Submit Your Own Photo

Alfred Stieglitz said that only after looking at his photographs for a while could he tell anything about their meaning. In other words, looking at his printed pictures, he noticed things he didn’t see during the act of taking the picture.

Look closely at a photo you’ve taken that has special significance for you; an unusual picture that captures emotion. Look at the picture for longer than usual. What do you notice about it? What do you feel?

Instructions

“The clouds… are a picture of the chaos in the world, and of my relationship to that chaos.”
– ALFRED STIEGLITZ

Select a photo you’ve taken: a picture that’s difficult to decipher, but that conveys emotion.

Look at the photo. Stare at it. Look at it longer than usual. Look for details you’ve never seen before. Pretend someone else took the photo.

Write a brief reflection inspired by these questions.

Ask yourself:

» What do you notice now that you didn’t see before?

» Do you feel differently looking at the photo now? What emotion(s) do you feel?

» Does the picture have meaning you didn’t notice before?

» Submit your photo and brief reflection to liberatinglens@citizenfilm.org

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