30-Second Photography

ELLIOTT ERWITT

1928–

French-American documentary and advertising photographer, famous for his impeccable sense of visual wit, and ability to capture the absurd in the everyday

room for viewers to assign unique meanings. Our brains seem to re-experience these realizations afresh even after many viewings: man with leaf blower… wall…

Emergence is based on the way we “read” pictures. Obvious connections are underplayed, leaving room for viewers to assign unique meanings

Images that reward close attention utilize subtlety to delay the viewer’s complete realization of the full story implied by the elements of a photograph

It might be argued that smart photos employ the most powerful tool of all—the unique imagination of each viewer

Deprived of an obvious punchline, each viewer will assign a unique explanation to the image

Rather than simply emphasizing visual impact or providing one obvious interpretation, photographs can provoke interesting questions, imply relationships or cause and effect, and delay both visual perception of key details and realization of a picture’s full meaning

In contrast to that is an approach based on subtlety, restraint, and rich content. Viewers are intelligent, and our brains enjoy decoding images

The result is visual exhaustion or quick disinterest, however impressive an image may be at first glance

to inflate attention-getting devices until every aspect of an image screams for attention, or to get consumed by making beautiful surfaces, while neglecting to provide substantive content