Lenswork and Art Criticism

I've been reading through some of the LensWork magazines my friend sent me. One particular issue had some pretty interesting interviews with various photographers - most I did not know. It's intriguing to hear what makes photographers pick up a camera in the first place. Remember, this is black and white photography, as in film.

Some photographers' inspiration and drive is to depict: their 'secrets', their own doubts - ??, that the photographic image contains 'dignity', another spoke of how he is totally consumed in the act of photographing that he loses all sense of time (I can totally relate to that one!), and then there's the photographer snob whose initials are Lord Snowden, who is just too full of himself to even say what he said (why pick up a camera Dude?), and then my fave was the statement from Elliott Erwitt, who I have no idea who he is - yet, who stated, "Good photography is not about Zone Printing or any other Ansel Adams nonsense. It's just about seeing. You either see or you don't see. The rest if academic. Photography is simply a function of noticing things. Nothing more."

I don't know if I agree with his irreverence to Ansel, but I'm thinking Elliott is not technical. Neither am I. I have people come up to me and say, so what did you shoot this at? Like I'm going to remember what settings I shoot every photographic image at?? I just say, 'So do you like it? Does it move you? Does it say something to you or evoke a feeling or a memory?' Then there you have it!