I want to talk about photography.
Not famous photos or works of art but simply the act, which we are all, willingly or not, participating in constantly.
My own picture making education began in an era when digital cameras were not affordable or accessible or even of interest to the average student of the medium. I remember having lengthy discussions with teachers and classmates concerning how digital cameras would change “things”, but never could we have predicted just how much. I started this writing as a personal exercise but since it only seems to have become more relevant I am posting it here as a conversation starter for any one else thinking about this.
I identified four distinct characteristics that most effect the way we are making pictures, today. These differences are, without a doubt, having a profound effect on the uses and meaning of photography in everyday life. Since its inception Photography has effected how we see ourselves. Ubiquitous, virtual, distributed and immediate; the tendencies of contemporary vernacular photography have made an entirely different kind picture of ourselves, because our selves have been made different by it.
I'll post my thoughts on each in the coming weeks and I encourage you to comment and share any, anecdotes, links or images that it brings to mind, so we can explore the idea further, together.
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