Alex Coghe's Dogma 11
Not a code of rules. This is just me. Not pretending you follow this.
Over the years, I've realized that street photography hasn't changed because of better cameras. It has changed because of the way photographers approach it. We have access to extraordinary technology, software capable of transforming almost every aspect of an image, and an endless stream of photographs competing for our attention. Yet the more possibilities we have, the stronger my desire has become to simplify.
Dogma 11 was born from that need.
It isn't a rulebook for everyone, nor is it a criticism of photographers who work differently. It simply reflects the path I have chosen after spending years walking the streets of cities and towns around the world with a camera in my hands. It is the philosophy that keeps me connected to the kind of photography I believe in.
I photograph in JPEG because I want the image to be made when I press the shutter, not when I sit in front of a computer. I do use Lightroom when necessary, but only as a finishing step. The photograph should already exist before I open any software. The less I need to change afterwards, the more faithfully the final image represents what I saw and how I experienced that moment. I keep a relazed approach with this, I am not a Taliban of rules.
I look for spontaneous scenes rather than manufactured ones. I would rather wait for reality to surprise me than interfere with it. What interests me is that brief instant when people, light, gesture and composition come together naturally, without anyone performing for the camera. I call it the deliberate moment. It is spontaneous by nature, yet it can only be recognized through patience, observation and experience.
Ethics are not separate from photography. They are part of it. To photograph everyday life means respecting it. It means moving through public space without disrupting its rhythm and allowing life to unfold without making the photographer the center of attention.
The eleven principles that follow are not intended to define street photography for others. They are simply the principles that guide my own work every time I walk out the door with a camera. They remind me that the most meaningful photographs are rarely the ones we create. They are the ones we are present enough to recognize before they disappear.
OK, here we go guys…
ALEX COGHE'S DOGMA 11
Reality Over Spectacle
A photograph should reveal life, never compete with it.Natural Light, Natural Beauty
Light should be embraced as it exists, not reshaped into artificial drama.Complete Tonal Range
Shadows and highlights should coexist, preserving the richness of the scene.Composition Before Effects
A strong frame will always outlive a fashionable look.The Human Element
People give meaning to places, turning spaces into stories.Context Matters
Every subject deserves enough of its surroundings to explain its existence.Visual Simplicity
Remove distractions through observation, not through editing.Authentic Color
Color should describe reality, never become the subject itself.The Deliberate Moment
The finest photographs emerge when timing, gesture and composition naturally converge.Honest Imperfection
A meaningful image is worth more than a technically flawless one.Timelessness Over Trends
Create photographs that will still feel truthful when today's visual fashions have disappeared.
CONCLUSIONS
If you ask me, well, I tend to disagree with the current line in street photography. Digital photographers tend to go where the digital camera takes them. Remember, they're designed to be very conservative, allowing those who don't know how to take better photos. So everything is calibrated to protect the highlights. But I don't give a damn about a well-exposed sky if it's dark.
In fact I would say that we are assisting to a fracture between the photos made with a film camera respect to a digital camera. Is it possible that the experience with film teaches you nothing when you then buy a digital one? This is a theme I have reflected on a lot in the way I want to present my photography.
UNDEREXPOSED PHOTOS MAKE ME WANT TO SHIT
Midtones are more important than a perfectly calibrated sky. For me, photography is not the thing that appears in photography magazines that specialize in camera reviews.
Again, I look to Stephen Shore and Luigi Ghirri. I look to Kodak prints from the 80s. That is my reference.
