I was thinking this problem not because I’m an expert in photography (on the contrary), but looking at Manos’ photos, published in the Greek portfolio. The object of these photos are the people of Greece, especially of the Greek islands, in the middle of the previous century. Manos knows how to wait for the right moment and prepare for the right depiction of his object. Watch the picture of the grandmother and granddaughter and imagine in how many ways it could have been taken – e.g. with both persons looking at the photographer, or with the grandma looking at the photographer and the girl looking at the grandma, etc.
Manos chose a way that shows two worlds side by side yet very different, while the photographer disappears from the scene (no one looks at him). The way he chose resulted to a unique depiction, to an importance one seldom encounters – and this is a necessary quality for a good photo, to be unique, to give the immediate impression that no one ever has taken or will take this particular photo, even if the object stays unchanged forever.
A photographer needs to love the object of a photo, but love can not be taught, as we said already; I hope all the rest can be somehow useful, since love alone is not enough in photography or in any other work.
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