Black & White photography

3 years ago flatsol

obviously we photographers are in a precarious position when we:
1) document and communicate suffering to the public
2) are guilty of not helping, by the direct act of our impartial observation

It is easy to confuse the photographer's "innate desire to shoot" with "ego" - to get photos of suffering and build their own name for this kind of controversial coverage. But why is it controversial? Because it forces the viewer to question themselves.

That's a reason why I feel skepticism over landscape photography. There is a detached optimism in documenting real nature over real human life, but there is also a very human desire to return to the Earth.

Our lenses are merely mirrors for our own personal perspective and what we choose to put in front of them does say a lot about the types of people we are and the things we hunt for - art, nature, or reality (bad or good).

So. Each is valid - natural landscape and human suffering.

3 years ago joannasphoto

these are great.

3 years ago andyrjohnston

amazing pictures - love the one in indian the texture is amazing

3 years ago djpp

Gratuitous?

Was the photographing of our own Native American peoples being herded like cattle, forced to live on land that couldn’t possibly support them gratuitous? Was photographing depression era families on the verge of starvation gratuitous? Was photographing the aftermath of concentration camps at the end of the Second World War gratuitous? I could go on and on. Gratuitous? I think not. But it does beg the question: What in the hell are we doing as a society to prevent/help these people?

What a dull photographic world it would be if all we did was capture flowers in full bloom!

3 years ago yardbirdmedia

I find that gratuitous photographing of those who are clearly suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, mental illness, hard times or just not being able to fit into our "square peg" society to be disquieting and an unfortunate choice of subject matter. If it's "character" you're chasing... there's plenty of it out there that does not exploit those who are suffering.