Nan Goldin

Cookie in Tin Pan Alley, New York City, 1983

I have mixed feelings towards her. On one hand I love the way she works, I love her style and on the other I think her photography is not what she claims it to be. It’s limited to gay, sexual, or emotional subjects. Which is great don't get me wrong but to me it seems that at that time of her life there must have been typical usual things and I think she concentrated on what she knew to be different for the sake of being different even though she makes it clear that she photographs all her experiences without really thinking. I know that a lot of people wouldn't agree. But from what I've seen that's just the vibe I get.

What I love about her work though is the simple and authentic approach she has when photographing her experiences and loved ones. It feels effortless and real; the blur, the framing, the uneven flashlight all reminds you that she’s behind the camera interacting with her subject making the photograph all the more intimate. It’s quite genius really, how it draws you in, you begin to try to understand the relationship between photographer and subject. I’d say it’s a technique I myself shall be trying more often as of now for personal work.