I’m no photographer
“What’s the point of taking a photograph if you’re never going to show it to anyone?”
Rich
I often get asked by bloggie readers why I don’t show my own photographs here. The answer is because, unlike Rich, I take snaps, I don’t produce art. Some kind souls who have seen the best of my paltry photos have made vaguely encouraging noises (you’re all very nice people and Americans are SO incredibly polite, unless we’re talking about feminism that is) but referring to my very average snapshots as “art” is just plain nonsense.
There is a definite distinction between private snapshots made purely for pleasure and those photographs taken specifically to show to the general public. A snapshot is a private concern and may be a picture of the kids, the house, goofy grab shots, whatever, but once you photograph to produce something you want to specifically show to others, particularly to other photographers, then expectations will rise. Those who look at images on a dedicated photography blog will be specialists in their field. The majority of viewers will be photographers, some will be art models and some will be art collectors or critics. All come for the photographs, and should I ever show any of my terribly composed snaps then the universal reaction would be “That's lovely, Lin” with never a critical word, for fear that an honest review would upset me. As I said, Americans are so very nice, maddeningly so at times.
On photography blogs, certain standards are inherent. The pressure to be as good as your peers is intense. The truth is that only the best photographers (and therefore it follows that the best blogs) get noticed. Believe me, you wouldn’t come back here if I started posting badly composed cute cat and kiddie photos all the time (much as I love them.)
So that’s why you won’t be seeing any of my own photographs here. They are not Art. I don’t want them to be Art. I don’t even care that they’re not very good (although it would be nice if my composition improved) because I take them for my own personal fun.
Sorry Rich, but photography isn’t always about showing your work to other people. Sometimes photos are just too personal to show others. To me, they are my memories. They’re all about times in the past which have made me happy, and that is the only reason I take them. The day I start to see my photographs as “my work” will be the day I throw my camera in the trash.
Writing, on the other hand?
Ah. Well, that’s different, you see.
After all, what’s the point of writing if you never let anyone else read it?
Clayre McKinnen
Rich
I often get asked by bloggie readers why I don’t show my own photographs here. The answer is because, unlike Rich, I take snaps, I don’t produce art. Some kind souls who have seen the best of my paltry photos have made vaguely encouraging noises (you’re all very nice people and Americans are SO incredibly polite, unless we’re talking about feminism that is) but referring to my very average snapshots as “art” is just plain nonsense.
There is a definite distinction between private snapshots made purely for pleasure and those photographs taken specifically to show to the general public. A snapshot is a private concern and may be a picture of the kids, the house, goofy grab shots, whatever, but once you photograph to produce something you want to specifically show to others, particularly to other photographers, then expectations will rise. Those who look at images on a dedicated photography blog will be specialists in their field. The majority of viewers will be photographers, some will be art models and some will be art collectors or critics. All come for the photographs, and should I ever show any of my terribly composed snaps then the universal reaction would be “That's lovely, Lin” with never a critical word, for fear that an honest review would upset me. As I said, Americans are so very nice, maddeningly so at times.
On photography blogs, certain standards are inherent. The pressure to be as good as your peers is intense. The truth is that only the best photographers (and therefore it follows that the best blogs) get noticed. Believe me, you wouldn’t come back here if I started posting badly composed cute cat and kiddie photos all the time (much as I love them.)
So that’s why you won’t be seeing any of my own photographs here. They are not Art. I don’t want them to be Art. I don’t even care that they’re not very good (although it would be nice if my composition improved) because I take them for my own personal fun.
Sorry Rich, but photography isn’t always about showing your work to other people. Sometimes photos are just too personal to show others. To me, they are my memories. They’re all about times in the past which have made me happy, and that is the only reason I take them. The day I start to see my photographs as “my work” will be the day I throw my camera in the trash.
Writing, on the other hand?
Ah. Well, that’s different, you see.
After all, what’s the point of writing if you never let anyone else read it?
Clayre McKinnen
Labels: Art, Clayre McKinnen
posted by Lin at 12:52 PM
3 Comments:
I think that's the first time anyone accused American's of being polite. Of course we're not talking about feminists!!!
Lin, I feel the same way about writing as photographs taken of me. I write with the hope someone will eventually publish the work and people will read it. A large, general audience meant so much to me that I spent 25 years as a newspaper and magazine writer. I loved the idea people picked up the paper or magazine and cared about what I had written.
As far as poetry, nothing was ever too erotic for me to publish. No holds barred.
However, I have a handful of photos I will never show to anyone, and I admit they are guilty pleasures, but my goal as a model is to shoot exclusively what I intend to show. Of course, as you rightly said (we Americans are so darn polite!), I don't show some work for the reasons you have - the feeling it is not up to my standard of "art."
I don't know what I will do with work Fitness101 and I plan to do in Montreal this summer. We are pushing the envelope with it, and with 2257 I am terrified to post any of it. Yet, this conflicts with my intention, which is to publish it all over the place. The Montreal photographers are not subject to 2257, but unfortunately I am.
@Dr. L - Have the Montreal photographers post it online - as you said, they are not subject to the 2257 laws. The record keeping is triggered by the posting in this instance, since you are not the primary producer. Ask Stephen about the requirements in this situation and for how you want to publish the work.
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