For most of us, photography is about representing the world we see through still images. However, most of us also try to highlight the most interesting parts of that world. It’s human nature to be captivated by the shiniest object on the shelf. And it takes a lot more work to find the beauty in something we see everyday.
Kent Budge is a Utah photographer who does what can be called “observational” photography. Observational photography is just what it would appear to be, photography of the everyday. The people, places, and things we have seen a thousand times over. You won’t find any undiscovered tree sloths or the next great fashion model in Kent’s photography. But what you will find is the extreme beauty of the everyday. He has a wonderful ability to take something as simple as a newspaper box or a shovel and make the viewer wish they could see it in person.
By trade, Kent is a Creative Director and went to school for Communication Design and Photography. He regularly has work in various galleries, been published in JPG magazine and been recognized in the 2006 International Photography Awards. He also has an award winning book published through Blurb.com. He says about photo.net:
“Photo.net has been a great impetus for my growth. I have met some very talented and amazing people whose insights have allowed me to explore this craft more quickly than I otherwise would have.”
Explain how you see your body of work and what draws you to do the “observational” photography that you do?
KENT: Well first of all my work is not for everyone. I do appreciate and find myself shooting the beautiful sunset and wildlife shots on occasion and there are many who do that type of photography better than I ever will. My love of this craft is in the typically unseen or mundane type of beauty, which lies all around us. I could describe my work as a collection of Easter Eggs I’ve uncovered along the way. Little goodies lying in hiding waiting to be discovered.
My body of work is largely influenced by my background in design and painting. I have a degree in Communication Design and Photography and am currently a Creative Director. I tend to see the world as a dynamic and illusive composition of elements.
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My work is what some classify as Street photography. But what it is, is the observation of life in process. Observing a moment in time where light and subject merge to create a composition that will be gone tomorrow or even in the next second. The playing field is limitless and finite at the same time and I never know when or what will be revealed, sometimes nothing. The appeal is in its unpredictability. I never know what’s around the next corner or who will cross my path and that’s what makes it exciting. Many of the people/portraits in my gallery are complete strangers, who provided an opportunity to expand my experience with a shared story. Some of my work has a slight Americana/nostalgic feel and also a sense of humor while others are clearly darker with a lower-class impoverished mood.
I’ve had the good fortune to work with professional photographers as a Creative Director for years and my Father made a living as a professional photographer. I truly appreciate studio and advertising photography but my greater satisfaction comes in the serendipity of good timing and dumb luck. Its not structured or planed but requires childlike awareness. Walking a fine line between the distant observer fighting against the contrived composer.
There is a joke in the Simpsons TV show where Homer says “I could never think of something like soup or a pencil” while looking at art from Claes Oldenburg and Andy Warhol. While the concept isn’t quite the same, there is an element of finding the extraordinary in the everyday to your photography. Please talk a little bit about that aspect of “observational” photography. I think there are a lot of photographers who feel if they have nothing amazing to take photos of, they can never take amazing photos.
KENT: In the course of our daily lives, we are bombarded with thousands of images; the magic for me are those moments when I can become aware of elements which seem to align themselves in way which instantly creates a space that frames itself. Images often appear as a result of shape, color, light and texture blending together. These simple elements are universally accessible and expand an artist’s canvas in an almost unlimited way. Complex elements can be distilled and mundane things can become more than the sum of their parts to use a cliche. The common denominator in my work is always composition. There is an almost mathematical rightness to certain scenes for me, which creates a kind of perfect symmetry. The challenge and satisfaction in this pursuit is its illusiveness. There is spontaneity in the uncovering of these everyday scenes. Not to get too Zen-like but it requires me to discover and not to create. I see it as a little game and that can payoff or leave you without. I believe strongly that to be good at something it has to be fun.
When you go out shooting for the day, what gear do you usually take along with you?
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KENT: I usually carry a Lowe backpack with me everywhere I go. Today I use a Canon 5D with 24-70mm f/2.8L, 70-200mm L f2.8 IS and a 50mm f1.4. I shoot mostly with my 24-70mm. It’s just a great all-around street lens with an easy range for most compositions I might run across. The usual extras, a couple of 4gig cards, batteries, filter. B+W 77mm UV-Haze 010 F-pro and a Quantaray 77MM Circular Polarizer. I occasional will use a tripod but it’s a pretty rare occasion.
When you make these images, are you heading out of your house with a plan? Do you say “Today I am going to look for [blank] to take photos of.”? Or do you just record what shows up in front of you that day?
