This morning someone sent me a link to a brief blogpost on Cnet, which
got me (re)evaluating - (re)thinking certain aspects of photography in
our lives. The photo was of a crowd in front of a famous politician waving
at them, while most people turned their backs and taking selfies of
themselves with the famous people being the background.
(The link is below, but first the thoughts.)
Over many years of taking photographs, sometimes as tourist (i.e. in very
touristic places, etc.), - I've been offered by others (friends,
relatives, bystanders) to take a picture of _me_. ... or rather of
_me__being__there_.
Not that I was against those (and sometimes I did want some picture,
especially with friends or family), but I was not particularly ego to get
those. I wanted to take some interesting (at least to me) of the views
from that place.
One of the repeated questions/comments I had (usually not from close
friends or relatives who already knew what I am after, but from more
distant friends): "Why do you need those? - See there, they sell cards
with this view already printed."
Why was/am I taking those photos?
1. I enjoy _taking_ them and
2. I enjoy looking at them later, as they remind me of good time I had
there. And often, aftre many years, I remember the photos I've taken even
without looking at them: they are a connection for that place, person,
event. ... even though I might not be in those pictures myself.
(As an aside, - I appreciate the fact of being in some of those photos
more now, as my daughter is growing up, - so, that she can see her dad in
those photos too.)
Now, getting back to the conclusion quoted in the Subject of this message.
Yes, selfie is the fad du jour [is that tautology?].
To this date, most of the selfies I've taken are with my SLR (with a
tripod or a mirror help). But I don't want to judge those people who
enjoy selfies: to each of his/her own. And to some extent, those people
aren't that much different from those stranger on the street who are ego
to pose for you even though they are never going to see that photo. (This
was a very frequent situation with kid groups in Japan.)
My understanding of the said blogpost is that someone is trying to
question of how polite it is to take a selfie with a famous person (and
hence turning one's behind to her/him) as opposed to piercing
with your eyes and listening.
That brought to memories yet another story. Long time ago, one
famous Russian poet wrote a song that was "thinking" about a family
being photographed in front of the monument to the famous Russian
poet Alexandr Pushkin. The idea was based on the juxtaposition of the
timelessness and greatness of someone whose fame survived the test of
centuries, and "todayliness" of the concerns and that-minute problems of
that family. I remember that a friend was thinking that the author was
criticizing the family, and that that type of photo was awkward or even
ridiculous due to the contrast. While I understand that point of view
(and I personally do not like taking photographs of people (and myself)
specifically with someone's _personal_ monument), I never felt
comfortable with that criticism. And I've always thought that the song's
author was just bringing up the contrast as a way to highlight the
simultaneous distance and closeness of the great and small, old and
contemporary, timeless and transient.
But back to today's photo, here is what I am curious to hear from you,
deal PDMLers:
As photographers with different preferences, views and reasons to take
photographs, what do you think about what is shown in the photograph
discussed in that blogpost?
(Please, let's not digress into a political debate about the specific
politician, so, let's keep the political comments on mute.)
Here is the blogpost in question: https://goo.gl/VC5fU3 .
Thanks in advance to all who will respond.
Igor
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