Originally posted by Rondec I don't think he is right. Photography has broadened and that means that there is room for more than one vision. I was never a big fan of Polaroids. Yes, they were instantaneous, but they were poor quality rubbish with regard to quality. But that was his vision and I wouldn't attack it. No more would I attack folks who have a passion for HDR or for oversaturated stuff on Instagram now.
I do think in a few years a lot of them will tire of that look and either drop out of photography or move on to something else, but that's probably part of life and growth.
Certainly photography is far from over.
Well said.
First off, the title of the article is a little misleading. Much of it is about his new exhibit. The "photography is dead" idea is a minor part. I disagree with the notion that it's dead. It's simply changed, just as taking Polaroids in the 70s was worlds away from the portraits made decades before that. I bet there were plenty of mid-century photographers who felt the same as Wenders does now--that the art form is on the brink of death.
Things change. Art changes. Thank goodness! I think selfies are obnoxious, but I also see smart phones as a way to put very intuitive technology into the hands of the masses. As with Polaroids, cell phone pics are mostly garbage, but these two technologies are very similar in their promise. (Will there be a similar art exhibit 50 years from now that exalts iPhone snapshots?) This is another step forward, a change that reflects the changes all throughout society. I think the DSLR may someday die, but photography itself will continue to evolve and flourish.