Where Photography Go?

[mark]

I do it for the women.

[bjorke]

Well why didn't you just say so instead of all this talk about the "demise" of photography and "mass production."

I am working on verbs. Nouns are easy. Verbs are hard. Especially if you are trying to avoid closed-form narrative. I prefer photos that are open-ended, more poems than stories.

That, and the chicks.

[Wayne Olson]

Remember when just a decent "snap" was a thrill? Then you got into the "artsy" shots. Then you got this idea in your head that this could be more than mere recording of events or literal representations of the world around you.

"Yup, that looks like an old car sittin' in a field all right." Or some such response. For a while, we're happy with that reaction.

Yet we keep looking and soon begin to see. Then we get off in the weeds for a while with the technical side. Oh, how we agonize over the 1/10th stop accuracy of our light meters. The precise measurement of our chemicals. We wonder how we can ever get the perfect tilt, swing and/or rise.

And then, we end the struggle with our technique and begin to visualize. We begin to process what we see through our own emotions and experiences. And soon, we find ourselves painting with light.

And before too long, we realize that because we've begun to feel a powerful and intimate connection to the images we create, so do others. We then realize that it isn't just art, it is communication at one of the deepest levels.

Although I mentally title most of my photographs, I generally don't label them. I let the viewer have their own experience with the image. Sometimes they share it with me. Other times they don't. But when they do, it's rarely the perception or feeling that I had. It's always personal and far more interesting than mine.

Wayne

[nolanr66]

I think film photography will level out at some point and find it's place in the world again. There will always be film and those that love this format..I am not a die hard about anything in photography. I shoot film still but then I scan it. I think we can all agree that digital photography is the future of imaging. That is where the money and new developments are at. When movies went from silent to sound there was a lot of commotion over that. But there is no holding back the times.

[Bromo33333]

I think film photography will level out at some point and find it's place in the world again. [...]

I would tend to agree. Even Vinyl records - the closest analogy to the current film situation I have found - shrank, stabilized and is now growing again (albeit it won't be as big as it was before - and some of the best turntables ever done are available now, actually)

[Woolliscroft]

Vinyl records, ah another of my weaknesses. The trouble is that most people have never heard a well looked after record played through a real HiFi system and so have no idea just how good they are compared to CD. Likewise, most people have never seen their photographs at their best and so don't know how good film is. I used to teach photography and it used to frustrate me that so many of the students would buy expensive cameras and lenses and then get tatty col neg consumer film and have it printed by the cheapest available local mini lab. That said, most people probably don't care. If aunty Mary is recognisable in their snaps, or they can hear the tune on their ipod, they're happy.

David.

[radiantdarkroom]

Well the mass geekness factor in digital photography has really, I mean really taking over for now. A lot of monkeying around around for less than excetional photos in the end. Once the fad is over, the art expression will come back.

Gonzo all the way, digital is the new dumb.

Cheers,

Chris

[Bromo33333]

Well the mass geekness factor in digital photography has really, I mean really taking over for now. A lot of monkeying around around for less than excetional photos in the end. Once the fad is over, the art expression will come back.

In my opinion if D689%^85L offered superior pictures, really, then my attitude would be "it's a fair cop." But so far, it hasn't done anything but win on the convenience factor.