KENT: The only thing I know is that I will have a camera with me. I hardly ever have a specific idea of what or where I will shoot with the exception of a certain events that I plan on, such as the Sundance Film Festival, graduation, or Safaris where I know I will be taking pictures of an actual event or place. I of course take my gear when I travel but my approach is pretty much the same…head out and see what presents itself.
There are occasions where I leave the house with the specific intent of shooting. “Today is a shoot day”. That means I can go out and see what I see. For me, it’s more like hunting for Easter Eggs. These are usually my most productive days but they are not as frequent as I would like, so you capture what you can in the course of your day. A scene tells you its story and you grab it.
You appear to use Photoshop for various adjustments to tone and saturation. What filters or adjustments to you typically find most useful? What makes you use this method instead of presenting images as they come from the camera?
KENT: I do have images that come from the camera with few adjustments but as is obvious I also take liberties where I feel it appropriate. It really depends on the image I’m shooting as to the degree I use Photoshop. I actually have a wide range of styles within my genre and I seem to be in a constant state of evolution. I look back and I can see distinct periods that reflect where I was in my explorations. I can get consumed with a certain look or effect that I desire and I will latch on to that until I achieve the result I am after. I have used Photoshop in my career for nearly 18 years, which has helped me with my processing, but it requires a careful discipline. I need to make sure I am not using it to prop up an otherwise poor photo. The photo needs to stand on its own merit and if it does I then I can choose to use my Photoshop skills to achieve the desired result. More and more I am finding my work using less Photoshop manipulation.
I generally use Photoshop for basic processing. I shoot everything in RAW and process in 16bit. I routinely do the following. Color balance, contrast adjustment, some saturation when needed, and any clean up needs like straightening, cropping and lens distortion. Today I tend to shoot more true to frame and with little or no cropping. I prefer curves over levels but use both. I’ll sometimes use some sharpening but very little. When I want get heavy handed in my manipulation I use layers upon layers to get the end result.
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What is the most difficult aspect of doing this sort of photography?
KENT: There are several things I find very challenging. I talked a little about childlike awareness and discovery. I need to be in the right frame of mind before I go out and shoot. It’s a total head thing for me. My favorite shots have all happened on their own, seemingly presenting themselves to me. There are times when I am not prepared to interact with strangers or when I really can’t remove the clock from my consciousness. It’s either easy or it’s a waste of time. I don’t bother shooting if I feel any level of strain. It also helps if you genuinely like people and know how to approach strangers.
I also think editing is one of the hardest things for photographers. We can all too easily fall in love with our own work. It’s a discipline I’m working very hard on these days. I probably have never shot as much as in the last year yet I have posted less. Not that what I have posted is what I would consider the best of my work, its just I’m more critical of what I personally consider worthwhile work. I’m getting other photographers to critique my work more and seeking external input. It’s been very good for me.
And finally, the question we ask everyone: Your work primarily involves this “observational” photography. Do you enjoy other types of photography as well? What would be your ‘dream project’ if you could work on anything in the world?
KENT: I really have a passion for portrait work and that will likely be my next endeavor. I would like to do more thematic work and concentrate on a more focused singular documentary style of work. I am lucky enough to travel quit a bit but I would love to take extended time to focus only on the work. Ahhh…the luxury of time.
This is a fairly recent shot I took while in Vegas to meet a person about a dog. True story but a long one and I’ll spare you. Anyway I had an hour to kill and went to the old part of the strip and while I was getting out of my non-luxury rental car, this gentleman was walking by with cooler in tow. This shot probably reflects most of what I look for in a good shot. First the composition could not have been art directed any better (pure luck) and the subject matter of man and structure makes my heart sing. I actually love hard sunlight days for shooting. It works well for the illustration/poster like style I seek. This shot has almost no Photoshop work except for some color balance, contrast and saturation. It’s one of my recent favorites and I will be returning to the scene of the crime in Nov. explicitly for this area.
A site we’ve all seen. Certainly on the dull mundane side but compositionally I found it very pleasing. The palette was very minimal and cold. I was staring at this for quite some time before I got into the overhead compartment to get my camera. The person left their seat and I shot it exactly as it was. I liked the sterileness of the scene and the composition formed by light and shadow. The slight reflection of light on the water clinched it for me. Overall I liked the how the image accurately captures the sad reputation of traveling in coach class these days.
