“Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.” — E. B. White
If you read the comments on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram you would be forgiven for thinking that photography is a very serious endeavour, a high-stakes hobby, a deathmatch for the most compelling shot. Of course, great photos can be awe-inspiring, they can shake you, haunt you, bring you to your knees.
I gave up on those kinds of photos long ago. You won’t find me camping out in Yellowstone waiting for the sun’s light to hit just right. I won’t be in Mongolia waiting for a nomadic horseman during a solar eclipse or in Kruger National Park chasing after the Big Five during the rainy season.
What I’m after is more lighthearted, more tongue-and-cheek, something that won’t make you cry but might make you smirk. I’m after the funny photo, the absurd photo, the photo with a punchline, a personality.
Easier Said Than Done
It’s easier said than done. Humour and absurdity are all around us, but it’s hard to capture these emotions, to distill them into an image. When it does happen, it’s usually by chance.
I’ve taken thousands of film photos and oh so many bad ones. But every now and then, I capture what at first glance appears to be a stinker but on second look reveals a flicker of funny, a flash of oddity, a whiff of whimsy. These are the moments I crave and chase after.
You could count on two hands the number of times its happened. When it does, I feel blessed by the photographic gods. I get down on my knees and pray towards Leitz Wetzlar. I thank the patron saints of Summilux and Summicron. I gently caress my lucky canister of Kodak Tri-X. I promise never again to spend my son’s college fund on a rare rangefinder.
Don’t Underestimate the Title
Sometimes it’s all in the title. The right combination of words underneath the right photo can be the perfect nod and wink. Sometimes it requires some time and thought to see the humour in an image. Of course, humour is subjective. What I find funny may not resonate with someone else.
But I can assure you that my wit is as sharp and colourful as a Lego sword. So, if you don’t find the pictures in this article humorous or enlightening, know that it’s most likely you, not me.
All kidding aside, I hope that this post brings a smile to your face, inspires you to channel your inner photographic comedian, and reminds you not to take it all so seriously.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to see more of my photos, you can find me at Leica Fotografie International and Instagram.
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Comments
Bob Janes on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Art should invoke emotion, and joy/humour is emotion. Sometimes art makes us cry, sometimes (thankfullly), it makes us smile. It may not (necessarily) be high art, but I'm greatful for it.
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Marco Andrés on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
As you imply, we might be well advised to consider the familiar/quotidian and the humourous, just as you have. Unlike Gertrude Stein’s quip on Oakland [California], « There is a there there .»
Your approach aligns with that of Elliott Erwitt
« I take a lot of pictures of dogs because I like dogs, because they don’t object to being photographed, and because they don’t ask for prints. »
https://s3.amazonaws.com/holdenluntz.com/wp-content/uploads/20200625203543/elliott-erwitt_new-york-city-1974-dog-legs.jpeg
As for titles and their influence on the way an image is viewed, here’s a case in point, This image: https://publicdelivery.org/magritte-not-a-pipe/ of René Magritte’s 1929 painting « Ceci n’est pas un pipe » (This is not a pipe)
Just keep in mind « que sera sera » Whatever will be will be.
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Bill Brown on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
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Erik Brammer on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
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Miguel Mendez on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Gary Smith on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
You do seem to have a sense of humor David - thank-you.
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Tony Warren on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Comment posted: 08/02/2025
Alexander Seidler on Don’t Take It So Seriously – Putting the Funny Back Into Photography
Comment posted: 09/02/2025
Comment posted: 09/02/2025