Back in 2008 Clay Shirky flagged the en masse arrival of the digital
photographer in Here
Comes Everybody. I’ve been thinking again recently about my daily obsession with walking the streets and taking photographs. I take photographs and I’m
therefore a photographer, but I’ve never been comfortable with that tag. To me photographers
are people who have fancy equipment, have studied or mastered the art of
composition, know how to compensate for poor light, when to focus close-in or retreat
to the panoramic level and so on. I can do some of these things – as far as a top
of the range digital camera will allow – but the fact is I’m not really
interested in mastering the technical side of photography. I take photographs
sure, but I take them mostly for other reasons, and technical excellence is low
on my list of priorities.
I have been looking for a word that better describes what I do. It
could be something as simple as a visual diarist. It feels like what I do is a
cross between photography and anthropology so perhaps I’m an anthropographer?
And guess what? The word exists. Anthropography is “The branch of anthropology that
deals with the actual distribution of the human race in its different
divisions, as distinguished by physical character, language, institutions, and
customs.” While that is close, that is just part of what I do. Then there is
the similar related field of anthrotography:
"Specialising in the science researching the
origins, history, and development of biological characteristics, social
customs, belief systems, and indigenous linguistic variations of humankind. The
anthrotographer takes photographs for the purpose of sharing knowledge and
spreading joy."(https://aspicyphoto.wordpress.com/what-is-an-anthrotographer/) It seems to be a less accepted term than
anthropographer and may have been invented by someone trying to do what I am
exploring – exactly what it is I do with photographs.
Let’s look at the elements of each of these
disciplines and see how well they describe what I think I do – or not.
- the actual distribution of the human race in its different divisions, as distinguished by physical character, language, institutions, and customs
I also try and try catch glimpses of different
cultural practices:
 |
| Drinking Kava |
I try and capture examples of different linguistic traditions:
 |
| Bislama Language of Vanuatu |
- The anthrotographer takes photographs for the purpose of sharing knowledge
This has been a significant drawcard for me.
Based on the assumption that your photos are shared with others – an essential
element of the whole process – I was intrigued early on just how much random
information I picked up from others’ photos, and what others could teach me
about my own. It is common practice to ask the online community for assistance
if for example, you don’t know the name of a bird or flower that you have
photographed. Inevitably in time someone will provide the answer.
- The anthrotographer takes photographs for the purpose of … spreading joy.
The anthro prefix in these fields of endeavour
denotes the study of humanity. But what then with photos of landscape or nature?
There’s no evidence of people present – deliberately so – so the anthro tag
does not apply to all I do. So something that denotes observation of earth or
nature needs to be part of the description. ‘Geo’ seems an obvious candidate
but geographer is already taken, and I don’t want the anthro aspect completely
sidelined. So what about anthrogeography? It does exist according to Google,
but it seems to have been superseded by anthropogeography - a branch of
anthropology dealing with the geographical distribution of humankind and the
relationship between human beings and their environment. The relationship between human beings and
their environment. This is getting closer. But I want a term that
encompasses observation of humans and the environment or natural world not only
in isolation, where they exist independent of each other, but also how they interact with the other.
While trying to decide what it is I do I realise
that it’s about
- people
- places
- the mutual impact people and places have on the other
And a final aspect that others have been quick to
point out about my photographs – what happens when people leave the scene: the
process of neglect, incremental change, and slow decay. It is a significant theme
in my work but I think it can be included under the third point above.
Anthropogeographer sounds clumsy to me, and if anthrogeographer
has been superseded I could reclaim it and redefine it. Or I could start brand
new with geoanthrographer, but it’s difficult to pronounce.
“So you’re a photographer Michael?”
“No. I’m an Anthrogeographer.”
“What’s that?
“Someone who photographs people and places and how
they interact.”
“Ah…interesting…’ J
I don’t expect to start a new movement. I could
perhaps be accused of being a wanker. But I really do want a term that makes it
clear that what I do is not based on an interest in photography as a technical discipline.
I am much more interested in where photographs can take you; how one might use
them to create a dialogue between us about the nature of existence. So for now,
I’m a anthrogeographer! (This may change
;)
