Guido Guidi, the iconic Italian photographer, spoke in an interview about two ladder photographs, which came before his famous photograph Zattere, 2001
I like your picture Vienna. So many lines. And I had to smile by the one in Paris with the model. You gave me some things to ponder about what someone sees and feels when looking at a picture. Important stuff. Thank you.
Thank you, Klamo. For me it is always about saying as little as possible, but at the same time, I am super curious what the viewer sees, or would title an image! Thank you for your comment and stopping by. I am delighted I made you smile!
When Guido Guidi replied to the interviewer the way he did, he could have meant it as an incentive to make up his own mind. The remark "I still have to find out" could be seen as not wanting to engage in any discussion about metaphors, possibly because he thought the interviewer showed lack of imagination.
Your statements, however, are of course to be interpreted the way you put them. I understand and agree with what you say about an interpretation of a viewer being totally different from the one you might have put into a photo being a reason to be happy rather than disappointed about. I must say I think your stance on that comes across as very modest and totally unassuming, which I respect, but knowing your at history background and endless interest in photography, it doesn't surprise me one bit to see your playful caption under the Berlin photo ('Stairway to Heaven'). I rather like that photo, by the way.
What I also like is the way you present the photos involving ladders by Penn and Dieuzaide; great examples of ladders as an everyday attribute. Ladders do have a kind of 'natural predisposition' to be used as metaphors, because they suggest, as you describe, an up and down movement, which easily evokes all kinds of associations.
Your Helsinki fire escape ladder is a splendid example of a photo in which the ladder is just a visual element, with obvious photographically interesting qualities.
Let me finish this comment by just mentioning some favorites out of the other photos you present: the Loas Angeles, the Donostia and the two Paris photos are very nice!
Thank you, Vincent, I agree, I think he felt squeezed and didn’t like it. I don’t get the impression Guido Guidi really wants to be known, or famous. He just wants to do his thing and be left alone. Book contracts and exhibitions often include a requirement to do a certain number of interviews, etc. I am sure he had to agree and still doesn’t like it!
Hah, I did title the first one, because of where I put it in the Post. I wanted to provoke a reaction given the Guido Guidi comment. I also put a title on the Parliament one. That is because it is not a very good photograph, but I witnessed the event. A group of people managed to bypass security at the Parliament in London and after much consideration, because the Police really couldn’t chase them as they pulled their ladders up after them, and the risk was high of someone falling off the roof, the decision to just wait them out, I think was the right one.
I have had a lot of conversations with the guy in the mirror about titles. I for the most part now simply title my images by the city in which they are made. Occasionally, I will add a year, but that’s it. I don’t like the idea of ‘untitled’, because it is confusing if every photograph you make is ‘untitled’. I also don’t like numbers. So, I have settled for just the city it was made in, and if more than one, I add a Roman numeral.
I am glad you like the Penn and Dieuzaide. I think they give a bit of context, and were an inspiration for me as I was going through my mental list of ladders. There are still several I love, which I have not listed, but I wanted room to put a few of my own in the post. Thank you so much for the kind words and complements on the photos I included of my own.
Vincent, are we going to see a July summary post from you? 🙂
Glad you liked my reply! To be honest, concerning the question at the end: I’m still not sure which way I want to go with my posting. A July post about the birds I photographed (and heard) in France is probably coming soon, but I have given our recent short exchange about Posts instead of Notes a lot of thought, not because I feel I have to choose between them, but wonder if people reading and looking at my Posts will be more willing to interact with what’s in it in a more meaningful way, something I’m not so sure of in these days of ever shortening attention spans. And since I’m very much against using AI to write my stuff, I don’t have the time to write the elaborate ‘serious’ posts about photography that I see everywhere; lots of them are actually (partially) written by AI.
I get it. I have a fair number of subscribers who I enjoy interacting with. I read their post and if I see something I like, I let them know, the way you and I do. I enjoy that. If I posted a note, I get a few people with a heart, or two, and I don't enjoy that nearly as much. I like writing my posts. I have never and will never post anything I did not write myself. The fun for me is writing and stringing photographs or my little mysteries together. I do enjoy no longer chasing notes. It has been very liberating! But I do understand that not everyone has the time to sit down and write.
