Alec Soth

 

Alec Soth is a very technical photographer who creates beautiful and visually interesting photos. His use of muted, pale colors brings a feeling of antiqueness, dream-like feel, or a distant memory. When I look at his photos, I begin to ask more questions rather than questions being answered. Although people are often present in a lot of Soth's photos, there is still a feel of loneliness and despair, especially in the photos I provided here. Even though the people are surrounded by beautiful scenery or partaking in things they assumedly enjoy, their face shows a blank, uninterested expression. 

These photos show incredible details, giving an almost painterly effect. The serious longing faces of the subject make me feel sad and worried for them. It feels like they are all feeling the weight of the world, the depth of life on their shoulders. The use of all sorts of subjects, rather than a specific demographic of people, while they are all exhibiting a very similar expression brings a sense of community. There is a string that ties everyone together through Alec Soth's photos. 

These photos have a firm sense of familiarity with me. They all feel like they focus on subjects in non-populated areas, looking at the styles of life that take place in these areas. There is such beautiful imagery and story telling with his photos that bring a deep sense of understanding that is hard to place words upon. These photos create a sense of nostalgia and sonder, which is the profound realization that every person lives a complex and vivid life as real as your own. There is something about these photos that make me feel like I understand what these people are feeling in the moment of the photo being captured.