The Amateur Tradition: Photography’s Second Self

Unlike painting, photography is a democratic medium. Anyone who takes pictures long enough, persistently enough, is entitled to their moment of grace. That one shot when everything comes together, when readiness and chance conspire with the camera to make a little marvel. Of course it does not always happen; but it happens often enough to give every amateur hope that his or her time will come.

In fact so often does this happen it leads one to suppose that the medium itself has a special arrangement with chance, and with the possibility of enticing…