Aaron Siskind

Aaron Siskind is, in every way, one of the most influential artists for my personal aesthetic. He took the very broad medium of photography and was able to wield it in a way that wasn't standard. Siskind can technically be considered a street photographer, however his artwork was more about the secret universe that is so easy to pass by on a daily basis. Peeling paint, rust, the edge of an old graffiti mark are given their say. Siskind was able to show us the door to the world we barely knew we were missing, teaching us to slow down a little bit, to abandon the thoughts of swift categorization and to simply accept things as they are, as they come, without question or answer. Dirt isn't necessarily ugly, and if you take the time to look just a little bit longer at the world around you, suddenly things start to reveal themselves as so much more than initially suspected.

Boyfriend and I have been saving up to buy a Canon Rebel, and so I feel that it is necessary to be reminded of the vast potential photography has to offer. Photography has always been something I love to follow but have not quite done on my own.
I got one of those excellent little Holga cameras from the Lomo people, but it's mainly collecting dust these days as I have trouble getting the film developed.
It's worth it to figure out though...the Holga photographs are so beautiful and unique, very grainy and always full of surprises. It will be interesting once our arsenal grows.