American flags everywhere - end of architectural photography as we know it?

[sandy_sorlien]

Thanks to all the people who wrote thoughtful answers. It's very

interesting to think about all this. Just one quick comment to add, I

think there's a place for photography of buildings alone. I feel a

great deal of individual character and history coming from the

building itself -- its shape, its details, the materials it was made

from, and its place in the landscape. For 20 years I've photographed

houses without any people, cars, or decorations in the pictures. That

doesn't mean they're inauthentic, it just means the pictures are about

the houses.

 

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You all should check out this wonderful site to see some lovely

pictures of flags, memorials, and mourners around the world:

http://thankyou.fast-networks.net/

[edward_burlew]

PLEASE TAKE THE PICTURES AND QUIT YOUR COMPLAINING!!!!!!!

 

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REALISTICALLY THOSE SAME BUILDING WILL BE THERE NEXT MONTH AND NEXT

YEAR AND YOUR ARE SHOOTING THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN THERE FOR

DECADES, SO HAVE FAITH THE WILL BE THERE DURING THE NEXT DECADE.

 

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BUT GET THE PICTURES WITH THE FLAGS OUT AND RECORD THE SPIRIT OF THE

PEOPLE.

 

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AS a fine art photog and a large format photog thsi is a precious

moment when a slow moving large format can record the spirt of a

nation.

 

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Tell ya what , if you find a wonderful subject matter of a building

and you want to photograph it but the flag interfers with your

previsualization of the inal print, THEN TRY THIS... ( I feel so like

larry king when I do that)

 

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ASK THE BUILDING OWNER TO TAKE THE FLAG DOWN,

 

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AND , OH YES , PLEASE BE READY FOR THE RESPONSE!!!!

[charles_mackay]

Sandy,

 

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The flag displays to me reflect a unique moment in U.S. history

(though a terribly sad one) which we have the privilege to witness.

 

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I an trying to catalog the flag displays before they are ruined or

vandalized, taken down, and forgotten. This includes the ones that

have sprouted after the inital shock, many of which are commercial or

which trivialize the events of 9/11 (e.g., car dealers giving out

T-shirts and similar profiteering.)

 

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I am simply trying to record to the best of my ability (severely

limited by lack of time and talent) on the theory that the meaning of

these images and these events will evolve. In 30 years photographs of

this time will still matter, even the lousy ones that might have been

ignored if they captured more ordimary times.

[sandy_sorlien]

Oh, good Charles, I'm glad somebody is finally doing it himself

instead of insisting that I do it. I hope these displays are recorded

all over the country; you are right, it is a special time in spite of

the horror and sadness that precipitated the response.

 

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Best of luck with your project.

 

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Cheers, Sandy