Hello All,
I thought I'd launch a very broad question and see what comes back, if anything.
In the last week or so, I have been embroiled in a protracted thread on the French forum. I was wanting to find out what areas of photography were popular in France and how much effort they put into getting their work published, only to find out that nothing is simple. I hardly got past answer 1 before I had to start defining everything. I am now reduced to "what is beauty?"; once that is answered, they might deign to answer whether they strive to make their pictures beautiful. It's hard work but very instructive, as it does force one to look twice at all these things we take for granted.
Anyway... What would be interesting is to know what the people on the GB forum think is the purpose of their photography, what they hope to get out of it, whether they hope to prove something (if so, what). I'd be curious to hear about people's projects, and how much effort there is to broadcast their work, in one form or another (books, exhibitions, websites, etc).
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles
Le ding dong
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Charles Twist
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Joanna Carter
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Re: Le ding dong
Charles Twist wrote:In the last week or so, I have been embroiled in a protracted thread on the French forum. I was wanting to find out what areas of photography were popular in France and how much effort they put into getting their work published, only to find out that nothing is simple. I hardly got past answer 1 before I had to start defining everything. I am now reduced to "what is beauty?"; once that is answered, they might deign to answer whether they strive to make their pictures beautiful.
Charles
What do you expect from a nation of philosophers? Perhaps you should ask "what is photography" first...
Richard
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Aynsley Cooper
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What is beauty?!!!!! aaaaaarrrghhhh!!!!!!
Go Joanna!, Go Richard!!
Charles - I also like to make images that please me, and as a result I care little what others think of them (subject, of course, to the caveat that I feel able to learn from the observations of other viewers in a myriad of different ways)
Hmm - it may also be because my images are terrible - its a matter of opinion, after all.
The main thing for me, is that my personal work reflects what I feel for the subject. They are (typically) in stark contrast to those that I make professionally.
As to the question - "what is beauty?" - you might as well ask "what is art?" and run away VERY quickly before the explosion catches up with you...
As for the philosophy of it all, and (whisper it - ART!!!) I've tried quite hard to look at the subject. I started quite by accident at "S", with Susan Sontag. Went through Secessionist, Steiglitz, Szarkowsi, Strand, Structuralism, Steichen (in no partcular order) before deciding that there was just SO (see, "S" again) much alphabet that I'd be rather better spending my time making images rather than talking about them. Plus, my French wouldn't hold up to that forum, I suspect.
Now look what you've done! - look at the length of this post!!
Must get outside...starting to hyperventilate...its still daylight....never mind, where are those reciprocity tables...and my torch...
Charles - I also like to make images that please me, and as a result I care little what others think of them (subject, of course, to the caveat that I feel able to learn from the observations of other viewers in a myriad of different ways)
Hmm - it may also be because my images are terrible - its a matter of opinion, after all.
The main thing for me, is that my personal work reflects what I feel for the subject. They are (typically) in stark contrast to those that I make professionally.
As to the question - "what is beauty?" - you might as well ask "what is art?" and run away VERY quickly before the explosion catches up with you...
As for the philosophy of it all, and (whisper it - ART!!!) I've tried quite hard to look at the subject. I started quite by accident at "S", with Susan Sontag. Went through Secessionist, Steiglitz, Szarkowsi, Strand, Structuralism, Steichen (in no partcular order) before deciding that there was just SO (see, "S" again) much alphabet that I'd be rather better spending my time making images rather than talking about them. Plus, my French wouldn't hold up to that forum, I suspect.
Now look what you've done! - look at the length of this post!!
Must get outside...starting to hyperventilate...its still daylight....never mind, where are those reciprocity tables...and my torch...
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Joanna Carter
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Re: What is beauty?!!!!! aaaaaarrrghhhh!!!!!!
Now, now, there, there, just look at my sig and repeat several times a minute until the palpitations subsideAynsley Cooper wrote:...Now look what you've done! - look at the length of this post!!
