"Is Photography Dead"

I wrote this today in responce to a photo posted.

Thank you all for taking your time to comment! I always take your thoughts

projected to heart, and consider your perspective. This photo was actuality a

reflection from a mirror setup carefully to enhance Fawn but also the idea that

photography truly is a Art form which can capture color,softness, and I hope

imagination using our cameras as the medium .There is a article in this months

magazine of B&W titled "IS PHOTOGRAPHY DEAD" discussing the digital format

versus the 8' X 10 Box or any SLR film camera. I have and still use a Canon AE_

1 film camera. But for me the world moves into new and exciting advances in all

areas of imagery and CP's. Creativity comes from within all of us using what

ever format we encompass. Weather brush painting, clay modeling and the list

goes on. I love all accepts of capturing images from Wildlife, landscapes,to

people just being them selves as my Street People folder contains. Anyway for

me PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT DEAD! It a new world at our finger tips...<div></div>

David:

 

Real nice photo. Would like some exposure details. Been trying to resurrect my "people" photography, and looking for some ideas. That being said, a friend gave me some old copies of "collectors photography", a failed Jeff Dunas venture from the 80's. Some thought provoking pix and articles there. Waiting to hear from you.

Jim

Amazing shot! I do not know if photography is dead or not, however your talent appears to be alive and well.

I don't understand. Why would photography be dead? Seems more popular than ever...

OK, I didn't read carefully. It's because of the shift to digital capture.

Brad!

Yes the debate was centered on the fast and the unexpected popularity of Digital format versus the Silver gelatin photographs.One point of view is digital cheapens the purity of capturing images and then post editing them on Computers. The purest say the true art form is in snapping the picture then processing with the chemical aspect. I wonder if the Silver gelatin photographs will have more value now! Or will digital faze out the film process. You know the Polaroid company just announced that they will stop production of their cameras that in the 50's open up the start of instant images captured,They were in away the prelude to digital. The camera's were a instant success. Anyway If I had one of the camera's, I think I would hold on to it. They will be worth allot of money as the years move on. You know kind of like a restored Model T Ford is now worth big bucks. Have a great day! Regards, David S.<div></div>

<i>Anyway If I had one of the camera's, I think I would hold on to it. They will be worth allot of money as the years move on. You know kind of like a restored Model T Ford is now worth big bucks.</i> You mean like all those 127 format cameras on sale in junk shops for next to nothing? Old cameras are curios but will never accrue in value much.

I thought photography died back when the "moving picture shows" became popular. But what do I know?

Josh Motion Pictures set some of highest standards in quality of imaginary produced. If a person wants to look for inspiration in standards of color, depth_of_field ETC! just look at a $100,000 plus movie projectors used on the Oscar nominated movies.

Rhys Sage, Your comment made me curious so I went to E_Bay and found 250 anitque camrea's for sale. 1 started at $800.00 dollars, 5 camera's started between $300.00 to $500.00 all the rest of them went for around $40.00 + or -. Maybe those with Polaroid's should just dump them... :~)

"One point of view is digital cheapens the purity of capturing images and then post editing them on Computers."

I suppose if one looks back in history the same thing was said of photography in relation to painting with a fear that paints and brushes of good quality will no longer be made. No, the sky didn't fall and amazingly some folks still paint. Personally I don't understand the "cheapens" aspect. Is it because it's somehow easier and more accessable? The old boys doing daguerreotypes thought those new fangled glass plates "cheapened" photography because they were easier to prepare and process. It's not that photography is dead. What's dead is our collective memories of the past and our never ending interest in looking for fault in everything. Let's release our ego's that insist that any one way is the "right" way. Let's shoot in digital or shoot in film and embrace the wonderful tools and choice's we have now for image making.

WOW! Louis, excellent words and your insight is to say the least enlighting. I do agree with you! Men and women and Ego's. a triangle that points in many different directions for better or worse. Embrace is a BIG meaningful word!

Digital images are quick and easy to share, transmit, hence their rapid rise in popularity. It is exactly the same thing that started the popularity of CDs over cassettes though the sound quality of CD was initially poor and more expensive. They were easier to use. I think it has little to do with being "as good as" silver imagery. And I agree silver based images will increase in value.

 

I DISAGREE WITH LOUIS! Digital vs silver halide photography is a totally different animal than the "is photography art" debate at the turn of the 20th century. Photography as a replacement for painting was never a serious concern, never seriously debated. Photography as art was. Photography with sharply focus images was not popularized until Weston's time, the 1920's, and by then well established as a medium different from painting.

 

Fwiw, digital imaging is now threatening classic painting in a way that photography never did or could.

 

Go here: http://www.furiae.com/

 

 

Click on [gallery], then click on [Jade], then click on the 4th image down, [spoiled]. It is entirely computer generated.