Humanity takes millions of photos every day...

[Alastair Moore]

....Why are most so forgettable?

Lengthy but interesting article.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/hum ... /?page=all

[Maris]

You've heard this before but it's worth repeating in the context of "Humanity takes millions of photos...": the problem or dismay is created by reconceptualising photography away from "the making of pictures out of light sensitive substances" into the "making of pictures any which way so long as a machine does it and they are realistic looking".

In fact very few photographs are produced these days and the denizens of Large Format Photography Australia, on any given day, probably produce a fair proportion of them. What humanity generates every day in the millions are lookable electronic files. The "lookable" bit is significant. Hardly any of those electronic files actually end up as hardcopy. The monitor screen is a critical if underestimated facilitator in the daily avalanche of pictures.

So, humanity makes millions of lookable electronic files everyday with no requirement for stressful thought, no tiring physical effort, no monetary expense, and no particular consequences whatever the outcome. It's not a surprise that a lot of visual dreck gets produced and frankly I doubt there is a single human enterprise that accumulates merit via a no thought, no effort, no cost, and no consequences approach.

[RoganJosh]

I don't see what the big deal is, millions of people doodle on paper everyday and you don't see painters complaining.

[alex gard]

Probably a lame comment to add, but I never really appreciated any of my pictures until I had them printed, framed & hung. Added a whole new world of depth and meaning to them. Made me appreciate them a whole lot more.