A very enjoyable read about the humble ladder and it's seemingly multifaceted role in human life. It certainly makes for a very engaging theme here. Some wonderful photos, too, old and new. I'm intrigued by the 'Stairway to Heaven?' in Berlin - is it heaven, or just another version of here? We'll likely never know beyond the realms of our imaginations. The Helsinki fire escape, in particular, is very appealing for it's light and shadow play - always something that grabs my attention. I'll likely never see ladders as purely utility items again! Thanks for sharing, Søren.
Hey Ralph, thank you for your kind comment. Ladders have many lives. The Berlin photograph was actually from Camera Work in Berlin, which is a commercial photography gallery, which I enjoy visiting when I can get there. I do agree, the Helsinki ladder is both simple and I like to think it reminds me of Aalto, who was the epitome of simplicity and function. Thank you for your lovely comment!
I saw the first paragraph and I thought "great, a post about Guido Guidi". I saw an exhibition about his career in Paris last winter, and it's not super accessible. But he has lots of themes over time. So I was curious about your tasks on it.
And then it turned into a post about ladders :) Which is interesting, possibly more. There's is a thing about ladders, like windows, doors, and tools and photography. They're endlessly fascinating.
Hey Cedric, sorry to disappoint! I think you need to go to @fotologic (Jon Nicholls, he seems to be the Guido Guidi expert). I have trouble with GG. I saw his show at Le Bal. I have several of his books, and while there are lots I would love to have on my wall, there are equal numbers, which I just don't understand/relate to. I do appreciate your interest in the ladders! There is so much great material there, and the geometry of a good ladder allows endless possibilities! Thank you for reading.
I'm not disappointed. The ladders are interesting.
I saw the same exhibition at Le Bal and I have the same problems with GG. Some of his stuff is hard to understand and really busy don't gel with me either.
Thank you and sorry to make you look up the options for ladder, good to know! Yup, Penn is his usual need for control in the studio! Mine are all on the fly! As I do believe the Dieuzaide is also, though the man on the ladder is looking at the photographer... thank you for stopping by and for the definition!!
The Helsinki ladder rules, Soren. I love it very much!
A gentle chide, if I could. You like for photos without titles, to allow the viewer to see and interpret on their own, but of course you contextualize your very fine photos with explanation. This is a Substack struggle that I'm guilty of and that I see with many, many others: the desire to write/educate/philosophize and the desire to share the work itself. It's an endless battle that, I believe, is being won over by words these days. The battle lines will be redrawn, I suspect, but for now the words have the upper hand.
I appreciate learning. I'm not calling for all wordless posts, but I think your point is well taken: photos need breathing space.
I am guilty as charged. I titled the first image ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as a jibe at the idea of titles, as it is of course just a fire escape. The balance are not titled, beyond the city in which they are made, with one exception. I gave a title to the Parliament photograph, because, it was me being witness to a demonstration, which without context is a useless photograph. I only included it because I like the three ladders, but readily admit it is not a great image. I have for a long time looked at calling my images ‘untitled’ which is what so many photographers do, but I don’t like that. It feels wrong to me. So do numbers, which is why I use the city as my maker. Beyond that, I would like viewers to make their own stories and create their own interpretations.
Thank you for the comment, which is very fair. I too like the Helsinki image!
You happened to catch me in the cross hairs of two thoughts: first, the post I was thinking about for a ladder that is in my catalog -- it will be in tomorrow’s Notes -- and second, my growing vcritique of Substack photographers for too much explanation. We like to philosophize, often at the expense of not giving our photos enough breathing space. Still, it's a good essay, as you often publish.
Now that you’ve brought it up, I realize I myself dig a nice ladder shot — a ladder will most likely stop me in my tracks when out and about.
