"What's really important is to simplify. The work of most photographers would be improved immensely if they could do one thing: get rid of the extraneous. If you strive for simplicity, you are more likely to reach the viewer"
About this Quote
Allard is making a case for editing as an ethic, not a style choice. “Simplify” sounds like a compositional tip, but he frames it as a moral demand: photography has a tendency to hoard significance. The camera can’t help but record everything in its rectangle, and beginners especially treat that abundance as authority. Allard flips it. The real authority comes from subtraction - from deciding what doesn’t belong.
His key word is “extraneous,” which is less about minimalism than about honesty. Extraneous details aren’t neutral; they compete, they flatter the photographer’s cleverness, they let the image dodge commitment. By insisting on getting rid of them, Allard is arguing for clarity of intention. A photograph should pick a subject and stand by it.
The line “you are more likely to reach the viewer” is revealingly modest. He doesn’t promise awe or transformation; he promises contact. In an era when photography often performs as spectacle - busy frames, exotic backdrops, the dopamine of detail - Allard’s priority is comprehension and feeling. Simplicity becomes a bridge between maker and audience: fewer distractions, fewer private in-jokes, less visual noise that only the photographer can decode.
Context matters: Allard’s National Geographic-era humanist documentary work depended on trust and legibility. When you’re photographing real people, especially across lines of class, culture, or geography, clutter can turn into distance. Simplification is his way of respecting the subject and the viewer at the same time: say one thing, clearly, and mean it.
His key word is “extraneous,” which is less about minimalism than about honesty. Extraneous details aren’t neutral; they compete, they flatter the photographer’s cleverness, they let the image dodge commitment. By insisting on getting rid of them, Allard is arguing for clarity of intention. A photograph should pick a subject and stand by it.
The line “you are more likely to reach the viewer” is revealingly modest. He doesn’t promise awe or transformation; he promises contact. In an era when photography often performs as spectacle - busy frames, exotic backdrops, the dopamine of detail - Allard’s priority is comprehension and feeling. Simplicity becomes a bridge between maker and audience: fewer distractions, fewer private in-jokes, less visual noise that only the photographer can decode.
Context matters: Allard’s National Geographic-era humanist documentary work depended on trust and legibility. When you’re photographing real people, especially across lines of class, culture, or geography, clutter can turn into distance. Simplification is his way of respecting the subject and the viewer at the same time: say one thing, clearly, and mean it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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