Camera as an Extension of the Idea


Irina Lazareanu wearing Christian Lacroix Haute Couture © Benjamin Kanarek

It has been a long time since I was aware of the fact that I am actually holding a device myself and the subject I am shooting. I think the device is called a camera or a digital capturing device. I can’t really recall. When that phenomena happened in my life is hard to define. I really am not aware of this device when I am in the process of capturing my image. In fact I often forget that I am actually holding anything in my hand. I become aware of this “appendage” when I think I have captured what I feel is “That Moment”. If I don’t feel I have captured the essence of the moment, the vehicle remains glued to my hand and remains the interpreter of the subject’s and my soul until “That Moment” happens.

Perhaps it happened in the same way as when I realized that I don’t need a flash meter. I can feel the blast of light and based on the blast, I only have to choose from a very finite and small group of numbers to set on my device. I am usually on within a third of a stop. One day, I will just blink my eyes and the image will appear on a three dimensional projection in space. It will be transcribed to a crystal storage device that will be used to produce a hard copy, if need be. I guess after pressing the shutter a couple of million times in my 27 years of capturing images, it has become an extension of my idea.

 

About Benjamin Kanarek
Fashion and Beauty Photographer. Some of the magazines I have shot for include: VOGUE (China, Portugal, Brazil, Italia, Paris and South America & Mexico editions), RG VOGUE Brazil, Harper’s BAZAAR (China, en Español & Latin America, Hong Kong, Italy editions), L’Officiel Paris, ELLE (Spain, Portugal and Greece editions), Madame Figaro (France), Cosmopolitan (France and Italy editions), Glamour (France), Votre Beauté, Jardin des Modes, Dépêche Mode, New York Daily News, Fashion District News, New York Times Magazine, W (British edition), WWD, Fashion Magazine (Canada), Flare (Canada), Oyster, Tank, WestEast…