AS I WALKED OUT

In his novel, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, Laurie Lee describes his epic journey, throughout 1930s Spain, in the midst of a savage, civil war. In the first paragraph, Lee waves goodbye to his Mother and his farmstead in Stroud, never to see them again: “I left to discover the world”. Through these six resolute words, Lee defines his future as potential.

Potential indicates the unknown. It indicates a question unanswered, an experience not yet suffered, or a sight not yet seen. From one perspective, potential is latency. Similarly, photography offers up the world to us. It offers journey and adventure. Even within this laser-fast digital paradigm, photography can still be defined by latency. The image not yet seen, not yet realised, not yet understood.

The photography here is relatable. Almost everything that inspires me about photography can be defined in terms of the potential it bestows. I wander along unfamiliar streets, talking to people I don’t know, about things I often don’t understand. In the midst of all manner of crises, uncertainty, and fear, I make portraits. I discover the world.

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^{For more information about this work, please make contact via the website (link here), or direct message via Instagram at: @johnpharrisonphoto}