boring

[Chris101]

Ah - I read you paper that you submitted with the project. But reading around the part where Dear old Roland searching his old photograph in vane, looking for the woman who provided him with everything he ever had, including his life, we are struck (... repeatedly 🙄 ) that she exists only in his mental world, and we cannot go there.

Any photograph is thus. Outside of our world, and they are all boring. And your project? One boring photograph after another. (I love the inclusion of exotic locations!) But ya know, to a select few - the subjects themselves or someone very close to one of them, would construct an entire world out of one of these pictures. Even though all the pictures look the same, each contains an individual. Each of those individuals will make a connection with that photo, and through that, your entire series.

I'd probably give you an A for this project, then advise that you file it away - it's boring. But you have distilled your concepts well. Use what you have learned about a connected series and go do something better. I can't wait.

 

[antiquark]

As other's have said, boring is in the eye of the beholder.

If you show your picture to a child, and he thinks it's boring, then that doesn't tell you much.

If you show your picture to Steve McCurry, and he thinks it's boring, then maybe it really is boring.

Usually when someone doesn't like your picture, it's informative to look at their flickr favorites to see what kind of pictures they like. Then it's easy to tell if they have a similar aesthetic as you. If they like what you like, then their judgement should have more weight.

However, in a philosophic sense, I think it is possible for a picture to be objectively boring.

 

[pmun]

Thanks everyone for commenting, but many people here seem to be under the impression, that I've asked somewhere: What do you think about my photos? No where have I done that, this is the philosophy forum, it's about ideas. I'm asking about ideas that are related to photography in general.

In a sense, I'm honoured that people are so keen to look at and comment on something that most people find boring and persist in doing so. But you don't have do, really. It's fine. Think about the ideas. It's not about urbanpaths.

 

[pmun]

Ah - I read you paper that you submitted with the project. But reading around the part where Dear old Roland searching his old photograph in vane, looking for the woman who provided him with everything he ever had, including his life, we are struck (... repeatedly 🙄 ) that she exists only in his mental world, and we cannot go there.

Any photograph is thus. Outside of our world, and they are all boring. And your project? One boring photograph after another. (I love the inclusion of exotic locations!) But ya know, to a select few - the subjects themselves or someone very close to one of them, would construct an entire world out of one of these pictures. Even though all the pictures look the same, each contains an individual. Each of those individuals will make a connection with that photo, and through that, your entire series.

I'd probably give you an A for this project, then advise that you file it away - it's boring. But you have distilled your concepts well. Use what you have learned about a connected series and go do something better. I can't wait.

Thanks Chris101 for casting a keen eye on some of the ideas here. It's interesting how you applied Barthes so directly to urbanpaths (dare I mention that). A Well written and funny response; I'd give you an A too.

 

[pmun]

However, in a philosophic sense, I think it is possible for a picture to be objectively boring.

It follows that it is possible for a picture to be boring and that if someone thinks it's interesting, or just not boring, they've got it wrong or missed something. They've missed it's inherrent 'boringness'. Do you think that is the case?

 

[Roger Hicks]

It follows that it is possible for a picture to be boring and that if someone thinks it's interesting, or just not boring, they've got it wrong or missed something. They've missed it's inherent 'boringness'. Do you think that is the case?

Elegant!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Oscar Levant]

This thread is an example of pretentious empathy over reality.

 

[pmun]

On the other hand, the photos of your daughter are very good. It looks like your wife took a lot of them.
* NOTE: It seems as though "PMUN" deleted all the photos referenced above after this was posted.

I don't know if it's common practice for you to start prying into people's private lives, but those addresses where not given out to anyone. You decided to use the routing on my mac storage to navigate away from urbanpaths to look at photos that are intended for my family and friends (as well as old pages from other sites I've had in the past). Perhaps you wanted to see what kind of guy I am. Well if I want to show you photos of my daughter, I will do - OK.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I don't know if it's common practice for you to start prying into people's private lives, but those addresses where not given out to anyone. You decided to use the routing on my mac storage to navigate away from urbanpaths to look at photos that are intended for my family and friends (as well as old pages from other sites I've had in the past). Perhaps you wanted to see what kind of guy I am. Well If I want to show you photos of my daughter, I will do - OK.

Hold on. Once it's on the web -- even if it requires a degree of creative navigation -- how 'private' is it?

Also -- please forgive me if this also seems an intrusion into your 'privacy' -- does your attitude to 'private lives' and 'prying' have any influence on your photography of strangers?

As I say, I'm not trying to intrude, or be rude, and thus far I think I've accepted your questions at face value; but this seems to me to go beyond face value.

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[Oscar Levant]

Uh, excuse me. You posted a public link to a website. By simply clicking on your own links embedded within that website, I came upon another PUBLIC website in which you not only freely posted your photos but invited comments.

If it wasn't meant for public consumption, you should not have posted it or password protected it.

I had no intention of "exposing" anything personal of yours and looking at a public website is not like I hacked into something you didn't want viewed.

Your claim that I used your "routing" is absurd. You posted all those things freely on a .mac web address intended for the public.

