Empowering Photographers To Embrace An Uncertain Future

[kbg32]

"...move into the future with some excitement rather than fear and with a more empowered sense of choices, rather than the sense of being of less value."

- Susan Meiselas

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/...p=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=3

 

[Bob Michaels]

Susan Meiselas is a very forward thinker. I have a first edition of her book "Carnival Strippers" which contains the audio CD of her interview / discussions with the working girls. Considering this was done in the early 1970's while she was a student at Sarah Lawrence and Harvard, she was definitely ahead of the pack.

She does pose you some interesting topics brought about by technological advancements which we should consider. Spoiler: her thoughts have nothing to do with lens signatures, boken, sensors, or even cameras and lenses.

 

[kbg32]

I'm glad "her thoughts have nothing to do with lens signatures, boken, sensors, or even cameras and lenses", Bob. That is a topic that is forever done to death here on RFF.

 

[Roger Hicks]

When I hear the word "empowered" I release the safety catch on my Browning (apologies to Johst). It's one of those words that's normally used to mean "look, aren't I clever, unlike the rest of you peasants". I have nothing against her photography -- in fact I admire it -- but although she has a way with pictures she does NOT have a way with words. I just couldn't read this pretentious outpouring (I tried several times), so it's hard to tell if she was saying anything useful or not.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sparrow]

... empowering to embrace eh? ... I agree with Roger, even the attribution of the quote

 

[stompyq]

I don't think I got anything reading that. Whats she trying to say anyway? use instagram?

 

[Photo_Smith]

What a terrible article, do people really try to communicate in a series of broken unconnected soundbites? Or is it just the presentation?

I'm pretty weary when I hear 'empowerment', 'new conversation' or 'creating dialogues from another perspective'-uuurg (Bull**** bingo)

I'm sure her photographs have more to say than the worn out soundbites this blog seems reduced to.

If you'll excuse me I'm now going out to interact with my current environment, hoping to show my relationship to other components though visual stimulation so I can still feel connected emotionally to what’s happening in an increasingly fractured world...

 

[nongfuspring]

What the interview says to me is that photographers now are poorly supported, but have a lot of different means of communicating their work, and that the main challenge is finding ways of delivering their work meaningfully when there is so much media diversity.

I basically agree with the assessment, but I disagree about "feeling empowered." AP sends teenagers into war zones with no training, less than liveable wage only to get shot, magnum photographers have to work 2 or 3 side jobs to make ends meet, and photographers in general are underpaid, overworked, under appreciated, and generally shafted all round. Photographers shouldn't feel empowered - they should feel pissed off.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

photographers in general are underpaid, overworked, under appreciated, and generally shafted all round. Photographers shouldn't feel empowered - they should feel pissed off.

It's the way in which the world has been changing since that bloke Hargreaves started selling his "Spinning Jenny". You'd think people would be used to it by now.

Bottom line: don't invest all your effort in a single activity. Learn that learning is the one vital skill and flexibility is the one tool you must have in your bag, because neither Leicas nor Nikons are forever.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Apparently I got much more out of her article than others. I read her words to say that we have new opportunities to communicate our messages. I think a good example of such to be like her body of work about the plight of migrant farm workers http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/harvest-out-reach which is a combination of still images, video clips, audio interviews, voice overs and text. I read her to say that the concept of communications is changing and we must adapt.

Certainly she said nothing about photographers compensation. I don't think that is important to her. I do not know her personally but we do have a mutual friend who says she is consumed by her work. If she was concerned about money, she would not be at Magnum where no one is paid. Magnum only represents them as a collective.

 

[Roger Hicks]

. . . I read her to say that the concept of communications is changing and we must adapt. . .

Dear Bob,

On which concept I think she is hopelessly and completely wrong. We don't HAVE to adapt. Some may like "a combination of still images, video clips, audio interviews, voice overs and text". Others won't. Very few people are masters (or mistresses) of all those media.

To argue that we "must" switch to mish-mash or b*astardized media is patently nonsense. There will still be good photographers whose photographs are worth seeing as photographs, such as Matilda Temperley's black and whites of flooding in Somerset in the Guradian newspaper: http://www.theguardian.com/environm...somerset-floods-living-underwater-in-pictures

I'd hate to see that screwed up by multi-media because she (or worse still, an editor) thought that was "the future".

Cheers,

R.

 

[kbg32]

No one has to adapt to anything Roger, but you'll find that the means and speed in which the media communicates these days, requires those in the field documenting and reporting news, to have the technology to deliver pictures/video/words almost instantaneoulsy. Right or wrong, certain areas of the media cannot wait any longer to have film developed, prints made, media sent by courier.

