It's all a bit negative

These two pictures were taken from the same spot, minutes apart. The first would be deleted, the second cropped to produce a powerful image.

Thinking some more about lost skills, (see : Me and brass balls), I am in two minds about photography.

Watching a carnival recently, it was like a Mexican Wave, the hundreds of iPads sequencing a 'picture opportunity' as it passed.

They each, no doubt, took a well exposed, wide angle picture of the procession and provided memories for years to come. Dozens of 'snaps' that are as good as most cameras would produce on automatic.

Then there are the billions of mobile phone 'selfies' produced around the world each week.

I was here

I ate this

I drank this

I did this

I look like this

And this

And this

And this

Facebook fodder for friends and family, pictures that would not have been taken with a camera.

So what is my problem with all these photos?

Am I just being a camera snob who had to learn about Exposure, Stops, Speed, Differential focus, Rule of thirds, Composition, Lighting?

Did Cartier Bresson's 'decisive moment' mean every moment from every angle was equally valid?

Or are we building the best archive that any future historians could wish for?

Or could it all be wiped when cloud computing has to be de-cluttered sometime in the future?

The vast technical advances in digital photography and manipulation means most photos, whether taken by phones or cameras, will produce an acceptable image.

I suppose my real question is, does an 'acceptable image' become the end in itself, or does the vast proliferation of good quality cameras and phones lead to more people becoming dissatisfied with 'acceptable images' and strive to make pictures?

Colin Payn

12/9/2017