Nostalgia
Another day and another discussion with photographers who are trying to figure out how to survive.
Today's conversation focused on nostalgia and why print buyers (notice that I didn't say collectors) are set on buying photos of things and places they've never experienced; some place or thing that was before their time. It reminds me of hipsters who wore clothes from the 70s and 80s, and bought vinyl records.
Two of the photographers questioned if they would continue to take photos if the photos were never to see the light of day, garner interest, or if there are also 100 other photographers taking photos of the same thing.
I thought it was a fair question and I can relate to interest only being shown towards my most earliest work. It is frustrating and can make you question if anything today is not only photo worthy but print worthy as well.
I try to read as many articles as I can about the current climate of photography but there's rarely an article that isn't about someone's massive social media following or how the smartphone has turned everyone into a photographer and that has rendered photography dead as a form of art.
Am I worried? You're damn right I am! I'm worried that the couple thousands of prints in my archive will become worthless and end up in the trash after I'm gone. I'm worried that this climate will stop me from printing whether from lack of interest or the finances to pay for the supplies needed to print.
Mostly I'm worried that so much damage has been done to the medium that it will never recover, or at least in my lifetime. I use to think I was the only photographer who felt this way but these group conversations I've had lately made me realize that others are worried too, really worried.
Today's conversation focused on nostalgia and why print buyers (notice that I didn't say collectors) are set on buying photos of things and places they've never experienced; some place or thing that was before their time. It reminds me of hipsters who wore clothes from the 70s and 80s, and bought vinyl records.
Two of the photographers questioned if they would continue to take photos if the photos were never to see the light of day, garner interest, or if there are also 100 other photographers taking photos of the same thing.
I thought it was a fair question and I can relate to interest only being shown towards my most earliest work. It is frustrating and can make you question if anything today is not only photo worthy but print worthy as well.
I try to read as many articles as I can about the current climate of photography but there's rarely an article that isn't about someone's massive social media following or how the smartphone has turned everyone into a photographer and that has rendered photography dead as a form of art.
Am I worried? You're damn right I am! I'm worried that the couple thousands of prints in my archive will become worthless and end up in the trash after I'm gone. I'm worried that this climate will stop me from printing whether from lack of interest or the finances to pay for the supplies needed to print.
Mostly I'm worried that so much damage has been done to the medium that it will never recover, or at least in my lifetime. I use to think I was the only photographer who felt this way but these group conversations I've had lately made me realize that others are worried too, really worried.
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