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Where’s the Mystery?
THERE’S A TENDENCY TO WANT TO SHOW IT ALL in a photograph. To capture all the details, to show what lies in the shadows. But what if so much information comes at the loss of impact? What if the photograph succeeds most powerfully in the absence of detail and the presence of mystery?
Mystery relies on something more powerful than any camera or technique: imagination. The human imagination is hardwired to fill in the blanks. We seem incapable of leaving things unresolved, so our minds try to solve the problem, to make connections. We fear the unknown, and that fear has evolved into a powerful need to understand what we don’t know and to peer into dark corners. The power of mystery is its ability to engage the imagination. ...
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