Jordan Anthony | Foto Philosophies

French film photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson coined a term known as “the decisive moment”, which is understood as more than an approach to photography. The decisive moment is also a philosophy, a call to spark action, and a method through which we capture what we love, what we witness, as well as the places and things that capture us. In a time when we need to question where our call to action lies and what decisive actions we ought to take, it is imperative to pause and reflect on our roles as cultural workers, artists, thinkers, and image-makers, many of whom exist beyond their titles.

Today, one might struggle to grasp the sometimes complex and generic jargon of understanding an artist’s work. Through foto philosophies, we hope to encourage you to create and share your own personal philosophy that helps you get by. Analog photography is one such art form that involves the photographer’s strategic, spontaneous, and sometimes calculated use of time. Instant film was one of the most profound developments of 20th-century analog photography that was built to match the rapidly-changing modern world. Developments such as the point-and-shoot Kodak Brownie and the Model 95 brought more recognition to film photography and sparked curiosity in modern generations to explore other analog methods.

From 35mm to 600mm, foto philosophies presents an exchange of intercultural philosophies through the practices of six contemporary film photographers. Traversing between Kazakhstan, South Africa, and Los Angeles, foto philosophies invites you to contemplate on the elements of space, portraiture, memory, architecture, landscape, and location, as points of philosophical inquiry. Each photographer, whose paths crossed through their shared passion for analog photography, presents autobiographical series that encompasses their unique vision, language, and approach to the decisive moment. Interestingly enough, most connections formed here, and in the present, exist in the digital arena.

What does it mean to rely on analog tools to craft contemporary philosophies? foto philosophies aims to showcase not only the beauty of current analog photographers in the present-day “film Renaissance”, but also zoom in on the nuances of individual photographers’ experiences with film. We invite you to contemplate on the ways that you can perhaps apply the philosophy of the decisive moment to your life. In what ways do you need to take decisive action, and what is the moment that sparks action?