January 30, 2019
David Bailey, "If my portraits from the sixties were superficial, perhaps it was partly because it was a superficial time. Therefore looking back, perhaps I got it right-it was a reflection of the times. Sometimes I have the suspicion that everything is superficial."
The overall simplicity of taking pictures nowadays gives people the impression that anything and everything can be a good image. And in reality it can if you can relate to the subject whether it be nature, man or object and intuitively recognize your connection and explore the infinite possibilities of creating a personal expression.
When I talk of personal expression I mean your unique perspective and how you relate to the subject. You didn't run and gun and leave the scene without discovery but stayed in the moment knowing that something was calling you to this subject, summoning your energy to explore the possibilities creating a unique moment in time.
Has there ever been an absolute real authentic image that gives the viewer a complete picture of what was happening in the frame, a truth that can't be denied?
Each viewer of a photograph sees through his own eyes, clouded as that maybe, however, one must stand for visual truth and not a summary of truth by a second hand interpretation but by the context of the image created and the photographers intent.
An image of beautiful flowers doesn't tell us anything about the authenticity of the photographers purpose. Any portrait created is the image creators portrait of his subject. And the subject and the viewers acceptance or denial is secondary. A smiling face doesn't mean happiness in an image and a sad look doesn't mean misery. It is an image created for a purpose. The truth today is that images lie and images are not to be trusted at face value.
We haven't created anything new when we look at the massive amount of images being produced without filtering the overwhelming duplicity of copycat image creation. The redundancy of images prolifically bombarding the senses creates the illusion of a grandiose trend in photography whereby everyone is a artist and a professional.
The overwhelming amount of visual stimulation confounds the mind and fragments the wholeness of perceptions and understanding. If all we do is glimpse a forgery of reality then we are being systematically distracted from the our real world.
The majority of image creation today is not deeply felt. It is not an exchange of deep respect between photographer and subject but more of a taking away a piece of the subject without acknowledging the beauty you have witnessed.
Photography now is not giving knowledge of the subject to the viewer but showing the despair in our world culture of how far humans have been replaced by technology and products, that distract them from understanding their plight, and are seeking viewers of their lives, anything that can bring an ancestral feeling of being part of something again in this ever growing fragmented society we survive in.
We never get an explanation as to the purpose or meaning of the image created because the billions of human beings taking snap shots only reveal the surface neediness of being seen.
This run and gun approach to image creation is a representation of the glutinous behavior in our society, seeking everything external from us and not stepping back and slowing down and thinking before snapping a picture.
And asking ourselves what does this subject represent to me. It could be a memory of your grandmother, it could be a loss you just felt in adulthood but to ignore these inner feelings will limit your ability to make great photos.
Intuitive thought will direct you to your image creation through connecting with your subject on a deeper level.
Taking pictures of everything under the sun without a purpose other than to post and get liked is not an authentic exploration of the natural forces present all around you. But first you must think before you act impulsively without a strategy of willful seeing.
To see where we belong, to feel something more, to feel a partnership with others that is being broken apart by an addictive viewing screen that becomes a wall between us and the outer world, that is nature, and nature has been patiently waiting for us to wake up and understand that our lives are being systematically controlled by a device that isn't real in the sense of human contact, a physicality that we once looked forward to in the days when intimacy and friendship was life itself. Now we are herded in front of a device that knows more about you than your own family. Family ties are effortless now, send a text and a pic and all is good. Why have a family photo album that is personal and private? Now, all we do is blatantly expose our privacy and personal matters for the entire world to see.
When we live through the addictive devices now being produced we fail to see the external control one loses over their own lives. We are putting our likes and dislikes on screens that corporate analysts chart, and then figure the probabilities of new fads and new ways to drive people toward certain products for profit.
The image tries to speak but the photographers purpose is silent.
End of Days