There are those that do, for example, work on long term projects. They are not constrained instantaneous delivery.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Roger: OK, I will agree with you that my use of the term "must" was inappropriate. Much better to have said "have the opportunity to" instead of "must".

There are people like me, and I strongly suspect you, who will set out to prove someone wrong when we are told we "must" do something.

 

[NazgulKing]

Dear Bob,

On which concept I think she is hopelessly and completely wrong. We don't HAVE to adapt. Some may like "a combination of still images, video clips, audio interviews, voice overs and text". Others won't. Very few people are masters (or mistresses) of all those media.

To argue that we "must" switch to mish-mash or b*astardized media is patently nonsense. There will still be good photographers whose photographs are worth seeing as photographs, such as Matilda Temperley's black and whites of flooding in Somerset in the Guradian newspaper: http://www.theguardian.com/environm...somerset-floods-living-underwater-in-pictures

I'd hate to see that screwed up by multi-media because she (or worse still, an editor) thought that was "the future".

Cheers,

R.

Every time, people bring up the issue of change, be it in the realm of film vs digital or something, people always get defensive.

The truth is, if you are a new aspiring photographer, odds are, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. If you are decently established, yeah you get to say such things.

 

[1750Shooter]

While I am in firm agreement with both Roger & Bob, it seems as though any discussion on this subject only addresses photo journalism. There are many other areas where people, young & old, are making careers & bodies of work that stand up. If you doubt that, & are ever in Portland, OR, merely stop in at either Blue Moon Camera or Blue Sky Gallery & look at what is being done. Mostly on film, Blue Moon completely, & much by young people.

 

[Roger Hicks]

No one has to adapt to anything Roger, but you'll find that the means and speed in which the media communicates these days, requires those in the field documenting and reporting news, to have the technology to deliver pictures/video/words almost instantaneoulsy. Right or wrong, certain areas of the media cannot wait any longer to have film developed, prints made, media sent by courier.

There are those that do, for example, work on long term projects. They are not constrained instantaneous delivery.

Dear Keith,

Sure. No question. But putting together a meaningful multi-media show takes a lot more time than uploading the pictures -- which is what you'd use for instantaneous delivery.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Roger: OK, I will agree with you that my use of the term "must" was inappropriate. Much better to have said "have the opportunity to" instead of "must".

There are people like me, and I strongly suspect you, who will set out to prove someone wrong when we are told we "must" do something.

Dear Bob,

Your suspicion is correct.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Every time, people bring up the issue of change, be it in the realm of film vs digital or something, people always get defensive.

The truth is, if you are a new aspiring photographer, odds are, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. If you are decently established, yeah you get to say such things.

Second para: No, that's not the truth at all. If you want to be a third rate hack, you do only what the market tells you to. The way to get "decently established" is to create a body of work -- NOT to scrabble around doing whatever's fashionable (and usually poorly reported, as here).

First para: Defensive? Where do you see defensive?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Apparently I got much more out of her article than others. I read her words to say that we have new opportunities to communicate our messages. .

Bob you sum it up well, I only wish the article did instead of using empty slogans.
The fact is multi media isn't new, the methods of transmission from iphones etc are though but we don't need someone from Magnum to 'urge change without fear' we see people doing that all the time, Egypt, Libya Ukraine all news supplied by new media-I think that what she is saying is obvious, and unstoppable (well harder to control than magnum's guys)

 

[zauhar]

What a terrible article, do people really try to communicate in a series of broken unconnected soundbites? Or is it just the presentation?

I'm pretty weary when I hear 'empowerment', 'new conversation' or 'creating dialogues from another perspective'-uuurg (Bull**** bingo)

I'm sure her photographs have more to say than the worn out soundbites this blog seems reduced to.

If you'll excuse me I'm now going out to interact with my current environment, hoping to show my relationship to other components though visual stimulation so I can still feel connected emotionally to what’s happening in an increasingly fractured world...

This is the way many people communicate today. They don't have many ideas, and the ones they do have don't reveal much insight.

The modern digital world is full of opportunities. Airbnd provides the opportunity to operate an illegal boarding house, with the promise that you can pull in enough extra dough to keep a roof over your head. Uber provides the opportunity to operate a gypsy cab, with the hope that you can pull in some extra bucks to keep your life afloat.

Instagram provides the opportunity to be an unpaid photographer, with the promise of receiving some validation from your peers - that is, the huge population of unpaid photographers.

She wants to let the subjects 'collaborate' with the creative process, but within a 'framework' provided by the creator. I guess that means the subjects will provide interesting 'content' for free while the 'framework creator' will be able to make some money from said content. Gosh, what an original idea!

Randy