Looking with Craig Carlson

This meeting will be held in person at the Photographic Arts Building in Balboa Park (next to Spanish Village).

The workshop will present the concept of “Looking.” Looking is the practice of noticing what is interesting in a photograph. It is centered on how you see with the mind’s eye and on understanding how a photographer looks for a desired image.

A flâneur is a French noun referring to a person, literally meaning “stroller lounger” or loafer.” A flâneur is an ambivalent figure of urban affluence and modernity, representing the ability to wander detached from society with no other purpose than to be an acute observer of (Looking At) industrialized, contemporary urban life.

I will present numerous images from photographers like Eugene Atget, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Gary Winogrand, Josef Koudelka, and many more. The talk will be about their concept of looking and the life they spent searching with their Urban eye. I will also bring a portfolio of my current work, both in slides and prints. I also invite attendees to bring their work for discussion.

About Craig

Craig Carlson became interested in photography in his early teens and subsequently worked at student publications from High School through his University studies. Craig received his Bachelor of Arts in Editorial Journalism in 1973 from San Diego State University and his Master of Arts in Studio Arts with an emphasis in Photography from Humboldt State University in 1976.

Craig has worked professionally for editorial, advertising, and commercial clients for over 35 years. He has also taught photography for over 40 years in several colleges throughout San Diego County, including creative photography and digital imaging in the School of Art, Design, and Art History at San Diego State University for 26 years.

He is the author of “Look Before You See,” a self-published photography text, and a manuscript and book proposal reviewer for Focal Press. Craig has exhibited his photographs since 1970 and is included in numerous corporate and private collections. Recent projects include Sunset Boulevard and Downtown Los Angeles. Currently, he is photographing the urban streets of East San Diego.