At a certain moment, what was once special, difficult, and costly becomes mundane. Forgotten. Expected. Remember when long distance meant you stopped whatever you were doing? When a trip in the car was a special day? Photography is now in danger of being swept aside from the popular consciousness.
How can this be, you ask, we are experiencing a profusive explosion of photos everywhere. 15 billion on Facebook alone. Dozens more in each of our phones. Unwary are we also of the literally hundreds of times we will be recorded if we say, go from Grand Central to Times Square to Herald Square on foot.
What becomes ubiquitous falls in value. Just as music now proliferates for many 2, 4, 8? hours a day, it is clear that both our discerning ear and our craft for creation have taken a similarly prolific fall. Few musicians today would ever attempt a Rolling Stones guitar solo, just perhaps as Keith Richards might have barely kept his head above water in the Ellington Orchestra. Now with video and digital snaps, again the ease is taking precedent over craft. You've seen a 1000 photos on Facebook - has a single one arrested you? Can you tell the difference between the Sopranos and Queer Eye? Is one more pleasing to you from a visual standpoint?
No doubt I am overstating the case here. No doubt there are more good shooters than ever before. Yet I stand by my point. Craft and quality have always been at odds in America with volume. Today, volume holds sway. Again.
Would either of these topics be intruiging?
Loss is a 4 letter word.
There is Nothing to Do!
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