Famed documentary photographer Martin Parr has published a manifesto which reveals his “ten rules of photography for emerging photographers”.
Done in partnership with WePresent, WeTransfer’s digital arts and editorial platform, the British photographer encourages new shooters to explore what makes an image compelling.
Parr is one of the most celebrated documentary photographers of the second half of the 20th century. Known for injecting humor into his images, Parr has published over 40 photobooks and has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1994.
Ten Rules of Photography for Emerging Photographers by Martin Parr
1. Look and learn from other photographers.
2. Identify what makes you like their images.
3. Find a subject you feel strongly about.
4. Select the images you like and understand why they are interesting.
5. Do more like that.
6. Keep shooting more images.
7. Acknowledge you will mainly take failures.
8. Get excited by what you have discovered.
9. Don’t wish you could be a famous photographer.
10. If you do, you will fail — wrong priorities.
Parr made the rules into a poster which can be downloaded from the WePresent Martin Parr manifesto page.
Capturing Society
Parr is best known for his colorful photos that are often satirical and a vivid portrayal of modern life. His work explores themes of consumerism, leisure, and social class, with a particular focus on the quirks and absurdities of everyday life.
In a interview with PetaPixel in 2022, Parr said he sees himself as the embodiment of the British sense of humor.
“I’m very democratic in my photography. I’ve done the working class, the middle class, and the upper class. I don’t mind what class you give me. I’m very happy to photograph them,” he said.
“I’m interested in photographing the social classes of England. That’s my biggest project, but remember, I’m very widely traveled. I’ve been all around the world with photographic projects, commissions, and cultural commissions.”
In the early 1980s, Parr decided to move to color from black-and-white photography after being influenced by work coming out of the United States.
“First I saw all the photographers coming from America like Stephen Shore, William Eggleston, Joel Meyerowitz,” Parr told PetaPixel.
“It was inspiring to see Sally Eauclaire travel to the U.K. with her book The New Color Photography, which we all liked and went to see her and hear her talk. Also, I’ve been collecting postcards around the John Hinde theme, very brash bright postcards, and I thought, let’s just try color [in the early 1980s.]”