don_essedi

The photographer is irrelevant to having an opinion about a photograph, unless you choose to make the photographer relevant and to be influential upon your estimation. I find the photograph sufficient for appreciating the photograph. For you, it is different, I understand. Perhaps liking a photographer's photograph isn't enough. The world of photography can be a peculiar place.

The viewers of the photo do not know the photographer or anything about the taking or the reason it was taken, yet they form an opinion about the photograph.

No.

In the thread you manage in this forum, you present photos picked randomly and the photographer is anonymous (initially, but thereafter may reveal themselves). The viewers of the photo do not know who took the photo, or anyone's, even the photographer's, opinions, feelings, or insights regarding it, nor any information regarding context.

Although I don't think the photos are trash (I am not interested in them, so neutral), I agree it is the photograph and not the backstory, nor the photographer, nor the awards that is relevant.

You may want to google 'e-waste'

These photos appear damaged as if they were found in a house destroyed by fire...or so I see them (and I have seen such photos). I have no comment as to whether they are good or bad photos or deserving of some prize or other, though I have to put on my "art" goggles to view them.

I admire the warmth and tenderness of her photos of people, presented in the article. I hope to see more of her work. I see no connection between her photo work and VM's. The connection offered is merely both not having had their work known for awhile.

Portra 400

Second appearance of "dead and grey", found also in your OP. In this season I enjoy photographing the dead and grey trees, their twigs and branches form interesting patterns, like abstract art, and also the morning mist and lowing sky and clouds...and anyway a lot of my photography is bw. I knew a nature photographer who was no longer able to visit the locales he loved to photograph due to age and injury, and he just wasted away, depressed, despondant. Some photographers are like a species whose genome has become over-specialized. If their food source vanishes, they become extinct as all variation has been wrung out of them. I hope you are just experiencing the common blahs of the season.

My third Sonar of late.

While driving back from the 'burbs this past summer, I glanced over at crowd of folks and a playing field. What the...? They're playing Cricket! That was unexpected here. Turns out there's a good sized Indian (Asian) community nearby and they'd started a Cricket league. I'll grab a camera this summer and get me some of that. You really never know what's around the corner; even in the boonies* there's plenty to photograph. *That's a pun. This is Daniel Boone country.

The J3 was just too nice to pass up. A cool, windy day, but plenty of sun, I looked for something to test it on. A few red leaves remained on the Japanese maple. *** Rhododendron

Two years ago my wife and I moved from the inner city to the 'outer' rural, the Ozarks. Different light here...a lot to learn, to learn to see it photographically with several projects underweigh, mainly photographing the old towns and villages. I've been collecting old maps for that project and have visited and photographed six locations, so far. For the first time this century I've got all the room I need for a darkroom. Life is good. My favorite time is in the Spring, sitting by the pond in the evening sipping a drink and chorusing with the frogs. The rest of the world and its discontents is not my problem.

This discussion is as pathetic as kicking a dying dog. Rather than the "Ship Of Fools", a better choice for inspiration would be the central panel of Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights...never seen so many NPCs in one image.

In the early Renaissance painters found the "The Ship of Fools" useful for expressing the theme.

Stolen soon enough

You may want to google 'e-waste'. I do agree about 'special', 'user experience', though.

For those who don't care for defining 'classic' as mechanical or non-eletronic, how would you classify a film camera as "modern"?

X-E1 7Artisans 35 1.2 II

FZ30