The images you shared here are all my kind of shots: those I enjoy looking at, I mean. And I don’t make a ladder into a metaphor. I think it’s the graphic nature, as you mentioned, and its shape (or its story) that speaks to me.
Hey KewtieBird, I am so glad you liked the post. I find ladders fun to play with in compositions, as you can no doubt tell. As you say, the graphic elements of triangles and parallel lines are good material to work with. As for metaphors, I leave those to those much wiser than me.
Great topic. I love how you always pick out a subject, edicate us readers a little and then present your own Collection of the subject. Well done! Thank you!
Hey Susanne, thank you very much for your kind and generous comment! I have sat on these for a while. I like ladders. They are such a great graphic element in a photograph. I went to a Sally Mann show today, which at the door had a photograph of a ladder leaning against a barn in Virginia. It sort of feels like closing the circle! A little strange. I am lucky to have both an Iturbide and a Sally Mann show in town at the moment!
I suspect most photographers feel as you do, that it’s up to the viewer to decide on the meaning of their work. When it comes to ladders, though, it might be slightly different. They’re automatic metaphors by virtue of their function. But then the context is all-important. Your ladder to the skylight and your title directs us to heaven (and maybe a Led Zeppelin song), though our reaction is our own. Others are artistic choices with possible hidden meanings. Your woman on the ladder is just plain wonderful— I’m not sure what it means, or if it was a passing scene (somehow I think not), but it sparks a lot of questions and speculation. In any case it all makes for great viewing and a provocative read.
Hey Ruth, I decided to title two of the photographs, one for a reaction, and one for a context. The London one was an actual occupation of Parliament in London, where some people climbed onto the roof and pulled up ladders as they went. The police solution was to ‘wait them out’, in other words they just waited for them to come down for food and a pee. From what we saw in the news later, it was all very peaceful. Nothing happened.
The Stairway to Heaven is in a photography gallery in Berlin, where I go when I can. I just like the way the light square leads to nothing but light, which feeds into the idea of what heaven might look like, but it is of course just a fire-escape to the flat roof above.
As for the final image, it was a chance encounter with some workers who were busy getting a new retail shop ready to open, who never even knew I was there. The girl was an ad-photo on the covered up windows. I just happened to be there at the right moment. Ladders are simple tools, or as you say, maybe slightly different. I just like to pose the question and let the viewer decide the meaning for themselves.
These are marvelous! I love the humor and depth. It’s fun that some require a bit of deciphering. The last one made me LOL. And you have one of Aalto’s! The ladders on the Paimio Sanitorium sent me into a whole quest to photo Finnish “fire escapes,” which as far as I can tell, to this day, still are a ladder bolted to the outside of the house. It’s wild! I’m tempted to draw inference from that about how sturdy and practical the Finns are.
Hey Julie, thank you for the great comment. Aalto has an ability to make the most important things simple, yet elegant. I thought the same when I saw his fire escape. Nothing to it, but at the same time, so Finnish and Aalto. As for the last one. That was just a gift. Raise the camera and press the shutter. It was just there to be made! Many thanks for the great comment!
Such interesting ruminations on the humble ladder and its higher meanings!
I greatly enjoyed your own contributions to the ladder oeuvre. My first thought when it comes to ladders in visual media is its many uses in silent movies. Buster Keaton, for example, was the master of repurposing the ladder for comic effect.
I like your picture Vienna. So many lines. And I had to smile by the one in Paris with the model. You gave me some things to ponder about what someone sees and feels when looking at a picture. Important stuff. Thank you.
Thank you, Klamo. For me it is always about saying as little as possible, but at the same time, I am super curious what the viewer sees, or would title an image! Thank you for your comment and stopping by. I am delighted I made you smile!
When Guido Guidi replied to the interviewer the way he did, he could have meant it as an incentive to make up his own mind. The remark "I still have to find out" could be seen as not wanting to engage in any discussion about metaphors, possibly because he thought the interviewer showed lack of imagination.
