Whats with the overly glossy aesthetic?

[jojoman2]

I understand what your getting at with my work, Richard. I've been taking photographs for less than a year--since last february. If I developed a distinctive, meaningful style in that amount of time it wouldn't speak well of how difficult the genre can be. Before 2015 I had only ever taken snapshots with a camera phone. Curious, though, I don't see a link to your portfolio in your signature--I'm interested in seeing the quality of your work which allows you to be so blunt with mine.

I think you are a little too harsh with the "Great, more black and white street..."
That's like me going to a movie and thinking--"great... more dialogue?" Black and white is a staple of the genre, and color doesn't work for everything.

 

[Hsg]

With all due respect, when I opened your flickr my first thought was: "oh great, more black and white 'street' photography - not seen that in a while!"

Sure, saturated 'glossy' colours don't exist in real life; but neither does grain and exaggerated contrast. To be blunt, your photography is no more 'honest' or real than that which you are criticising. If I were to fully engage blunt-mode I could even be so rude as to say your work is very much the epitome of 'mass-produced crap' like all the other B&W 'street' photography clogging up the internet of late.

Please understand I'm not saying this to offend - I'm merely pointing out that whenever we feel motivated to pick up a brick we ought to make doubly sure we're not stood in a greenhouse (which to a man we almost all usually are...).

I would also like to add that whenever I, in any aspect of my life, have felt the need to look outward with criticism and disdain it is because I have nothing within me of merit or substance. Conversely, during the times when I've been truly on roll - I never even paused to notice the others, let alone give a fleeting damn about what they were up to.

But you're forgetting that b&w street photography post Robert Frank is a tradition rather than an aesthetic.

Robert Frank was the pioneer of this tradition because he deliberately selected images for The Americans that broke the form and geometry of what was then the most established aesthetic in candid photography, the decisive moment of Cartier-Bresson.

In other words you can't dismiss b&w street photography based on aesthetic terms, because that is not what those street photographer's are striving for. They simply see themselves as the children of Frank and Winogrand.

 

[jsrockit]

I think you are a little too harsh with the "Great, more black and white street...
That's like me going to a movie and thinking--"great... more dialogue?" Black and white is a staple of the genre, and color doesn't work for everything.

B&W doesn't work for everything either... the point is that we all have our biases and believe our preferred style is the right style. There is good and bad work in all styles.

 

[RichardPhoto]

I understand what your getting at with my work, Richard. I've been taking photographs for less than a year--since last february. If I developed a distinctive, meaningful style in that amount of time it wouldn't speak well of how difficult the genre can be. Before 2015 I had only ever taken snapshots with a camera phone. Curious, though, I don't see a link to your portfolio in your signature--I'm interested in seeing the quality of your work which allows you to be so blunt with mine.

I think you are a little too harsh with the "Great, more black and white street..."
That's like me going to a movie and thinking--"great... more dialogue?" Black and white is a staple of the genre, and color doesn't work for everything.

I think you're missing the point. Whatever stye you have, or develop (or not), is beside the point. I'm saying that whatever style it is is no truer or more pure than any other. What is trash for one person is gold for another. The only common denominator is you, so just focus on developing your style as that is what matters. The most mainstream thing of all is negativity and cynicism - there's plenty to go round already.

You don't see any of my work because the quality of my opinion is not dependent upon the quality of my photographic output. It stands on its own. That, and to paraphrase Feynman: what do I care what other people think? (I really don't understand the modern drive to collect magical internet points as some sort of self-validation).

 

[Hatchetman]

Richard - when you go to a pub do you sit there and think your own thoughts in silence or do you talk to people? "I DON'T CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK!!"

-----

RE: Flickr

You curate it yourself. Find the photographers you are interested in and "Follow" them and their photos automatically show up on your screen. Simple.

 

[Hsg]

Established?

The Americans by Jack Kerouac and Robert Frank, first published in France in 1958, the photos were shot in 1955.

The Decisive Moment, Henri Cartier, Editions Verve, first published in France France, 1952.

This is what Robert Frank had to say about Cartier-Bresson:

“He traveled all over the goddamned world, and you never felt that he was moved by something that was happening other than the beauty of it, or just the composition.”

http://blog.gregbenson.com/2010/04/frank-comment-on-cartier-bresson.html

So, one can assume that he knew what was the established aesthetic of candid and even PJ photography in those days and clearly he had seen HCB's book.

 

[jsrockit]

The most mainstream thing of all is negativity and cynicism - there's plenty to go round already.

and

(I really don't understand the modern drive to collect magical internet points as some sort of self-validation).

Two gems here... 🙂

 

[kuuan]

The 'digital revolution' gave us a flood of photos. I believe that never before that many good photos have been taken than nowadays. Ok, also never before than much crap. I wonder if some who only see crap might have an inflated opinion of their own photography.

a flickr group I became aware of yesterday and I thought it was interesting: https://www.flickr.com/groups/phenomenology/pool/
makes me think, we should start a thread where we share links for flickr groups we like

 

[RichardPhoto]

Richard - when you go to a pub do you sit there and think your own thoughts in silence or do you talk to people? "I DON'T CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK!!"

You've misread, or perhaps you're not familiar with the origins of that quote (I assumed it's very well known as it's quite famous).

Regardless, a more accurate analogy would be sitting in a pub and feeling the need to constantly validate your choice of beverage with everyone. Is this OK? It's in a bottle, not a glass. Is that OK? Are you sure? Shall I get some ice? Do you like the brand? Is it too popular? Shall I select a more unusual craft beer? In that regard I don't care what people think. I didn't realise I was so unique in this regard - what a depressing thought!

 

[Hatchetman]

Regardless, a more accurate analogy would be sitting in a pub and feeling the need to constantly validate your choice of beverage with everyone. Is this OK? It's in a bottle, not a glass. Is that OK? Are you sure? Shall I get some ice? Do you like the brand? Is it too popular? Shall I select a more unusual craft beer? In that regard I don't care what people think. I didn't realise I was so unique in this regard - what a depressing thought!

Ultimately your work has to please you first and foremost. But there is nothing wrong with sharing photos via the interwebs with people who may be interested in seeing them! I have learned a lot over the past 6-7 years by submitting photos to critiqued and non-critiqued web forums.

It would be more like buying a beer for somebody tonight and they buy the next round.

 

[jsrockit]

There has always been a flood of photos. I have maybe 10,000 family prints dating back to 1890.

They were just kept in boxes ....

 

[littleearth]

Five minutes of browsing through 500px and I almost puked in my mouth !

 

[Tejasican]

Funny, I find the blue sky contrasts nicely with the underlying chaos in the decay of the red-brown rust on the impermanent iron. But that's the thing isn't it. Each sees in the photo what we bring to it, or rather what it brings out in us.

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

Is there any other area in life where you don't have to be selective with regards to taste? Fact is, most people do not have good taste. It's not even an 'IQ-like' thing, where half are above average and half below. I truly believe it's more like a 94%+ negative thing, depending on where you live....

So, yeah, i expect most photographers/people who take pictures will abuse techniques, or misapply concepts, or execute images poorly. But, there is a reward when you weed that stuff out and find truly talented people to appreciate. If it were all good, none of it would be good. If every car were a Ferrari or Aston, it wouldn't mean anything to see one on the street.