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Post by Mr. FOLLARD on Feb 3, 2019 10:59:24 GMT
It's a real mixed blessing that everyone these days seems to be armed with iPhones, snapping everything they see. It makes sense to capture moments in your life for good, and now you don't have to fiddle about getting bulky cameras out of bags and attaching lenses and flashes and so forth - but we're probably not especially discerning or talented. So my first question is - what's it all about? Secondly, I was looking at Leica cameras like this one: but they cost more than 800 quid! is it worth it? (admittedly I was attracted by the design of the thing, but it's a quality item anyway).
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Feb 3, 2019 15:05:03 GMT
What's it all about?
Well, I think it's about giving our lives a degree of permanence, a neverending record of our lives that we revisit when we want. Capturing those ephemeral moments that before would be lost to the vagaries of our memories. That's a very powerful thing but I do think on some way it's a reaction to our own mortality.
I like taking photos but I've always thought it's one of the easier art forms. You don't have to be particularly skillful to get decent pics and with all these filters and post-touch up options it's easier than ever to get something good. That doesn't mean there isn't skill in getting great pics and some people do have The Eye but it's not like writing or painting. Of course everybody is a photographer these days.
You can get decent entry levels DSLR's for less than that, John although you would still need a lens.
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Admin
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Post by Admin on Feb 3, 2019 15:27:13 GMT
Well, I think it's about giving our lives a degree of permanence, a neverending record of our lives that we revisit when we want. Capturing those ephemeral moments that before would be lost to the vagaries of our memories. That's a very powerful thing but I do think on some way it's a reaction to our own mortality. Definitely that, but I also think it's a way of creating art. Or rather, making art from what we see around us. Something we might otherwise ignore is captured and presented as something you should look at. I like that idea. People snapping sunsets, or odd-looking signage. Falling-down buildings. Sparkling surfaces. Plates of food. Faces.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2019 18:21:35 GMT
Don't know about the camera .. I'm planning, once we've finished the work on the house, on forking out on a decent DSLR - I've a few in mind but I want to do some more research, not least about where to get the best value. I like photography but for me it's more about creativity and light and colours and composition. I'm not big on personal photography, and people taking fucking selfies is a real fucking plague. You even find it in museums, where people aren't even looking at what's in there, just taking fucking selfies and getting in the way - for which I have zero patience and walk right through. Fuck oooooofffffffffff already!
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Feb 3, 2019 18:28:25 GMT
Well, I think it's about giving our lives a degree of permanence, a neverending record of our lives that we revisit when we want. Capturing those ephemeral moments that before would be lost to the vagaries of our memories. That's a very powerful thing but I do think on some way it's a reaction to our own mortality. Definitely that, but I also think it's a way of creating art. Or rather, making art from what we see around us. Something we might otherwise ignore is captured and presented as something you should look at. I like that idea. People snapping sunsets, or odd-looking signage. Falling-down buildings. Sparkling surfaces. Plates of food. Faces. Yeah, there is that but part of me feels like it's a bit of con. Ooo, everybody is an artist, look at all the art around you! Like it's just too easy, you know? I often feel it's a bit pretentious and it makes me cringe a bit when I find myself doing something similar or see people posting pics of some urban decay or summat. I know the problem is mine
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2019 18:40:56 GMT
What do you think of Rayge's stuff at the other place then? Full of it - but I love it. It's part of that slow appreciation of stuff (like we were saying about food, on the pleasure thread). It's taking the time to see significance and even, dare I say it, the poetry in stuff. As you say, it can be cringeworthy but I do think Rayge does it well, often with humour.
But generally I agree, a lot of "post modern" bollocks being created in the name of Art. Mainly because it's easy.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Feb 3, 2019 18:58:19 GMT
I think he as interesting eye and I find them refreshingly casual and natural. Like any artistic endeavour it's trying to do your own thing with it and communicating something about yourself in doing so. I especially like the grainy quality of the older pics. I find that very evocative.
I think that's why I step back from indulging my "arty" side through photos because there's so much of that stuff about these days and I just feels it's easy and dishonest and a bit copycat fake. Like you're following a trend and the whole filters thing means you can get cool effects with a simple button press and I don't like that. I guess I feel art should require more effort or summat. There's a former BCBer who does the urban thing very well though - Paul Kilgour. I can't mind what he was called on BCB.
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Post by rayge on Feb 5, 2019 13:46:18 GMT
I haven't written in this thread before partly because of pressure of time and Things to Do, but mainly because it has raised several subjects – photography itself, of course, but also the nature(s) of art, self, and memory, and all the other vital stuff that gushes through my mind while I stumble through the countryside in the wake of my dog's arse – that I want to write essays about, and I hope to get around to them soon, but, right now, there's a whole load of packing to be done: but I just wanted to say about the camera that all the digital stuff I've ever taken is on compacts with Leica lenses and Panasonic tech, the Lumix series.
I'm now on the TZ60, which does everything I want, is small enough that I can take pictures one-handed, and can be got for under £200. [/promotional message]
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