Your statements, however, are of course to be interpreted the way you put them. I understand and agree with what you say about an interpretation of a viewer being totally different from the one you might have put into a photo being a reason to be happy rather than disappointed about. I must say I think your stance on that comes across as very modest and totally unassuming, which I respect, but knowing your at history background and endless interest in photography, it doesn't surprise me one bit to see your playful caption under the Berlin photo ('Stairway to Heaven'). I rather like that photo, by the way.
What I also like is the way you present the photos involving ladders by Penn and Dieuzaide; great examples of ladders as an everyday attribute. Ladders do have a kind of 'natural predisposition' to be used as metaphors, because they suggest, as you describe, an up and down movement, which easily evokes all kinds of associations.
Your Helsinki fire escape ladder is a splendid example of a photo in which the ladder is just a visual element, with obvious photographically interesting qualities.
Let me finish this comment by just mentioning some favorites out of the other photos you present: the Loas Angeles, the Donostia and the two Paris photos are very nice!
As always, a pleasant and interesting read!
Thank you, Vincent, I agree, I think he felt squeezed and didn’t like it. I don’t get the impression Guido Guidi really wants to be known, or famous. He just wants to do his thing and be left alone. Book contracts and exhibitions often include a requirement to do a certain number of interviews, etc. I am sure he had to agree and still doesn’t like it!
Hah, I did title the first one, because of where I put it in the Post. I wanted to provoke a reaction given the Guido Guidi comment. I also put a title on the Parliament one. That is because it is not a very good photograph, but I witnessed the event. A group of people managed to bypass security at the Parliament in London and after much consideration, because the Police really couldn’t chase them as they pulled their ladders up after them, and the risk was high of someone falling off the roof, the decision to just wait them out, I think was the right one.
I have had a lot of conversations with the guy in the mirror about titles. I for the most part now simply title my images by the city in which they are made. Occasionally, I will add a year, but that’s it. I don’t like the idea of ‘untitled’, because it is confusing if every photograph you make is ‘untitled’. I also don’t like numbers. So, I have settled for just the city it was made in, and if more than one, I add a Roman numeral.
I am glad you like the Penn and Dieuzaide. I think they give a bit of context, and were an inspiration for me as I was going through my mental list of ladders. There are still several I love, which I have not listed, but I wanted room to put a few of my own in the post. Thank you so much for the kind words and complements on the photos I included of my own.
Vincent, are we going to see a July summary post from you? 🙂
Glad you liked my reply! To be honest, concerning the question at the end: I’m still not sure which way I want to go with my posting. A July post about the birds I photographed (and heard) in France is probably coming soon, but I have given our recent short exchange about Posts instead of Notes a lot of thought, not because I feel I have to choose between them, but wonder if people reading and looking at my Posts will be more willing to interact with what’s in it in a more meaningful way, something I’m not so sure of in these days of ever shortening attention spans. And since I’m very much against using AI to write my stuff, I don’t have the time to write the elaborate ‘serious’ posts about photography that I see everywhere; lots of them are actually (partially) written by AI.
I get it. I have a fair number of subscribers who I enjoy interacting with. I read their post and if I see something I like, I let them know, the way you and I do. I enjoy that. If I posted a note, I get a few people with a heart, or two, and I don't enjoy that nearly as much. I like writing my posts. I have never and will never post anything I did not write myself. The fun for me is writing and stringing photographs or my little mysteries together. I do enjoy no longer chasing notes. It has been very liberating! But I do understand that not everyone has the time to sit down and write.
The Helsinki fire escape and the last one from Paris are perfection! Thanks for the Saturday reading material!
Thank you, Li Chen! Those are probably my two favourites from the set. I do enjoy making them, so who knows, what will come next.
A very enjoyable read about the humble ladder and it's seemingly multifaceted role in human life. It certainly makes for a very engaging theme here. Some wonderful photos, too, old and new. I'm intrigued by the 'Stairway to Heaven?' in Berlin - is it heaven, or just another version of here? We'll likely never know beyond the realms of our imaginations. The Helsinki fire escape, in particular, is very appealing for it's light and shadow play - always something that grabs my attention. I'll likely never see ladders as purely utility items again! Thanks for sharing, Søren.
