Prescott Moore Lassman: Capture

Washington, DC artist, Prescott Moore Lassman, continues my recent project by writing about "capture." As usual, I extend an invitation to all local artists who would like to participate in this effort. Just email me!

Girls at the Corner

Prescott Moore Lassman: Capture

“Capture” is a good word to describe my approach toward photography. I cannot “create” a good photograph to save my life, though I admire those who can. In order to come back with any decent photographs, I have to hunt them down and “capture” them from the confused jumble of everyday life.

I also like the word “capture” because it implies that what is caught is in some sense wild. In his excellent book on the history of photography, Photography Until Now, John Szarkowski stated that “good photographs are often more richly unfinished than other pictures, are wilder, in the sense that they have in them more elements that are not fully understood and domesticated.” I agree with this sentiment completely. In fact, over the past several years I have been working on a project entitled Domesticated Animals, a title intended to refer to the subject of my pictures – myself and my family – but, on reflection, probably also refers to the photographs themselves, wild creatures that I have captured with my camera and am now trying to “domesticate,” i.e., to understand.

The word “capture” thus accurately describes my photography on a number of levels. If I were to sum it up, I would do it like this. My technique and overarching artistic philosophy are fairly straightforward: I shoot things that interest me. When photographing my subjects, I search for images that resonate, for moments of synchronicity in everyday life. Using an intuitive approach, I capture images that feel right and trust that the graphic elements and meaning of the photograph will follow. Because this approach relies on unconscious triggers, my photographs often are rich in symbols, though their meaning is not immediately clear (at least not to me). For me, this is the essence of photography – capturing an image that resonates and then, over the course of months or years, figuring out why.

Woman on a Porch

Previous Posts:

Charles Neenan: Tradition
Kelly Towles: Color
Ryan Mulligan: Originality
Matt Hollis: Confinement
Dean Fueroghne: Originality
James W. Bailey: Obligation
J. Coleman: Depiction
Andy Moon Wilson: Decision
Molly Springfield: Language
Bryan Whitson: Scene
Elyse Harrison: Motivation
Jiha Moon Wilson: Influence
Alexandra Silverthorne: Derivative
Jose Ruiz: Contemporary
Kathleen Shafer: Focus
Jennifer McMackon: Connection
Gregg Chadwick: Responsibility
Warren Craghead: Material
Angela Kleis: Purpose
Peter Reginato: Order
Anna L. Conti: Community
Wayne Schoenfeld: Content
Elizabeth Morisette: Naive
Tim Tate: Craft
Jesse Cohen: Hidden
Greg Ferrand: Experience
Joseph Barbaccia: Commitment
Jamie Wimberly: Burden
Christine Tillman: Discovery
Candy Keegan: Personality
Allison B. Miner: Introspection
Jennifer Miller: Fresh
Rosetta DeBerardinis: Fluid
Marsha Stein: Pride
Tara Krause: Primal
Andrew Krieger: Imagination
Trish Tillman: Technology
James Leonard: Conscience
Rachael Baldanza: Fun
Nathan Manuel: Subject