Todd Hido, born in Kent, Ohio, in 1968, stands as a prominent figure in contemporary photography. His work, characterized by its evocative mood and cinematic quality, delves into themes of memory, narrative, and the psychological power of place. Hido's journey, from his early days photographing BMX tricks to his current status as an internationally recognized artist, is a testament to his dedication and unique vision. His photographs reside in over 50 private and public collections worldwide, including the Getty, Whitney Museum of American Art, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Pier 24 Photography holds the archive of all of his published works.
Early Influences and Artistic Development
Hido's path to photography began with a desire to capture and share his experiences in the world of BMX racing. As a teenager and four-time Ohio BMX champion, he wanted to record the tricks and races of his friends, a sentiment akin to that of today's skateboarders documenting their feats. This early exposure to photography instilled in him the importance of individual effort and self-reliance, qualities that have remained central to his artistic practice.
He credits Mike McGlure, his high school teacher, with recognizing his talent and encouraging him to pursue photography. McGlure's support led to Hido winning a State Governor’s Award for Photography, further solidifying his passion and motivating him to pursue formal education in the field. Hido's interest in photography made him excited about being in school, because that’s where the darkroom was.
Hido's artistic development was significantly shaped by his time studying with Larry Sultan at the California College of the Arts. Sultan, along with filmmaker Lynn Kirby, taught a class called "The Narrative Workshop," which profoundly influenced Hido's understanding of narrative in photography. Sultan pointed out the cinematic quality of Hido's images, a characteristic that has become a defining feature of his work.
The Allure of the Night and Implied Narratives
Hido is renowned for his photographs of houses at night, often illuminated by a single light or with a window ajar. These images evoke a sense of loneliness and mystery, inviting viewers to imagine the stories of the people inside. The lights on in the windows give you an indication that maybe there’s life in there, and you imagine the stories of the people inside. The photographs become a sort of implied portrait of the inhabitants. He gravitates towards photographing at night because it was calm and things look quite different under ambient light. It made him look at certain places as scenes, almost like a backlit snow globe.
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He acknowledges the influence of Edward Hopper, recognizing the shared mood and atmosphere in their respective works. One of his proudest moments was many years ago having one of my photographs hanging in the Whitney Museum right next to one of his paintings, and being able to see the kinship of his influence. Hido's photographs often feel like moments captured just before or after something significant occurs, adding to their narrative intrigue. He enjoys implying narrative within the limitations of what photography can do. It doesn’t speak or move, but when you start to put one picture next to another, there’s an absolute connection that flows and becomes more suggestive. At the same time, there's enough ambivalence in the narrative that the meaning of the image can reside in the viewer, which he loves.
The Photographic Portrait: Capturing Unguarded Moments
When asked about the qualities that make photographic portraits stand out, Hido cites Richard Avedon’s portrait of Marilyn Monroe as the epitome of an unguarded moment. It was apparently taken at a moment when she didn’t realize she was supposed to be “on,” and it shows what I gather is the exact opposite of what it was she was trying to portray, most likely your typical flirty persona. He emphasizes the importance of kindness and preparation when photographing people, as well as careful consideration of wardrobe. Wardrobe is obviously a very important component in photographs. You could either go with whatever it is they’re wearing if you’re bound to reality, but if you’re not, it’s very good to have the person bring several different things to wear because having the right clothing makes a tremendous difference.
Hido considers his work with models to be a hybrid between their true selves and the persona they jointly create. As an artist he has always felt that his task is not to create meaning but to charge the air so that meaning can occur. In all his pictures of people or places he sees something of himself…it is no mystery that we can only photograph effectively what we are truly interested in or-maybe more importantly-are grappling with. Often unconsciously. He believes that the exterior of a home at night can be seen as a portrait of its inhabitants, infused with psychological power and mysterious implications.