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Canon 20D, Canon 70-200mm 2.8L IS, 1/200 sec. @ f/4.5s, ISO: 400
I think this shot is an example of what I was talking about in respects to timing and dumb luck. I will say you’ll never get the shot if you don’t have camera in hand and ready. I stepped off the subway in Seoul and there were throngs of people walking in every direction. Standing slightly taller I was able to get a 1 second glimpse of this man standing in front of the advertising billboard. I lined up behind the hoards of people and when the crowds cleared I got about 2 frames and the crowd closed over again. The man was gone when everything cleared again.
I thought I would put this one in because it addresses my passion for color, which I really failed to mention. It’s a pretty important thing to me! I’m actually not sure how you would classify it but I’ve had this interest in unique color treatment since college. It’s a very big part of my photographic style. A lot of my images stand solely on their color composition. This one does that and offers a nice textural play as well. I am a fiend about color. I have very specific palettes in my head when I am shooting something and I work hard to replicate it as I see in my mind.
I kind of had to put at least one beautiful old car relic shot in. I admit I have some strange fascination with the big 1970’s era beasts. I’m not really sure why. I never liked them growing up but I can’t seem to walk by one of them without taking a few shots. I probably have enough of these to make a book. I guess what I liked about this shot was the color and hard crop on the car which gave it an interesting composition.
I was pretty heavy handed with shot and let the color play fairly strong. There’s some processing I do to create an almost surreal quality to certain images, which I can only say I achieve with masks and layers.
I liked the spontaneity of this image. I saw the girl running toward me down the street and I waited until the last second hoping to line things up in the last second. I liked the horizontal lined background and the sprig of plant dissecting the composition. It’s simple yet powerful. Some might suggest this would work better in black and white and I would have to disagree. There’s a warm dreamlike quality that is soft and matches the innocence of childhood. The hair freezing in time adds to the fragility of time. I did actually increase the exposure slightly to blow out the whites.
I know it wasn’t asked but I must say I very much favor digital over film. I was raised on film and developed my own negatives but there’s no question we are all seeing better work with the limitless digital world we shoot in. We capture things today that would probably have gone unshot.
I find your concept of observational photography very interesting and refreshing. That's really a virtue to find beauty in every day things, and not feel boredom about it.
Mr. Kent Budge has the rare ability and competence to re-create our personal vision of everyday life through his minimalistic photo-narrative. He sometimes undermines our certainties, sometimes makes us smile or uses mathematics and geometry to build new mental landscapes. He is a fine photographer and a very good narrator.
....not only your images proved to be stimulating and fresh to me, but the words above and how you consider and approach photography is very interesting and valuable...so thanks and congrats...and of course I will look forward for more....
Congratulations Kent! I spotted you a couple of years ago here om photo.net and I´ve followed your portfolio ever since. I just like your style very much!
Thanks for the interview. The term "observational photography" is new to me, but I like it. It fits my preferred type of shooting as well. I'm looking forward to exploring your portfolio.
Your comments are almost as good as your photos. I love the way you see things but don't like your comment about posting less, you should post more and let us, the viewer, be the judge and jury. I don't think I have ever seen one of your photos that I didn't like truth be told. Keep blasting away and keep letting us share your images. If you ever put together a book, let me know and I will be first in line to buy one.
I have just started taking photos and I enjoyed reading this article very much. It makes a great deal of sense to me. And it has helped me decide the direction in which I should go.
Kent, your style is one I admire deeply and I am absolutely delighted that you were chosen for this feature and were willing to share so many insights with us above. I have been diligently (albeit rather quietly) following your work for sometime now (I came to you through Matthias Steup's pages). I can honestly say that I have been engaged by every image you've posted in some fashion. I have also enjoyed the various paths and and changes in style that you have meandered through.
I may not produce much work of my own in any similar style, but I certainly appreciate your style and find much in it refreshing and invigorating to my own creativity.
Tim, do you have the book Kent offered through Blurb? While it may not represent the absolute paragon of print quality it is certainly enjoyable and I have really enjoyed the ability to view some of Kent's images away from the computer screen.
Well, again Kent, congratulations. I seem to have left congratulatory messages all over the place in the hope that one or another will get to you. Over the years you have remained one of my main sources of inspiration on photonet, both photographically and philosophically.
Thank you Kent. I love your work and thoughts on what you do. I found myself saying that is exactly the way I feel about what I shoot and now I know what to call it. “observational photography". I love finding "The Shot" in the mundane everyday locations. The biggest challenge for me is trying to see everything for the first time after seeing it a hundred times, if that makes sense.
