Photographs are meant to be objects, not pixels. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. About how the technological revolution has reduced many people's experience of photography to a computer screen. Many of my students seem to quietly yearn for a closer connection to their own work and I believe that digital technology can be one of the culprits in keeping them from doing so.
When in doubt, print it out. Hang it on a wall. Live with it for awhile and your relationship with it will change automatically. Sometimes you will realize that the image you made was a quick date destined never to be repeated. And rare others will be something you want to live with, maybe forever.
Hi Joanne,
ReplyDeleteI live in Bend, OR. I take pictures and write--see bendlight.me
I googled writing and photography and found your blog. I was happy to find it. I am not sure which springs which--the photo or the writing, but good things are happening for me in the combining. I agree with you on this post. The experience of holding the paper makes a big difference. The light of a monitor is not really...real. Takes me to memories of sitting in the darkroom of high school journalism class with Mrs Walraven outside the door. But inside, in the dark, holding that paper in the red light...I get what you are writing about here.