Must get outside...starting to hyperventilate...its still daylight....never mind, where are those reciprocity tables...and my torch...
Reassure yourself - stroke an Ebony
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Aynsley Cooper
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Aynsley Cooper
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Charles Twist
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Although for the most part, I am happy photographing what is there in such a way as to give a picture that I think is interesting or even pretty, I have to say that forcing myself to think about where my work is heading and the meaning of my work in the context of other people's work, does help to freshen up what I think is interesting or even pretty and how I represent it. Can that be bad?
Charles
Charles
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Aynsley Cooper
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I'm with Nigel on the cost thing, but Charles, I think you are quite right to consider where you are going. I do, and I'm sure we all do to a greater or lesser extent. I just can't seem to get any meaningful result from conversations similar to "What is *****" (insert as appropriate...) - I'm sure that others can, and good luck to them. Just baffles me 
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Ole Tjugen
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Charles Twist
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And there lies the problem...
I'll give you an idea of the type of reasoning I have been faced with on the French forum, where defining is an important matter (especially as I am not fully versed in the ph jargon). Let's say Aynsley that you decide to take better pictures: is that better according to your vision of things, your wife's vision (or equivalent person depending on your circumstances) or according to some notion of absolute perfection? That's what I met with the beauty question. Most people I talked to on the French forum seemed to believe that their own individual version of beauty mattered most in their decision, rather than some notion based on population average or a majority vote. (The case for absolute beauty is hard to argue as it is intangible and to an extent conjectural.)
The problem when you start taking into account other people's notion of better is that your work ends up being impersonal, less original and, well, average (not to mention that you're having to constantly work out what most people will like). The problem with taking your own notion of better is that you end being arrogant and self-centred: your work can become self-referential and of no relevance to the rest of the community. So which way is the best to spend your £3.50? You can only answer that by looking at the "What is ...?" questions. Methinks.
Charles
I'll give you an idea of the type of reasoning I have been faced with on the French forum, where defining is an important matter (especially as I am not fully versed in the ph jargon). Let's say Aynsley that you decide to take better pictures: is that better according to your vision of things, your wife's vision (or equivalent person depending on your circumstances) or according to some notion of absolute perfection? That's what I met with the beauty question. Most people I talked to on the French forum seemed to believe that their own individual version of beauty mattered most in their decision, rather than some notion based on population average or a majority vote. (The case for absolute beauty is hard to argue as it is intangible and to an extent conjectural.)
The problem when you start taking into account other people's notion of better is that your work ends up being impersonal, less original and, well, average (not to mention that you're having to constantly work out what most people will like). The problem with taking your own notion of better is that you end being arrogant and self-centred: your work can become self-referential and of no relevance to the rest of the community. So which way is the best to spend your £3.50? You can only answer that by looking at the "What is ...?" questions. Methinks.
Charles
Hey All - come back to the real world - Square one: Why did you take up photography ?? A: It interests you B: Someone else said you should. (if the answer is 'B' - Sell up and take on knitting. YOU should be taking photographs because you like them, except for commisioned work, Did Van Gogh care if Joe Bloggs said I don't like that !!
As to cost £3.50 +for a sheet of film and processing - What is the cost to get you to the location, both in time and money, Your camera equipment etc. - For me a sheet of velvia including processing is about £5.00 - peanuts - it's the cheapest part of the equation. So what if not every shot is a masterpiece - it is great fun and a cheap way to spend an afternoon/day/week or more. Lie back and enjoy it - Just think of f22 @ 5 seconds
Brian E
As to cost £3.50 +for a sheet of film and processing - What is the cost to get you to the location, both in time and money, Your camera equipment etc. - For me a sheet of velvia including processing is about £5.00 - peanuts - it's the cheapest part of the equation. So what if not every shot is a masterpiece - it is great fun and a cheap way to spend an afternoon/day/week or more. Lie back and enjoy it - Just think of f22 @ 5 seconds
Brian E
Gandolfiuser