In any case, I apologize if you somehow didn't realize this, I have no desire to expose any photos of your family you didn't want viewed.

Once you put something online, ANYONE can look at it. You should keep that in mind.

 

[pmun]

Hold on. Once it's on the web -- even if it requires a degree of creative navigation -- how 'private' is it?

Well I've had to remove it temporarily until I password protect my family site to stop an over-curious forumer from prying. It's personal stuff of my family - not a subject for discussion here.

Also -- please forgive me if this also seems an intrusion into your 'privacy' -- does your attitude to 'private lives' and 'prying' have any influence on your photography of strangers?

As I say, I'm not trying to intrude, or be rude, and thus far I think I've accepted your questions at face value; but this seems to me to go beyond face value.

Tashi delek,

R.

Yes it does, I only photograph those who come into my path, I never follow anybody and always photograph discreetly and unobtrusively. In fact one of the reasons I exclude the face is to respect people's identities.

Besides, my project isn't about individuals, it's about humanity. And this thread is about 'boring', not urbanpaths. If you have any other questions about urbanpaths or privacy, feel free to email me. Thanks for your interest.

 

[pmun]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BillP
Alongside the many comments from people who found your project "boring" there were many others who took the time to engage and offer you constructive criticism.



Whoa, I read through that entire thread on LUF and this thread here on RFF.

I am not interested in the concept of boring, but I am curious about some of the concepts behind pmu's project.

My first question is for you to elaborate on your response to BillP. Bear in mind that as a matter of fact there were people who did write considered opinions on the LUF thread. What I wonder is whether you just simply deny this fact or you dispute the view that the considered opinions offered were just not constructive? Either way I am curious enough to ask why you think so.

Second, I disagree with most who call the project concept boring or uninteresting. I find the concept of walking through urban streets quite intriguing, as I find images of everyday life such a rich, unaffected topic.
What I didn't think very strong was the sameness, the monotony in the compositions. I assume that was done for emphasis, but it becomes visually stale, even though I would grant that it does emphasize the monotony. I think there are other ways the monotony of the scenes could've been emphasized yet have kept the compositions more visually varied and engaging.

I hope you don't mind, but to keep this thread on track (just in case we can explore the idea futher), I've started another thread about urbanpaths in this same section.

 

[mackigator]

This thread is even kind of boring. Certainly photos can be as well.

 

[jfretless]

Pmun,
I came across this thread and then followed the link to your site and images. I must say that I spent less than five seconds on your site, one to one in half seconds on each page, briefly scanning the images. The first thing I said to myself when I saw the images of peoples legs, from behind no less... "This guy doesn't have the "courage" (for lack of a better word) to look these people in the face and take a picture of them, so he follows them taking pictures of the backs of their legs." ...much easier to do that. I lost interest after that and left.

You can't force people to see what you see, the way you see it. If I don't like lamb, I don't like lamb. No matter how good the story behind how the lamb was prepared, that's not going to change the fact I don't like lamb.

John

 

[antiquark]

It follows that it is possible for a picture to be boring and that if someone thinks it's interesting, or just not boring, they've got it wrong or missed something. They've missed it's inherrent 'boringness'. Do you think that is the case?

No, what I'm saying is that there are pictures that EVERYONE finds boring.

Although in hindsight, I should have said "almost everyone." Because there will always be the odd wiseacre who claims that a boring picture is deeply interesting, if only for the sake of argument.

For example, I bet that most people find the following picture boring:
http://www.spca.bc.ca/Kids/Images/Resize_of_rock_activity0013.JPG
🙂

 

[pmun]

No, what I'm saying is that there are pictures that EVERYONE finds boring.

Although in hindsight, I should have said "almost everyone." Because there will always be the odd wiseacre who claims that a boring picture is deeply interesting, if only for the sake of argument.

For example, I bet that most people find the following picture boring:
http://www.spca.bc.ca/Kids/Images/Resize_of_rock_activity0013.JPG
🙂

I see, so we're back to consensus by the look of it, if enough people think it's boring, it must be boring. My response to that is: have a look at post 31, how would you answer that?

 

[MCTuomey]

This thread is even kind of boring. Certainly photos can be as well.

+1 But then why did I post twice? 😱

 

[Sonnar Brian]

>I suppose one of the issues at stake here is the ability to imagine - bring something to
>your viewing and not to expect it all to be spoon-fed to you.

That's a very condescending remark. If that's the attitude that you have of those viewing your work, it's bound to be confrontational.

 

[pmun]

>I suppose one of the issues at stake here is the ability to imagine - bring something to
>your viewing and not to expect it all to be spoon-fed to you.

That's a very condescending remark. If that's the attitude that you have of those viewing your work, it's bound to be confrontational.

Fourtunately it isn't. That remark was not made about urbanpaths. It was made about viewing generally (post 5).

 

[Al Kaplan]

If you put it out there for all to see then you don't need to worry if somebody sees it. Be forthright and honest. Keep no secrets. You take boring photograhs? Great! Brag about it!