Opinions
So, someone posts a classic Cartier-Bresson to a Flickr group and it gets voted for deletion because it is unsharp.
Sounds like a punch-line, I know. Thankfully life is a much better a comedian than me. For reference, if you don't know, Henri Cartier-Bresson.
I am not shocked or even offended. Just because someone is heralded as a master it doesn't automatically imprint all of his work with a seal that guarantees an artistic experience. I think it's sort of funny from a social experiment sort of angle. On one side you have the people who have never seen the image (and probably never heard of Cartier-Bresson) and make an honest, if maybe mean-spirited and unsubstantiated, comment about its "apparent" flaws. On the other you have the ones who are utterly appalled that anyone dare judge a masterpiece. Both camps are total buffoons.
The real humor is that anyone that's even taken an introductory course in the history of photography, paged through any such text book, or even taken any photography course would have undoubtedly seen this photograph at least half a dozen times. Now, I realize that not everyone's lives revolve around the photo world, but one would assume that people who fancy themselves photographers or at least aspire to be seen in such a fashionable way (prancing around with ginormous zooms hanging from one's neck is one way to be noticed by the ladies) night have heard of some of the luminaries and maybe glanced at some of their more famous works.
Ok, I am exaggerating this isn't THE most important of Cartier-Bresson's images -- it's the second. It's damn-near ubiquitous. The pretend connoisseurs are exposed, the self-appointed judges are also out in the open.
The wired might be a great way to share information and see lots of people's opinions but it can also be a great way to find lots of useless advice. Don't get me wrong, I love this place, but if anyone else recommends me a website to post my photographs or a site to see amazing and inspired snaps other people are posting I will definitely give them a piece of my mind.
____
Flickr in question
A site/magazine that does honestly have good user-submited photography
Sounds like a punch-line, I know. Thankfully life is a much better a comedian than me. For reference, if you don't know, Henri Cartier-Bresson.
I am not shocked or even offended. Just because someone is heralded as a master it doesn't automatically imprint all of his work with a seal that guarantees an artistic experience. I think it's sort of funny from a social experiment sort of angle. On one side you have the people who have never seen the image (and probably never heard of Cartier-Bresson) and make an honest, if maybe mean-spirited and unsubstantiated, comment about its "apparent" flaws. On the other you have the ones who are utterly appalled that anyone dare judge a masterpiece. Both camps are total buffoons.
The real humor is that anyone that's even taken an introductory course in the history of photography, paged through any such text book, or even taken any photography course would have undoubtedly seen this photograph at least half a dozen times. Now, I realize that not everyone's lives revolve around the photo world, but one would assume that people who fancy themselves photographers or at least aspire to be seen in such a fashionable way (prancing around with ginormous zooms hanging from one's neck is one way to be noticed by the ladies) night have heard of some of the luminaries and maybe glanced at some of their more famous works.
Ok, I am exaggerating this isn't THE most important of Cartier-Bresson's images -- it's the second. It's damn-near ubiquitous. The pretend connoisseurs are exposed, the self-appointed judges are also out in the open.
The wired might be a great way to share information and see lots of people's opinions but it can also be a great way to find lots of useless advice. Don't get me wrong, I love this place, but if anyone else recommends me a website to post my photographs or a site to see amazing and inspired snaps other people are posting I will definitely give them a piece of my mind.
____
Flickr in question
A site/magazine that does honestly have good user-submited photography
Labels: opinions, photography
posted by Fernando Gaglianese at
8:30 AM
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