Reaction Paper #1: Albert Maysles

A week ago, I watch a video in my photography seminar class regarding the photographer, Albert Maysles. Albert Maysles was a unique photographer in many ways. Firstly, I admired the fact that he used a regular point and shoot camera to photograph his subjects. This showed that he cared more about the people and their emotions rather than the quality of the photograph. I believe this made his photographs more real and personal. Second, I loved how friendly and out going he was with his subjects. He made them feel comfortable and good about themselves so that they were willing to have their pictures taken. I could also see the joy he had when he was photographing. He had started to take pictures at the young age of ten, and first started out by photographing his parents and other family members. Based on an interview, Albert stated that he had taken one of his early photographs of his brother sleeping. It displays a great deal of tranquility in my opinion, and gives the viewer a sense of peace. Furthermore, I also thought it was interesting that Albert had studied psychology prior to launching in the photography and film making field. The transition from psychology to photography seemed to be an advantage for him because he could get a sense of what the subject was feeling based on a gaze. This he has learned from his wife. His photography, I believe, is even better because it gets the viewer to think about what that particular subject is thinking or feeling. As stated before, it makes it more real and appealing. Unfortunately, Albert had passed away in May 2015. However, his work will continue to hopefully inspire others. He has surely inspired me.