Hey Ralph, thank you for your kind comment. Ladders have many lives. The Berlin photograph was actually from Camera Work in Berlin, which is a commercial photography gallery, which I enjoy visiting when I can get there. I do agree, the Helsinki ladder is both simple and I like to think it reminds me of Aalto, who was the epitome of simplicity and function. Thank you for your lovely comment!
I had to look up Aalto - some very striking, angular architecture from him, yet with lines that are not just utilitarian. Interesting🙂
That Irving Penn photograph is so so good!
It is a great one!
I saw the first paragraph and I thought "great, a post about Guido Guidi". I saw an exhibition about his career in Paris last winter, and it's not super accessible. But he has lots of themes over time. So I was curious about your tasks on it.
And then it turned into a post about ladders :) Which is interesting, possibly more. There's is a thing about ladders, like windows, doors, and tools and photography. They're endlessly fascinating.
Hey Cedric, sorry to disappoint! I think you need to go to @fotologic (Jon Nicholls, he seems to be the Guido Guidi expert). I have trouble with GG. I saw his show at Le Bal. I have several of his books, and while there are lots I would love to have on my wall, there are equal numbers, which I just don't understand/relate to. I do appreciate your interest in the ladders! There is so much great material there, and the geometry of a good ladder allows endless possibilities! Thank you for reading.
I'm not disappointed. The ladders are interesting.
I saw the same exhibition at Le Bal and I have the same problems with GG. Some of his stuff is hard to understand and really busy don't gel with me either.
See watcha made me do 🥴
Googled "types of ladders."
Step, Extension, Platform, Telescoping. Sometimes a chair (when actual ladders aren't around)
Duty ratings! Five different types! Aaarggh!
Interesting that Penn's photo is the only one that was preplanned (in studio). I'm going to assume none of the others are setups.
I learned a bit of extra stuff today.
Cheers!
Thank you and sorry to make you look up the options for ladder, good to know! Yup, Penn is his usual need for control in the studio! Mine are all on the fly! As I do believe the Dieuzaide is also, though the man on the ladder is looking at the photographer... thank you for stopping by and for the definition!!
The Helsinki ladder rules, Soren. I love it very much!
A gentle chide, if I could. You like for photos without titles, to allow the viewer to see and interpret on their own, but of course you contextualize your very fine photos with explanation. This is a Substack struggle that I'm guilty of and that I see with many, many others: the desire to write/educate/philosophize and the desire to share the work itself. It's an endless battle that, I believe, is being won over by words these days. The battle lines will be redrawn, I suspect, but for now the words have the upper hand.
I appreciate learning. I'm not calling for all wordless posts, but I think your point is well taken: photos need breathing space.
Hey Mark,
I am guilty as charged. I titled the first image ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as a jibe at the idea of titles, as it is of course just a fire escape. The balance are not titled, beyond the city in which they are made, with one exception. I gave a title to the Parliament photograph, because, it was me being witness to a demonstration, which without context is a useless photograph. I only included it because I like the three ladders, but readily admit it is not a great image. I have for a long time looked at calling my images ‘untitled’ which is what so many photographers do, but I don’t like that. It feels wrong to me. So do numbers, which is why I use the city as my maker. Beyond that, I would like viewers to make their own stories and create their own interpretations.
Thank you for the comment, which is very fair. I too like the Helsinki image!
You happened to catch me in the cross hairs of two thoughts: first, the post I was thinking about for a ladder that is in my catalog -- it will be in tomorrow’s Notes -- and second, my growing vcritique of Substack photographers for too much explanation. We like to philosophize, often at the expense of not giving our photos enough breathing space. Still, it's a good essay, as you often publish.
Now that you’ve brought it up, I realize I myself dig a nice ladder shot — a ladder will most likely stop me in my tracks when out and about.
