David Hughes
David Hughes
And, if you are a famous film director/whatever with a budget of millions and a team of professional specialists then it's also easy, especially when compared with Joe Bloggs and his smartphone...
And if Joe Bloggs' photo's mean something to him then who has the right to attack him?
Regards, David
Dogman
Veteran
This.
More people and more toys with which to play. In the scope of all things in human history, it's just another trend that eventually fades.
nukecoke
⚛Yashica
I've seen wonderful photos taken with phones by unknown photo-takers, and I prefer them to some of the overhyped, proper photography work taken with million dollar cameras by famous photographers.
There is nothing wrong for a person without a title of a lord nor a duke to take good photos, whatever the tools they use.
There is nothing wrong for a person without a title of a lord nor a duke to take good photos, whatever the tools they use.
Michael Markey
Veteran
No I wasn`t suggesting that it was but it is change and things move on.
We all look fondly on the past but I don`t see why that has to prevent us embracing the future if we so wish.
I use a smartphone but I also use film …. grief I sometimes use an SLR .
It`s circumstances which often dictate what you use …. well it is with me.
We all know the history of photography …. every new step was greeted with horror by the gatekeepers .
I always like to think that we`ve got beyond that type of reaction but evidently WW hasn`t.
Michael Markey
Veteran
valdas
Veteran
I think WW words were taken too literally. I don't see him denying progress or pronouncing that photography is dead because of smartphones. It is just a reflection that it's a different type of activity what most people do with their smartphones. And then it depends on the definition of photography. I can understand that WW definition is very different from what other people might see.
Michael Markey
Veteran
I would agree .
PKR
Veteran
When I saw the article I thought of the "new photographer" uploading 3500 unedited pictures to social media he took on his 2 week vacation. Also, some pros who make 1500 captures on a 1 day assignment, covering something that was done with 3-5 rolls of 35 in past years. The pro spends hours editing these down to 150 that are delivered to the client, when maybe 5-6 were delivered in the past.
The phone is just a handy recording instrument. I have no problem with the phone as a photo device.
mich rassena
Well-known
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Not really. Where I'm at least. Not for photography like wedding, real estate and so on. Our daughter was just not paid 4K$ for photography. It is becoming more and more common in Ontario and Quebec. Not only for photography and even government at all levels involved in this crime.
Bob Michaels
nobody special
John: a great question since a valid answer is not just more simplistic internet philosophizing but analyzing the reality of my work and how it is viewed by the public. That means bringing some subconscious actions to the forefront.
I like to believe the public responds to my goal of telling a cohesive visual story that conveys information and not showing a collection of pretty photos. Just about everything I do with my work begins with a predetermined goal and a general plan how to accomplish such. That is a holdover from my business career. Then the editing and sequencing is assembling that story to be most informative. I do think this contrasts my work to many photographers who typically set out to just take nice photos then edit to select the best ones individually.
What that means is that my work is differentiated by my approach of not "being a photographer" but one who tries to tell a story visually and convey information. So I like to think there is little difference in how many photographers there are in the world and how many photos they take.
Axel
singleshooter
Yes.
The first part of Wenders sentence was "so photography is more alive than ever..." but it seems that is not popular enough
to quote. The extraction of the second half of the statement and its use as teaser is not a very good style in my opinion.
robert blu
quiet photographer
We should not forget WW was among the first movie directors to use digital technology when working.
We cannot say he is against new tools provided by the evolving technology.
But the simplicity to push a button on a smartphone to make a photo with no cost (film, processing, printing) push people to shoot everything in any moment, thus facilitated by the "need" (need?) to publish on socials.
The results are easy visible on any social. In this sense I fully agree with him.
Of course any tools can be used in any way and if it makes fun nothing wrong with this.
And yes, technology and socials are changing the way many people behave.
robert
PS: an acquaintance of mine a few weeks ago explained me he needed so many MB (I do not remember how many) smartphone because in his phone are more than 20.000 photos...
Larry Cloetta
Veteran
Wow, I had no idea there was such a thing! I thought Leicas were supposed to be the expensive ones! No way I’d be buying one of those, whatever they are, what with really needing to tape over the nameplate and all.
Dang.
PKR
Veteran
Nope, I just searched WW and insta. So, you don't think it's his site?
Edit:
You may be correct, I'm not sure. My web presence is run by a 2nd party. I don't do any day to day work on it. I do have a lot of say in approving the content.
This web page looks to be his? http://www.wim-wenders.com/ But, as you say, it may not be run by him. He may have more important thing to do with his time. It shows a link to a FB account, again, maybe not him but, a proxy.
So, i've supplied you with two more targets.
Bill Clark
Veteran
Digital photography has been a blessing in many different ways.
I’ll mention a few.
Recently, my wife and I attended a family reunion in Wisconsin with over 100 people. She has over 50 first cousins!
I made photographs just using my iPhone. Putting several on Facebook the same day as the reunion. Hard to do with film. But I did have a Barnack Leica with me. The film is hanging to dry.
