Humanism in photography.

[Rob C]

It is not limited to youth. Everyone gets a certificate of participation. Even around here where long term members pat each other on the back for mediocre images just to keep up a spirit of bonhomie.

In a sense, you are correct, but not in this thread because older farts are not posting images they wouldn't want to make. This may now open the floodgates.

:-)

[KLaban]

It's no coincidence that many old farts made their best work when they were comparatively young.

God forbid that the young should ever stop challenging the old.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... God forbid that the young should ever stop challenging the old.

And who exactly are the youngs we are talking about here?

[Rob C]

It's no coincidence that many old farts made their best work when they were comparatively young.

God forbid that the young should ever stop challenging the old.

I'm not really convinced of that; Lindbergh is cracking on with great stuff and Feurer too; Avedon didn't exactly go off and Newton would still be doing it had his ticker not done for him as he drove his car out of that hotel...  I think that what does change with some of these older stars is that their interests - if not opportunities - go elsewhere. I can quite understand how that can happen after a while.

The young are constantly challenging the previous generations, and for as long as the challengers produce great stuff, long may it continue. Bailey challenged French and won, but both were/are very good at making photographs. That is a different conversation.

Actually, thinking of the relative youth of the photo-art business, Penn was no slouch, and would send assistants down into the streets to pick up cigarette butts and bits of litter; I believe that one was scolded for trying to make it look more tidy and clean. Quite interesting on 8x10...

:-)

[OmerV]

Another good photo, Ivo.

[KLaban]

And who exactly are the youngs we are talking about here?

Young people.

[Ivophoto]

Another good photo, Ivo.

Tx Omer.

[RSL]

The trouble is, for anyone under about 70, more or less, the concept of photographic history is a bit distorted.

You can go to some schools, listen to all their old farts telling you about old processes etc. but they never tell you the truth that the ones without a dog in that fight can see. That truth is that photography was something that you learned via apprenticeship or hobby, and from looking at magazines and the very few photographic monographs that you came across. Instead, in recent decades it has become a new, teachable subject in art schools, as distinct from technical colleges where, for a brief period I had to attend, too.

That situation has created a handy niche within the educational establishment where lots of people can make an extra buck from talking about something instead of doing it. That incentive becomes self-perpetuating, there are grants available, and so you get people rabbiting on about images and tacking them onto the tails of other socially motivated ideas and psychological concepts that have nothing to do with photography other than provide playgrounds where anyone, with or without talent, can play and think himself a king; there are ever those other fellow players who will stand up and cheer, if for no other reason that they are swimming in it together.

You can, today, make an absolutely bland, featureless photograph, claim some silly absurdity of a genre for it, and hey, you're on your way. Think of that grim period of fashion photography that made a star of Corinne Day, that gave a platform to Nan Goldin et al. and you begin to get the picture: it's the art establishment that is responsible for this trend, because in my view, it is there to do one thing: make money for itself by building up stables of people that, in a sane world, would never sell anything. Where the age thing comes in, is memory: we/I or any similarly aged person well remembers a time when photographs depended on technique, content and purpose. For younger people this appears to have become an embarrassingly awkward thought, reactionary even, because if your diet is tweeting, texting and living your life in your palm, then no wonder anything goes if only because, in your world of dinner plate art, anything and everything does, indeed, go. Without expectations of excellence, you get no excellence, which is where we came in.

Just another old fart's opinion, of course.

Well said, Rob. As the oldest fart on here, I endorse your view.

[KLaban]

As opposed to old people.

[Rob C]

Keith, is that a diversionary tactic into a bokeh fight?

:-)

[KLaban]

Keith, is that a diversionary tactic into a bokeh fight?

:-)

Too many fights going on here as it is.

;-)

[OmerV]

As opposed to old people.

Good photo, Keith.

[Ivophoto]

As opposed to old people.

Nice One!

[Ivophoto]

[Paulo Bizarro]

It's getting increasingly sad to see this sort of discussion becoming recurrent in Lula. One may not appreciate the subject/topic/photos posted, but there is no need to denigrate posters.

Here is my contribution.

P.S. As for the argument of this site being dedicated or called "Luminous Landscape", have a look at the recent articles posted by the new management. Even during Michael's time, the site was already about more than "landscape".

[OmerV]

Well done, Ivo. It is surreal.

[RSL]

+1

[Ivophoto]

Well done, Ivo. It is surreal.

Thank you very much, Omer, I value your appreciation.


Your photos are a pleasure to look at.

[Ivophoto]

It's getting increasingly sad to see this sort of discussion becoming recurrent in Lula. One may not appreciate the subject/topic/photos posted, but there is no need to denigrate posters.

Here is my contribution.

P.S. As for the argument of this site being dedicated or called "Luminous Landscape", have a look at the recent articles posted by the new management. Even during Michael's time, the site was already about more than "landscape".

Interesting picture, Paulo. And thanks for your support.

[Rob C]

Of a girl who can do traditional well, and rocks with this modern stuff that I dislike and, somehow, whether by dint of volume or talent, makes it work:

https://www.sarahmlee.com/

Rob