It would be a tragedy if I traveled all the way to Hungary and not visit the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center. Their special exhibition titled 'Capa in Israel' documented his experience in the newly formed Jewish State from 1948 -1950. The showcase was small but the selection of images accurately depicted the struggles and emotions of families starting a new life in an unknown environment. When I review photographs I am generally drawn to raw or captivating moments. These are the types of things I like to convey in my own work. I rarely prioritize technical aspects as I believe a photograph can be fascinating and have these elements missing. Take a look at Eugene Atget's work if you do not believe me.
This exhibition visit was out of my routine - I often go solo but this time I was accompanied by another photographer based in New York. My exhibition buddy admires Capa strong composition and framing. I was surprised by him mentioning that Capa took into account the smallest details when taking photographs - something I never do. From number of port holes in the frame ( see below - he captured all three and centered them perfectly) to the depth of field I started to finally grasp my understanding of these technical elements. In order to accomplish this, it is important for a photographer to wait for moments to organically present themselves rather than catch subjects 'in the act'. It is clear that Capa did the former while I tend to gravitate to the latter. For the remainder of the trip I decided to take the 'Capa Approach' to everything - frame the shot and wait for moments to organically happen in front of me.
