Philosophical: Photography "too easy" ?

[Soocom1]

Bingo!

 

[Designer]

Carrying the hand-writing analogy into further detail; there was a time when school children were drilled in cursive writing to the point that it should have been considered an art form, but lately, digital "word processing" has largely displaced cursive writing. What we now have is simply an easier way to put one's thoughts on record. Back in the fountain pen days, I used to hate writing for fear of making a mistake, and therefore would have to start the whole page over. My writing suffered for it. These days, it is so easy to correct mistakes that the content could be considered as having received the most attention, not the mechanics.

Back to photography; when one was concerned with how many shots remained on the roll, and how much it cost to produce a viewable image, people were much more careful about shot selection and execution. Now with digital, taking 3 or 4, or even 34 shots is not particularly taxing, so we see not as much care being put into shot selection and execution. The "spray and pray" folks do sometimes get a good shot, but it's not because they put a lot of thought or effort into it.

My point is that the mechanics of photography have changed a lot, but the principles of composition have not. Artistic expression can be accomplished using film, digital, pastels, water colors, charcoal, or whatever, so I think we need to look beyond the media and consider the content. Unfortunately, typical comments in social media tend toward evaluating the subject, rather than the skill involved in making a photograph.

 

[smoke665]

@Designer your comments on handwriting really hit home. I received a handwritten letter from a former high school teacher and friend of the family a couple weeks ago. She is 92, the letter was in cursive and done with the old fashion fountain pen she always used. The letter itself was art, perfectly formed lettering, crisp and clean, not a mistake anywhere, on fine stationary. Nothing like the crude chicken scratches I do.

edit: But to go a step further, this lady mastered the "art" of penmanship eons ago, it means something to her, and the fact that she still does it well, is a testament to how well she learned the art. In today's instant gratification world, I fear that the ease of adding preset effects to any digital image turns many off from wanting to actually learn the art. Why put in the effort, click on a preset, share to social media, and listen to all the mindless likes by similar people who don't know or care about the difference.

 

[Derrel]

Has Photography Gotten Too Easy?

The COMMENTS to the above blog article are very good! Like this one, by 'Rob L.'

"In a word, codswallop."

I"t's easier, yes to take pictures. Still just as hard to make art. Vivian Maier wouldn't have done much with a 4x5. There's so many people who have learned how to communicate visually with their smartphones, so many of whom would never have thought themselves to use a 'real' camera. So, yes, much of what's being created today is banal - that's a matter of scale, but it's a problem that existed in the heydays of camera clubs and endless slideshows set to Enya cd's, but the audience is bigger, and wider, and more varied now."

"Discovery is easier than it's ever been, and harder than its ever been, but put a random word into Flickr, or instagram, and(okay, yes, avoiding the porn, yes), look at all the amazing stuff!For every album of 'hey-i-have-an-infrared-camera-and-went-to-a-graveyard' there's a set of insane images from someone you've never heard of. A beautiful, poetic yin/yang shot of a some's kid and their cat, sleeping. Cotton Candy sunsets reflected in the sunglasses of a girl that it's obvious the photographer is deeply smitten by."

"Hell with art. A lot more emotions on display now than there ever were, and I find that far more satisfying."

Posted by: Rob L. | Tuesday, 09 April 2019 at 12:08 AM

 

[SquarePeg]

@Original katomi since you seemed to take exception with my comment by marking it disagree, then maybe you could explain how or why you disagree with my comment, rather then marking and moving on. Do you also disagree with Squarepeg, socoom1, or others who've said the same? Maybe you also disagree with some your own comments?

It's a disagree button, not an insult or an attack or a mark against you. This is an overreaction. Also, it's possible that it was marked Disagree in error. I know when I'm on my phone I frequently hit the wrong tag.

 

[wfooshee]

Taking pictures is way easier than it used to be.

Getting pictures out there for people to see is infinitely easier than it used to be!

Taking pictures people want to see isn't any easier than it's ever been. Digital makes it easier to do a lot of the creative things that chemistry made difficult or messy, but it also introduces enough of its own difficulties (learning the software, storing, indexing, and tagging the files, etc.) that i wouldn't necessarily call production easier.

 

[Original katomi]

@Original katomi since you seemed to take exception with my comment by marking it disagree, then maybe you could explain how or why you disagree with my comment, rather then marking and moving on. Do you also disagree with Squarepeg, socoom1, or others who've said the same? Maybe you also disagree with some your own comments?

Sorry I have done what?
Have I pressed something help here please

 

[limr]

Poor example because letters never have been art.

I completely disagree. Writing is an art, and letter-writing is included - or was included - in this; it was not just transactional.

Regular conversation. Not art.

Kind of the point. Conveying messages became easier and cheaper - more conversational and transactional - and so they spent less time on the message, were not so invested in the medium. And so they lost the art of writing a well-crafted, artful, meaningful letter.

Edit for clarity: I'm not referring to penmanship.

 

[smoke665]

Sorry I have done what?
Have I pressed something help here please

You checked the disagree button on my comment (post #5) on page one. If it was in error then you can scroll back to it and "undo" your rating. It's easy to hit the disagree button in error. No harm no foul. If it was not in error, then I asked why you had disagreed with my comment.

 

[Soocom1]

Read up on Liberal Arts education and go from there.

The popular form of photography is always "good enough" for most.
But a few want something higher end. To achieve that one needs a more complete education.

 

[Original katomi]

Smoke, 665 Hi er which one is the button as yes it was a mis press.

 

[smoke665]

Smoke, 665 Hi er which one is the button as yes it was a mis press.

PM sent

 

[Original katomi]

To smoke665 and to all others the disagree on #5 was an error I right hand thumb swipe and have hit the button in error.
Sorry all

 

[limr]

To smoke665 and to all others the disagree on #5 was an error I right hand thumb swipe and have hit the button in error.
Sorry all

No need to apologize to everyone. The disagree button isn't a "punishment" button. It's simply a way to express disagreement. There is no obligation to explain further. And hitting it by mistake is also just a mistake - not some kind of forum faux pas

 

[Original katomi]

Reading Designer’s post there some good points made.
As a child I had an illness that’s affects fine motor control so writing for me was hell still is lol
The pc and word processing means that people can read what I write like digital photography it allows me to push back the limits on my dreams.. even though my wayward thumb gets me into trouble....I am now wondering how many others I have upset without knowing... is there a linch mob heading my way.. if so can somebody please photo it. Lol