Smart phones allow people to photograph where it would be next to impossible before. Happy all survived, but the recent plane crash in Mexico. Instant publishing
There are a gadzillion other examples.
Oh, by the way, take a peek at the group photo of the reunion I made. Hand held, iPhone 6s. It’s on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2102201559993276&set=ms.c.eJxFk9mNRTEIQzsaAWYJ~%3BTc2uuaF~%3BB7ZYCAxFdM~_VYDlOefPfiAIWhZIdyNSCUw04gNWeRUHVPjWaGGNigVFBfwH2kCF2wXiVFhdoAN0QfZnqb5tu9jW47ZtaGaK5lrQBNEXuNKyw7WNpdYSTuCbNHLAJg3mOLI5sqjAXZCIMmn6BXCCp2iuEHizTFLdpGcs5xW1KYoFXzKRxlqSw3lchR4CXQvG8mqAd0FvUucsEnvsmSXfLCFU~%3BI5tIsZj17ZV4V1gq3DmwNm2OTmw0afLeV1sVvjO0APqKlQtM76h9xXGvMJcRTK69wXGJwWpC3yGsy0ah~_ApAHbJ3WnNgmzvUrxLNrYG5nvs~_BMMLxjGgt3HOSyq8g8SNLfG.bps.a.2102198546660244.1073741838.100006103561396&type=3&theater
Or this one of my wife’s 86 year old aunt:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...244.1073741838.100006103561396&type=3&theater
It’s all good.
I’ll mention a few.
Recently, my wife and I attended a family reunion in Wisconsin with over 100 people. She has over 50 first cousins!
I made photographs just using my iPhone. Putting several on Facebook the same day as the reunion. Hard to do with film. But I did have a Barnack Leica with me. The film is hanging to dry.
Smart phones allow people to photograph where it would be next to impossible before. Happy all survived, but the recent plane crash in Mexico. Instant publishing
There are a gadzillion other examples.
Oh, by the way, take a peek at the group photo of the reunion I made. Hand held, iPhone 6s. It’s on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2102201559993276&set=ms.c.eJxFk9mNRTEIQzsaAWYJ~%3BTc2uuaF~%3BB7ZYCAxFdM~_VYDlOefPfiAIWhZIdyNSCUw04gNWeRUHVPjWaGGNigVFBfwH2kCF2wXiVFhdoAN0QfZnqb5tu9jW47ZtaGaK5lrQBNEXuNKyw7WNpdYSTuCbNHLAJg3mOLI5sqjAXZCIMmn6BXCCp2iuEHizTFLdpGcs5xW1KYoFXzKRxlqSw3lchR4CXQvG8mqAd0FvUucsEnvsmSXfLCFU~%3BI5tIsZj17ZV4V1gq3DmwNm2OTmw0afLeV1sVvjO0APqKlQtM76h9xXGvMJcRTK69wXGJwWpC3yGsy0ah~_ApAHbJ3WnNgmzvUrxLNrYG5nvs~_BMMLxjGgt3HOSyq8g8SNLfG.bps.a.2102198546660244.1073741838.100006103561396&type=3&theater
Or this one of my wife’s 86 year old aunt:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...244.1073741838.100006103561396&type=3&theater
It’s all good.
PKR
Veteran
With no cost, and very little thinking, or care for the created final product.. in most cases.
Maybe, given the quantity of images uploaded to social media daily, a very small %, 0.001 (?) are made with any serious thought. 50 photos of a burger and fries lunch? Then another 50 of what some "enlightened visual artist" had for dinner?? And that, qualifies as photography.. and food photography, at that. Measure that against, a food photo that takes a photographer, a food stylist, and the clients home economist, an entire day to construct and record. In the film days, that may have been 10 sheets of 8 x10 and a dozen Polaroids . Today, maybe 25-50 digital captures in a day's work. But, they are valued equally by the "new photographers". They see little difference, and dismiss the work done. Just like the "new photo experts" did with the HCB photo cited earlier.
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
There is no turning back ... Life goes on
One either whines or rejoices
Does it really matter today what You shoot with
With such an abundance of photos everywhere
it makes me now relish even more a 'Good Photo' when I find one
One either whines or rejoices
Does it really matter today what You shoot with
With such an abundance of photos everywhere
it makes me now relish even more a 'Good Photo' when I find one
hexiplex
Well-known
I've a project ahead of me that involves going through several boxes worth of family photographs. In a house my parents bought a few years ago a third of the refrigerator door compartment was filled with undeveloped rolls of film. Some of them from the early 90's and late 80's. Not looking at photographs, it seems to me, has been a thing long before smartphones.
What I'm thankful for however, is that the photographs that my parents aren't looking at are still around. So that I can look at them. Sadly, the children in my future won't see all the screenshotted memes and dog gifs that clog up my phone.
What I'm thankful for however, is that the photographs that my parents aren't looking at are still around. So that I can look at them. Sadly, the children in my future won't see all the screenshotted memes and dog gifs that clog up my phone.
