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06-22-2013, 10:12 PM   #1
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Humanity takes millions of photos every day. Why are most so forgettable?

An interesting article on current photography.

Humanity takes millions of photos every day. Why are most so forgettable? - The Globe and Mail

Phil.

06-22-2013, 11:24 PM   #2
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I agree with a lot that was written...
But it seems like he comes from a bitter frame of mind too. With cameras and camera phones being so cheap and plentiful, there is no longer exclusivity in being a "photographer".
Also, cameras and software is so advanced that you have to almost try to not get a technically acceptable pic. The hard part now, as it has always been, is to take a meaningful, interesting, thought prooking picture.
But the whole idea of not choosing a photo as a contest winner reeks of snobbery and bitterness.
06-22-2013, 11:29 PM   #3
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That is a very interesting and thought provoking article. Thank you for posting the link.
06-22-2013, 11:35 PM   #4
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Good article.

06-23-2013, 01:03 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by cali92rs Quote
I agree with a lot that was written...
But it seems like he comes from a bitter frame of mind too. With cameras and camera phones being so cheap and plentiful, there is no longer exclusivity in being a "photographer".
Also, cameras and software is so advanced that you have to almost try to not get a technically acceptable pic. The hard part now, as it has always been, is to take a meaningful, interesting, thought prooking picture.
But the whole idea of not choosing a photo as a contest winner reeks of snobbery and bitterness.
+1 on that.
Yes, the digital age made photography easy accessible to the masses. It seems that Mr Brown forgets something fundamental: Not everybody thinks alike.
Some/lots of people actually enjoy taking snapshots and have no ambition to become great photogs. Somehow in this article there is indeed a taste of bitterness and it seems bitterness over the fact that he is a dying breed. He sounds weary too, maybe it`s time for him to retire?
06-23-2013, 01:24 AM   #6
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The difference is not that photography is now almost exclusively digital, but it is now incredibly easy to make any crappy photo public property.

Back in the day there were still millions of terrible photos being taken every day, and film labs were getting rich on them; however, only good stuff taken by pros got noticed by anyone else.
06-23-2013, 01:43 AM - 1 Like   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by gofour3 Quote
Humanity takes millions of photos every day. Why are most so forgettable?
For the same reason millions will be born every year and most of these lives will be "forgettable" - so what else is new?

06-23-2013, 01:48 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
The difference is not that photography is now almost exclusively digital, but it is now incredibly easy to make any crappy photo public property.

Back in the day there were still millions of terrible photos being taken every day, and film labs were getting rich on them; however, only good stuff taken by pros got noticed by anyone else.
True but what is a good photograph? He is also talking absolute numbers, I would like to know if things procentage-wise changed? But then again, that would also be very subjective, wouldn`t it?
06-23-2013, 04:01 AM - 2 Likes   #9
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They may not be forgettable to the people who took them.

Last edited by Aristophanes; 06-24-2013 at 05:42 PM.
06-23-2013, 04:01 AM   #10
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Interesting article, but more than a hint of bitter in there, when words like "beautiful images: astonishing pictures" are being used in the same sentence.

But he can't be all bad, as he very pro Magnum.
06-23-2013, 04:49 AM   #11
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Then again, billions of humans learn to write and read. Yet how much do we read and write that comes even close to being profound, or even slightly coherent

It is the focus and distillation of emotion/idea into a diamond like clarity while retaining the ability to communicate to the many that distinguishes great art in any medium. But great art is not personal speech, nor can it be. Good personal speech does benefit from focus and clarity and communicativeness; but establishing a connection with another or a group would be the primary purpose.
06-23-2013, 06:06 AM   #12
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Most people dont take photographs with some great intellectual/arty purpose. Photographs are taken for fun.

So if a couple stands in front of the Golden gate bridge with a point and shoot and holds it at arms length to shoot themselves together in front of the bridge, its not going to be a work of art. They may look at it once or twice and never again. So what?
06-23-2013, 07:02 AM - 1 Like   #13
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If this is him I would have to say something about stones and glass houses.
Ian Brown Photography
06-23-2013, 09:02 AM   #14
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I guess the judges who couldn't find a winner are the last great photographers left to mankind. Everyone else should hang up their cameras and go home.
06-23-2013, 09:29 AM   #15
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Thanks for sharing.
But there are also many forgettable pieces written by writers, forgettable painting by painters, forgettable design by engineers, forgettable surgeries by doctors, etc.
Not sure why is this being a topic? oh... add to the pile of forgettable piece of writings?

people took photo to please themselves, not to create an unforgettable art, at least for me.
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