Photography Culture

Why Magnum’s Stuart Franklin Chose This Odd Photo

Chris Gampat
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10/19/2022
3 Mins read
SQ-PRINT-FRS-1022

There aren’t many photos of trees in this year’s Magnum Photos Square Print sale. But just in case you happen to be into them, famed Magnum Photographer Stuart Franklin has you covered. The photo, shot with his smartphone, is a metaphor for the answer he gave when we asked about the curiosity for sale. Franklin is well known for a variety of iconic images, such as Tiananmen Square. But now, you can add this little oddity to your collection!

Indeed, this photo is much different from a lot of Stuart’s work. His photos typically show the world in a documentary style full of important details. That’s what made me curious about his image, as I thought it was a specific statement. So I asked:

So what made you want to photograph this tree? At least in my mind, I think of mother nature crying out for help. But that’s just me, what do you feel? More specifically, what made you choose this photo for the print sale? Why does it stand out to you so much?

Chris Gampat

I think we can all say that it’s an intriguing choice. And as Mr. Franklin stated, there is no rhyme or reason behind it. He said:

Well, it was fresh in my mind, from a few weeks ago in Italy. I happen to like it. What else can I say? Should I withdraw it? Does it offend you/anyone? Maybe someone will like it. I think it’s suitably ambiguous. You made a story from it. Other stories will differ. That for me is the joy of photography. Its broad appeal.

Stuart Franklin

Some mornings we wake up and choose chaos, and that’s what I felt after reading his answer. If you happen to buy this image, think of all the curious places you could put it. Here are some fun recommendations:

  • Near window light where you somehow or another think the tree might grow
  • On your fridge, so your nephew can put googly eyes on it
  • In your kitchen above the counter, where the tree will forever look down on you and scowl
  • Along your staircase, where you might have other random collections such as vintage maps
  • In your closet, where it will spook you every time you open the door
  • In your restaurant as your pothos plant slowly takes over the walls

Of course, we’re messing around, and any artist has the right to not speak about their work just as anyone has a right to question the artist’s intentions. Stuart has a history of not explaining his images, but he surely hopes people feel and imagine things.

There are lots of other photos available this year for the Magnum Square Print Sale. I’ve seen a few very iconic images from previous Magnum Print Sales adorning peoples’ walls. Will this one by Stuart Franklin end up near your window light?

The Magnum Square Print Sale

The Magnum Square Print Sale takes place on their website and ends on October 23rd, 2022. You can buy this image from Stuart Franklin and more. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get your hands on some wonderful Magnum Photos prints from photographers you love. In previous years, we’ve had an affiliate relationship tie in, but this year we’re just profiling a few photographers we admire. 

magnum Magnum photographers magnum photos smartphone square print sale Stuart Franklin
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.