nice insight into the mind of a photographer who is working in the currently cash strapped professional market. I also think it’s a great demonstration of the need for photojournalists to go beyond the confines of literal documentation and think creatively instead in order to make things work.
Best quotes are the following:
“I’m not waiting to be assigned. I go to places I want to go and see how they fit in. If I wait for the phone to ring, for me to go to the places I want to go, it’s not going to happen.”
“I’m not going out doing campaigning photojournalism, because nobody wants that anymore.” [My italics]
“I shoot interesting subject matter but disguise it as entertainment. That’s what people want in magazines. I like to play the game where you can get interesting ideas in, but almost in disguise.”
“I don’t regard myself particularly as a photojournalist. I’m a documentary photographer. The idea of my work is to try put my finger on the zeitgeist of what’s happening.”
(for more work by Martin Parr, visit his page on the Magnum website)
