FaceBook Exchange On What Makes Photography Great

CW wrote

"Timing isn't everything or abstract or landscape, anything that doesn't involve movement would fail. Weston (both, and Cole). Light can isolate a scene (most photos), a subject (many including many I've seen of yours), or be the subject (Atget notably, in the guise of documentation, v, say Marville - its less so in his ragpickers photos that stand on subject matter).

"Geometry" means the idiosyncratic means of organizing perceptually, Strand differently from C-B in the photo resources used.

Nothing "undercuts the greatness of photography" any more than Rothko undercuts Persian miniatures or either undercuts Pollock or the vastness of Picasso's range.

Collage in the film montage sense or the application of disparate materials (cut-outs - like Muniz) is only a lie if its misrepresented - if Wall were to say he actually shot the image live, which of course he doesn't.

The greatness of photography if that expression can really be used is its expansive possibilities."

GY wrote:

"The greatness of photography if that expression can really be used is its expansive possibilities." I find Wall's work rather nauseating, try to avoid it. I think the greatness of photography is not its expansive possibilities but. the its depiction of reality, especially as it is connected to the human condition. Photography if used correctly can be a force for good in this world to help others, not just an arty farty thing to promote the self. Too often the ARTISTE, is more caring of his own fame/self/me...find that type of self promotion and self self stuff pure garbage, nauseating. It is one of the reasons I choose to not use my real name as connected to the the photography, this is not about me, it is about them. For me the subject is paramount, they matter, that's it. I also try not to overly intellectualize the photo stuff, let the pictures speak for me (if they work, which they often do not). I just go with the impact the image has, how it makes the viewer feel. If you draw the person in, get them thinking and talking, that's enough for me. I try not to over analyze things. 

Thanks for all your wonderful thoughts Cary, you got me thinking in some new ways. It was fun reading what you wrote, I appreciate your effort.