Re: What the ???


jamiehy (jamiehy@globaldialog.com)
Fri, 23 Jul 1999 14:55:48 -0600


>
>Don't try to console me. REAL photographers don't ask those
>questions. Real photographers are interested in the art of
>photography. As you so eloquently put it, techno-weenies have trouble
>getting past the technical stuff.

Real Photographers are a lot of different things with a lot of different
interests. Many " real" photographers do ask those questions, but hopefully
with some purpose.But whats wrong with curiosity anyway. Just because
people ask those questions, it doesn't mean they discount the ultimate
goal, to produce an interesting image.

>The choice I made was to make a photograph, that's all.

If you pull out any camera in front of a bunch of photographers, you should
expect to be noticed. and you become more than just a spectator.

>
>And don't give me the "pull out the prints" thing. The same gibberish
>questions abound. I brought some technical prints to APIS to discuss
>some technical points. I also brought some of my work. I'll have you
>know that not one person asked about the ramifications of folding an
>image along a chosen axis. I doubt that all understood what I was
>doing, so why not some questions.

I wasn't there- did you have questions you wanted answering. Did you ask them
  I feel a good number of people just
>wanted to enjoy looking and not talking.
Thats their choice - and a fine one

 However, only a couple of
>people bothered to change the position of a screen. Note: the screens
>cannot be understood without folding them.
 Sound like you are doing some interesting things hope I get to see them at
some point. I love to see where people take their photography
>I also brought some prints on fabric. I fielded several questions on
>coating the fabric. But only one person asked why I printed on fabric.
>Well I guess that's good that at least one person asked.
>
>As I see it, the techno-weenie thing is a sort of double edged sword.
>On one side I have to be annoyed by the dribble. On the other side I
>find it more challenging to find peer discussions, but don't have to
>worry about an overwhelming population of artist.
>Jeffrey D. Mathias

I think choosing the right tools are important, and exploring with
different cameras and lenses can be necessary to find how one can best
express one's vision. It took me a while to discover cirkut cameras and pan
photography.
It's a camera format that sees the way I look at things, And tells a more
narrative story than I was getting with regular cameras. The techno weenie
stuff is important as a tool so I can share my vision ( sorry - yes it
sounds corny)
There is no doubt the tools are a means to an end, but curiousity is good.
Enough- and happy not to be a REAL photographer Jamie



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