Arthur ‘Weegee’ Fellig sits within the pantheon of photography greats for his incredible photojournalism and street photography. He also sits within the mind of almost every photographer in the world for coming up with arguably the most broadly applied imaging advice ever. I am, of course, talking about the photography quote: “f/8 and be there.”
Where, when, and even if Fellig was really the originator of that photography quote doesn’t matter. I can think of few photographers whose MO fits this golden nugget of advice better than Weegee, and it’s become a phrase that street and documentary photographers – beginners and pros alike – have lived by for decades.
He may as well have said it, and that’s good enough for me.
So why do I think it’s more relevant now than ever? Well, mostly because of the low-fi revolution. By that I mean the resurgence of film photography, the popularity of filmic filters such as Fujifilm’s Film Simulations, the return of the compact camera and the backwards embracing of characterful (dare I say real?) imagery.
I’ve talked before about how it feels like image quality has surpassed the point of oversaturation, resulting in a yearning for the visual aesthetics of yesteryear. Think about it, sensors keep getting bigger, optics keep getting crisper and camera tech keeps redefining dynamic range, low-light shooting, camera shake and more.
And that’s before you consider the buckets of AI slop that photography now has to contend with. We live in an age where some photographs don’t even look like photographs any more, and even the ones that do are digested cynically for fear of being an AI-generated imposter.
As such, I’m noticing technically proficient ‘picture-perfect’ photography less and being drawn to photos that look like photos all the more. I’ve always thought that the sentiment of “f/8 and be there” isn’t too dissimilar to Henri Cartier-Bresson’s sentiment when he talked of the decisive moment. If the decisive moment is what you’re capturing, “f/8 and be there” is how you capture it.
In just four words, Weegee managed to imbue generations of photographers with the means to ready their camera for action and observe the space in which they are operating, providing them with the best chance of capturing that decisive moment. And for many photographers, that’s enough to go home satisfied.
In a world where camera tech has reached the point of saturation, photographers are forced to fight against the rising tide of AI slop – or defend their work from AI allegations – it can feel like we’re losing our grip on the reality of photography. Thankfully, Weegee is there to remind us that, in actual fact, photography doesn't have to be any more complicated than “f/8 and be there”.
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Take a look at the best quotes about photography for more pearls of wisdom. Interested in capturing the decisive moment? Here's how to get started in street photography. And for those looking for a new everyday camera companion, here's the best camera for street photography. Plus, I had no idea Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber was made from a vintage camera flash.