Process and Technique: Embracing Analog and Digital
Hido's post-production process is rooted in his early training in analog photography. When I first started learning color printing in 1994, there was no such thing. It was analog film and the physical darkroom and the limited amount of things you could do in there. And that forced you to understand that making a good print was basically drawing with light by burning and dodging. Starting with a digital camera as the primary tool (along with some occasional shots from a 126 film Instamatic plastic camera), I then use Lightroom to make archival pigment prints from drum scans of my negatives. He learned how to make images when you had to do it all “in camera” and you couldn’t fix it in “post”. He uses Lightroom to do the same narrow range of things as he did in the analog darkroom. He starts with subtle shifts to the color, and then he moves to opening shadows, and then he starts dodging and burning (and sometimes he ends up burning in parts of what he opened up in the beginning). He rarely ever remove things from his pictures, but he is absolutely not a purist and if there’s a big ugly new car in the background that he doesn’t like, he will delete it in a heartbeat. But one thing he’s never done for his artwork is add things or blend images together. It's not that that's not a valid way or working, it just doesn't interest him. He wants to see what was actually there.
He acknowledges that digital technology has opened up a more cinematic quality to his work, allowing him to handhold the camera in low-light situations. He could use a little lamp and have that light up a model’s face and make a picture that looked like it was taken on a tripod. One of the things he often goes for in his work is he wants to make pictures that are believable. He doesn’t want to make images that look super staged or highly improbable.
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Bookmaking and Curation: A Holistic Approach
Hido views bookmaking as an integral part of his artistic process. He had the faith in me to basically say, “Well, here’s a dummy. Why don’t you go ahead and come back when you have it sequenced and organized?” That worked out perfectly, and that’s been our relationship ever since. He feels lucky to have that relationship with him, and because of that, he’s grown, too. He’s learned a great deal about bookmaking, sequencing, and editing. He is actively involved in the selection and sequencing of images, approaching the wall of a gallery in the same way that a designer would approach a blank page. He makes a scale document and then drag his pictures onto it and shuffle them around. His favorite way to do this is still the most basic, just a piece of 11 x 17 paper with contact sheet sized images. He finds it when you can stand back and see the entire thing at once it gives you a really good idea of how to lay things out. What are the different sightlines? What can you see from room to room? How do you blend or deliniate different bodies of work?, etc.
Hido curated a 2024 exhibition in Paris at his gallery Les filles du Calvaire, and the show in Arles was an expanded layout based on that exhibition. One of the things that he’s learned in his career is that people really do want to know what the artist wants to select for an exhibition and how they want to present their work. We also worked together to propose different colors for the wall to separate the 2 main groups of images- one was very light gray, and the other was almost a pink color. He collaborated with scenographer Amanda Antunes to create a digital layout for the installers, ensuring that the space reflected his artistic vision.
Inspirations and Influences: From Hopper to Vernacular Photography
Hido draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, including Edward Hopper's paintings, found photographs, and the news. He loves to leave books open on his dining room table and walk past them 100 times. He is fascinated by found/vernacular imagery and recognizes the importance of the photographic object. He feels like he’s perfectly situated in this “digital revolution” or whatever you want to call it. He was 100% analog and now he move in the world of digital too. He knows and love that old stuff-some of those pictures that are in his new book are negatives he found at a flea market in a box.
He also acknowledges the influence of Larry Sultan, who encouraged him to explore narrative and push the boundaries of his work. I just re-watched Blade Runner the other day with my son who is interested in filmmaking, and I was totally taken with the idea that they constructed personal memories for the most evolved replicants.
Current Projects and Future Directions
Hido's recent work, including his book "Bright Black World," reflects his engagement with contemporary issues such as climate change and political turmoil. He was already working on a body of work that touched upon climate change in my own way, which is an issue growing far quicker than we could have imagined. That being said, I think my work became even darker in this truly horrific and inescapable political atmosphere in America today. He continues to explore new landscapes and challenge himself creatively, with upcoming projects in Death Valley and other remote locations.
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Advice for Emerging Photographers
Hido advises emerging photographers to immerse themselves in the world of photography by attending exhibitions, book fairs, and openings. The best advice I would have for emerging photographers is something that I hear often echoed by my long time friend and advocate of the medium that we all love, the curator Chris McCall from Pier 24-go to things, go see exhibitions, go to book fairs, look at as much as you possibly can, and I’m not talking about on your phone or on the computer-go to openings! He emphasizes the importance of studying the work of others and developing a critical eye. By taking lots and lots of pictures, critically, looking at them, and then making more. And equally important looking at many, many, more made by others in photo books and also in galleries and museums.