The Soul of the Camera

The Role of Audience

WITH THE SEEMINGLY RARE EXCEPTION of people like Vivian Maier, most of us assume others will experience our work. We assume that our portraits will be treasured by loved ones, our documentary images will tell stories to a broader public, or that our travel photographs will be seen and enjoyed by those who read our blogs or social media feeds. Acknowledging that audience and being intentional about our relationship to that audience is important. If this whole book is a discussion about making photographs with soul, I think it’s fair to assume that we do this so those images will resonate with others. That may not be a safe assumption, but I’m going to make it all the same.

When we communicate one on one in any form, there ...