In Search of Salgado

Gator at the Mote Aquarium Sarasota

Sebastiao Salgado recently passed in May of this year. To say he was a great photographer would be the most massive understatement I could make of him. He went beyond my understanding of what could be acomplished with a camera. There are some who are just born to do what they do, and he was like that. His images while often chilling were photographic art in it's purest form. Mainly black and white the emotions he would evoke were and are quite colorful. It's only been a few years since I discovered his work. Salgado like many other photographers I have idolized and studied stunned me, and forced me to raise the bar for myself. I am not as well travel as he was. Nor do I have agencies and money backing me on various projects. I am obviously just not in his league at least not so far. Like many others I have studied, I realize what is I do have in common with him, passion, commitment and a drive to show something through my images. A love for just being a photographer.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is located in Sarasota, Florida. It is part save the oceans and part see the wonder. My wife and I often make time to visit when we travel to SRQ. We like to support the cause, and it's freaking cool to see all the sea life, and other animals there. Prior to our visit I picked up a book at Barnes and Nobel, off Tamiami, by Salgado titled Genesis. On page 38 there is a beautiful black and white image of a lizzards foot. I mean really beautiful. Trust me it goes beyond what your thinking. It looks surreal. That image hit me hard, so simple and yet so detailed. Clean, crisp, tack sharp, the purety in the focus and composition gives life to the monochromatic image. It's intersting the impression that can be made on us sub consciously and consciously. My intent at Mote was to capture a great shark photo. They have a great offering with several tanks and different species. You hit it at the right time you can wacth them be fed. I managed to shoot a couple of good ones. Since it was digital I was able to check them out. I figured I had met my goals for the day. So we pushed forward. In no time I was standing try to get a view of this little gator. There was a family that got there before us and the kids were blocking the view for others. So we waited. Finally they moved on and I got a good look at the little fella, by little maybe 3' to 4'. I rattled off my shots in a flurry due to the sounds of another family approaching. Ultimately only one really worked, and it is the above shot that really holds meaning to me. While it was not my intent to copy him, in some way I did. In the art world copy can be very high form of flattery when not abused. Most artist at some point or another stand on the shoulders of the giants to try and reach their desired goal. No different for me. While our shots are very different I can't help but to think of him every time I see my image. I find this to be a great thing and I hope he would too. He is a part of my artistry now like many others. He whispers in my ear on occassion, when my viewfinder is in play. He stands with Penn, Capa, Adams, Frank, Stock, and so on. I do my best to honor them all. That is part of the burden I feel in being a photographer. I think that is lost today amongst the algorithms, AI, young egos and millions of photos posted everyday. It is very inward with little regard to those who helped us get here. Maybe it is the old man in me and the enjoyemnt of history that comes with age. There is no denying how great Vivian Maier was when looking at her work. Yes her history is interesting but her work is remarkable. I have always spoken on the importance to learn the history of the craft your pursuing. It creates demensions within ourselves and works. When we study the masters, we give them space to stand on the sacred ground in our creative souls. We honor them.

Sebastiao Salgado has a great documentary our on his life work, titled Salt of the Earth, https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.a2a9f746-37bd-b955-fc19-1c497c40c9f6?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb. Here is a link to his photo that inspired mine. https://www.peterfetterman.com/privateviews/0d858698e8b3d2ab60cf68/23214-sebastiao-salgado-marine-iguana-amblyrhynchus-cristatus-rabida-island-the-galapagos-2004/