I like this simple line of prose, not just because it’s mine  but because it gets to the heart of what photographers do, and why. Might also speak to why photography is such a valued and enduring medium. Our sense of past and future and capacity for reflection impels us to make a record of our lives.

In our time, however, we may be closing in on the point where balance should prevail. Technology and vanity are making for strange bedfellow indeed.

Moreover, advances in camera tech have spawned a new breed of amateur photographer. It’s not your mother’s pocket instamatic or polaroid Swinger anymore but a wave of digital devices that have, fairly or not, leveled the playing field and pushed even the most f-stop illiterate photog far ahead of where they’d be otherwise. Still, no point in grousing, it is what it is.

Yet, the point is that it can affect one’s perception of value. In the minds of those who think they are where they’re not, the value of those who truly are is inevitably diminished. Add to this that there’s a misapprehension about what machines, in this case cameras and computers, actually do. Though it’s a lot more than they used to for sure and true, in some respects, we’re standing on the shoulders of giants—it will never be what matters most: The hand that pushes the button, informed by creative ability, intuition, and experience.

If you’re already a believer, then this rationale, while maybe validating, is mostly unnecessary. If you’re on the curve, then it might help explain the cost of this kind of creative investment. As you likely have already noticed, they’re more than just pictures…

If you have thoughts on this, feel free to hit Aubrey’s blog and jot a line or two.

Regards!
TM.