This is a photo rant.
I’ve been thinking photography way too much lately. Since schools in session that statement doesn’t even apply. I can never think about photography enough. I’ve been thinking about my interests, where I want to go, who I want to be, and most importantly what my voice is going to be as a photographer and a way to develop my photographic style.
So, where this is all heading is to the putrid nostalgia that has become a trend in todays imagery. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for nostalgia… but only if it’s done with purpose and intelligence, and not to be confused with modern day using vintage esthetic. But unfortunately there is a growing scene in technology that makes this nostalgia a part of pop culture. Holga cameras (though they are nowhere near a part of new technology) are being purchased for no other than the fact of the vintage esthetic and vignette it produces. Though I do acknowledge some may use a device such as a Holga for a purpose greater than to create a cool looking photo that imitates different age. Or let’s take the iPhone or Photoshop for instance. You can purchase an iPhone app for 2.99 a pop that makes an exposure and turns it into a vintage photograph in mere seconds. Or your computer savvy photographer that extends that process a little longer, using Photoshop to turn a digital image into a polaroid. I wouldn’t have my qualms with these processes so much if it weren’t for the fleeting trendiness of it all. Or perhaps the fact that if we spend all of our time making these images feel like they’re from a different time, what will we do when we are older and nostalgic and want to look at images that remind us of our time growing up? They will be false images of subject matter that suggets our present time, but the feel will be a complete lie.
So this gets to where I want to be as a photographer. I want to avoid all of the nostalgic cliches. I want to develop a pure body of work. One that is truthful to our time. One that will be familiar in years to come. A reminder of growing up. Not a reminder of a time where we all spent our time photographing in a way that pertained to a different decade.
Phew. I’m done ranting.