The images you shared here are all my kind of shots: those I enjoy looking at, I mean. And I don’t make a ladder into a metaphor. I think it’s the graphic nature, as you mentioned, and its shape (or its story) that speaks to me.
An interesting post, as always!
Hey KewtieBird, I am so glad you liked the post. I find ladders fun to play with in compositions, as you can no doubt tell. As you say, the graphic elements of triangles and parallel lines are good material to work with. As for metaphors, I leave those to those much wiser than me.
I appreciate the kind words! Many thanks.
Great topic. I love how you always pick out a subject, edicate us readers a little and then present your own Collection of the subject. Well done! Thank you!
Hey Susanne, thank you very much for your kind and generous comment! I have sat on these for a while. I like ladders. They are such a great graphic element in a photograph. I went to a Sally Mann show today, which at the door had a photograph of a ladder leaning against a barn in Virginia. It sort of feels like closing the circle! A little strange. I am lucky to have both an Iturbide and a Sally Mann show in town at the moment!
Wow, that is so great!
Excellent as always. 👏🖤💯
Many thanks, Benjamin! I am glad you enjoyed it.
I suspect most photographers feel as you do, that it’s up to the viewer to decide on the meaning of their work. When it comes to ladders, though, it might be slightly different. They’re automatic metaphors by virtue of their function. But then the context is all-important. Your ladder to the skylight and your title directs us to heaven (and maybe a Led Zeppelin song), though our reaction is our own. Others are artistic choices with possible hidden meanings. Your woman on the ladder is just plain wonderful— I’m not sure what it means, or if it was a passing scene (somehow I think not), but it sparks a lot of questions and speculation. In any case it all makes for great viewing and a provocative read.
Hey Ruth, I decided to title two of the photographs, one for a reaction, and one for a context. The London one was an actual occupation of Parliament in London, where some people climbed onto the roof and pulled up ladders as they went. The police solution was to ‘wait them out’, in other words they just waited for them to come down for food and a pee. From what we saw in the news later, it was all very peaceful. Nothing happened.
The Stairway to Heaven is in a photography gallery in Berlin, where I go when I can. I just like the way the light square leads to nothing but light, which feeds into the idea of what heaven might look like, but it is of course just a fire-escape to the flat roof above.
As for the final image, it was a chance encounter with some workers who were busy getting a new retail shop ready to open, who never even knew I was there. The girl was an ad-photo on the covered up windows. I just happened to be there at the right moment. Ladders are simple tools, or as you say, maybe slightly different. I just like to pose the question and let the viewer decide the meaning for themselves.
Thank you, Ruth for the great comment!
Some really nice photos of ladders you've made, Søren. An intriguing subject indeed.
Thank you, Marcel. The geometry of what ladders can do is intriguing. I have responded many times, probably too many!
These are marvelous! I love the humor and depth. It’s fun that some require a bit of deciphering. The last one made me LOL. And you have one of Aalto’s! The ladders on the Paimio Sanitorium sent me into a whole quest to photo Finnish “fire escapes,” which as far as I can tell, to this day, still are a ladder bolted to the outside of the house. It’s wild! I’m tempted to draw inference from that about how sturdy and practical the Finns are.
Hey Julie, thank you for the great comment. Aalto has an ability to make the most important things simple, yet elegant. I thought the same when I saw his fire escape. Nothing to it, but at the same time, so Finnish and Aalto. As for the last one. That was just a gift. Raise the camera and press the shutter. It was just there to be made! Many thanks for the great comment!
Such interesting ruminations on the humble ladder and its higher meanings!
I greatly enjoyed your own contributions to the ladder oeuvre. My first thought when it comes to ladders in visual media is its many uses in silent movies. Buster Keaton, for example, was the master of repurposing the ladder for comic effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy9hUO1q3OU
Hey Jeremy, thank you for the great comment and the link! I haven't seen a Buster Keaton movie in years... pure genius! Many thanks!
Hola , Interesante Ensayo. Un Saludo.
Thank you for reading!