David Zlotky

Secret World

Artist Statement:

Most people take on an artificial look when they know they are being photographed. Candid images are more interesting to me because they portray people as the world sees them, ordinary and unpretentious. “Secret World” captures two French high school girls during midday break in the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye on the outskirts of Paris. I was serving as the chaperone of middle school students touring France and couldn’t take my 4×5 view camera or the Hasselblad, so I used the camera in my iPhone. I found the iPhone to be an ideal tool for street photography because it doesn’t look at all like a camera. My approach is to shoot with it at chest level as I walk by my subjects. I made no effort to aim the camera. I often don’t even look directly at the people I’m photographing; as a consequence, the compositions have an accidental quality that I enjoy. There’s an edgy look that they wouldn’t have if I thought while shooting. Many of these images are not useful but some are gems. “Secret World” is one of my favorites.