Cheshmauyeh Shirin: February 2017

Erik Johansson found his interest in photography when he got his first digital camera at fifteen years old. He also had an early passion for drawing. He felt like photography was about being at the right place at the right time, but that anybody was able to accomplish that. He wanted to accomplish something different. He wanted to retain, or keep, a certain level of realism in his photography. What makes a photograph have realism is what people personally think looks realistic. Johansson said taking a photograph is about combining different realities.

He believed three things were needed to create this realistic photograph. The first was that photos combined should have the same perspective. The second was that photos combined should have the same light. The third was making it impossible to distinguish where the different images began and ended. These three factors are what Johansson felt he needed to create a photo of realism. He said that it is easier to create a place than to find a place because then he does not have to compromise with his ideas in his head. The downside to this is that it takes a lot of planning in order to achieve anything of good quality. Erik Johansson ended with the idea that all the tools are there but the only thing that limits people id their imaginations.

I was a amazed by the imaged presented in this video. After looking at the images, everything that Johansson was saying made more sense to me. His three factors to creating a realism photo enlightened me and made me think of all the things I could do without just simply being in the right place at the right time. I learned that taking photographs is about combining different realities. I never thought of photography in that way. What might motivate me un my own photographic pursuits is what he said at the end about how all of the tools are there and the only thing that limits me is my own imagination. When I get an idea in my head I should think about all the different ways I can achieve that instead of automatically eliminating it because I think it will be too hard to achieve.