"I sometimes dream of an ideal photographic journal, perhaps distributed on microfiche so that we can all afford it. In my imagination it is assembled in somebody's garage in the Midwest. It is a magazine devoted to successful work, because that is all we have time for; it is a journal notable for its tact and lucidity, and it is full of pictures because they are the point."
Robert Adams, from "Beauty in Photography" published in 1981
I like to think that he was dreaming of photo blogs.
Monday, March 24, 2008
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Kate,
ReplyDeleteI really like this quote you found. And I think you may be right about blogs being this photographic journal. I just wish I could hold them in my hand. I want the tangible.
Question, Are you processing rolls at a time and saving the images, and only posting a few on here a day? These images are probably from a few days ago, right? I am interested in the process of your photography intertwined with your blog posts. Thanks- Graham
Graham,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. To answer your question: I am photographing most days but I do save up my film and get it processed in batches (my lab offers a discount when you have 10 or more rolls so I always wait till I reach 10). I get small prints made and then I stick my favourites in a scrapbook. I let these sit for a while and then I choose some of those to show you here on the blog. That just seems to be what works for me,
Kate.
I don't think it was photoblogs Adams had in mind - he said it is a magazine devoted to successful work.
ReplyDeletePhoto blogs, like all blogs, vary wildly in their quality and content - not to mention tact and lucidity.
Your photoblog has great photos, but I could point towards others that, well, suck. But that would be mean.
You have to sift through a lot of crap on the internet to find the good stuff - but this ideal photographic journal that Adams speaks of seems to have quality in mind. Blogs sure ain't all about quality....
And the tangible that graham mentions - there is nothing like an actual, hold-in-your-hands photo, or even a reprint. What happens if blogger suddenly goes belly-up, or a hard drive dies, or...
CSS,
ReplyDeleteYour comment and Graham's about blogs not being tangible and therefore don't fit with Adams' idea is so true. There is nothing like seeing a print in person, even a reproduction in a magazine. It's also true that a lot of photoblogs are lacking. I wanted to find some connection with Adams' great writing on photography and so I guess I was doing a little dreaming of my own!
Kate.