A Photography Aperitif in Rome: Martin Parr, Bruce Davidson, and the Easiest Way to Talk About Photography
On Wednesday, July 1, at 6:30 p.m., we'll meetat Daylight School fora photography-themed happy hour.
The idea is simple: to get together, look at photography books, and talk about photography without a set structure. It’s not a class, it’s not a presentation, and it’s not a workshop. It’s a gathering.
There will be two books on the table:*The Last Resort*by Martin ParreThe Way Backby Bruce Davidson.
Two well-known works, but above all, two very different approaches to street photography and documentary photography.
Two books that need no introduction—just time
Parr and Davidson belong to two almost opposite traditions.
Parr creates images that strike an immediate chord. Vivid colors, recognizable compositions, and everyday situations that seem strange precisely because they are observed with such clarity. He does not seek emotional distance, nor does he seek involvement. He occupies a middle ground, and this makes his work difficult to reduce to a single interpretation.
*The Last Resort* isone of those books you can flip through quickly and then go back to. Because what seems obvious is never entirely so.
Davidson, on the other hand, works differently.*The Way Back*is a book that takes time. The images don’t work through immediate impact, but through accumulation. There’s a long-term relationship with the people, the places, and the situations.
It’s not photography about “capturing” moments. It’s photography about “being in the moment.”
Putting these two books side by side isn't about deciding which one is better or more important. It's about seeing how much the way we describe reality can change, even within the same discipline.
Looking at photographs together, without definitive explanations
We won't be conducting a structured analysis during the evening.
There will be no organized critical reading, and we will not seek definitive interpretations.
We'll simply flip through the books together. Some of us will pause at one photograph, others at another. Some of us will notice a detail that others missed.
It's a very direct way to engage with photographic works: viewing them as a group and letting the conversations develop on their own.
It often happens that a photograph doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. And that's exactly where the discussion gets interesting.
Why Host a Photo Aperitif?
In recent years, we've seen that many of the most valuable moments for photographers aren't directly related to classes.
These are more informal moments.
A conversation after a class.
A discussion that began over a book.
A conversation between people who may have only known each other for a short time but share the same interest.
Photography is an individual practice, but it grows significantly when shared with others—not to receive the “right” answers, but to see how the same work is interpreted in different ways.
That's whyDaylight School's photography happy hourswere created.
Not to teach something in a lecture-style format, but to create opportunities where photography becomes a topic for discussion, not just for study.
Who is this for?
You don't have to be a professional photographer.
You don't need a portfolio.
You don't need to be familiar with Parr or Davidson beforehand.
All you need is an interest in photography and a desire to look at pictures with other people.
Some come out of curiosity, others to exchange ideas, and still others to meet other photographers in Rome.
Meeting Details
Wednesday, July 1,
6:30 p.m.
Daylight School – Rome
Photography Aperitif with:
- The Last Resort—Martin Parr
- The Way Back—Bruce Davidson
If you're interested in street photography or photojournalism—or if you just want to spend an evening casually chatting about photos—come spend the evening with us!