behind-the-scenes posts.
Bobby Doherty is 20 and grew up in the magical woods of upstate New York.
MOSSLESS: What is a photograph?
BOBBY DOHERTY: I think a photograph is this strange hesitation. At least that’s how I feel about the photographs I look for. When I witness a scene so outside of what I think of as reality, I hesitate to accept it as such. That is when I press the shutter. Maybe it is more complicated than that? Or simpler. I think words and photographs are very similar, but a photograph should never be easy to explain. They are just two completely different gut feelings.
ML: How is NY’s School of Visual Arts?
BD: I am beginning my Junior year this fall, so that’s pretty scary. I really like SVA though. Their photography department is pretty big and cozy, but I think I enjoy the people here the most. There are a few pretty great art schools in the city, but I feel like SVA takes itself a lot less seriously than most. It’s pretty refreshing.
ML: Do you have or plan on getting a site?
BD: I do have a website (www.bobbydoherty.net). But I am also incredibly lazy. It was on hiatus for a few months. Hiatus meaning I didn’t feel like working on it because intricate computer stuff stresses me out. Then last week I finally decided to gussy it up. Thennnnnnnnn I got drunk and fell asleep with my laptop on my bed and let gravity do the rest. So I need to get some kind of free dreamweaver-type program for my new computer. Ugh.
ML: Which photographers do you admire?
BD: I don’t know. Isn’t that terrible? I do know some photographers that I enjoy, but for being a photography major it’s pretty disgusting how little I know about photography. I like people like Stephen Shore. I like people like Hannah Whitaker. I like people like Wolfgang Tillmans. I like the photos that my friends take. Ehh. I never really know what I’m into at anymore.
Years and years ago I interviewed Bobby Doherty for our website. He was still in SVA, he was even shooting medium format. Good times. He’s now in issue one, you can see his development between those two dates. Bobby don’t change his essentials though, Bobby will always be Bobby: hilarious, sharp, and great at taking photographs.
