The evolution right now is interesting. It’s almost limitless what you can do with technology changing as it is. You can create and distribute anything and have your images seen in so many different environments and so many different ways. But conversely, having the infinite possibilities detracts from the tradition and the craft sometimes. I like to think that there’s room in this world for user-generated content and iPhone snapshots to beautiful platinum prints.
via Suzee Barrabee of Goodby Silverstein & Partners « Heather Elder Represents Blog.
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“It’s the most exciting time for photojournalism in my lifetime, I wish I was young again.”
That’s what my Mizzou photoj professor Angus MacDougall said to me a couple of years ago, when I was mourning the demise of the newspaper industry.
“It’s like the wild west out there,” he said with a wry smile.
Mac would pass away the next year at age 92, but once again he gave the the kick in the ass I needed to get excited about telling stories again.
The tools & platforms today are limitless and ever-changing, but the mission will always remain the same. “Show truth with pictures,” as Mac’s predecessor Cliff Edom used to say.
Tradition? Craft? FYI – its over.
90% of people would walk into that room and pick the brightest pretties one. Because for the majority of people that’s all they may need. So us, that spend time with our craft, hone the photos, create the best photo we can, we very well get beat out by someone who didn’t spend any time at all. Who is right.. that’s subjective.
So now more then ever, I don’t think it’s how you photograph, it’s going to be who you know (it’s always been), and how loud you are on the internet.
It kind of parallels the app market. The first apps were buggy. Then they got good, there were only a few. Then with globalization with the market expanding to more amateur developers, the market exploded. Most people only scroll through the top 10 in the app store. Other find apps from other people talking about them. Much like I think photography is heading towards if not already there. And cheaper is better.
In regards to tradition and the craft, I feel that it is still relevant. The technology may change, but a great image will still be a great image. There is great iPhone-ography and there are the snapshots. I believe that if some of the masters were alive today, they would approach there methods the same but would be able to generate so much more work. due to the workflow being so streamlined. Conversely, if you refer to the craft being printmaking in a darkroom, if you took some of today’s artists and through them back 35 years, they may be lost in a darkroom instead of Lightroom.
Distribution, yes. There are so many outlets for images to be shown. It’s interesting she pushes getting it right in-camera, though that goes with her appreciation of traditional images. Great interview.
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