tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402297009254305574.post799944674824343485..comments2020-04-18T15:54:06.833-07:00Comments on Dialogs on Photography: Frame 9Larry Lytlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396594765650901628noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402297009254305574.post-9430135668301947462013-12-12T02:10:08.369-08:002013-12-12T02:10:08.369-08:00The idea of being a human camera is intriguing, an...The idea of being a human camera is intriguing, and the technological trajectory is definitely there. There is a point in the foreseeable future where there isn’t a mechanical camera, but a recording of the signals passing through the optic nerve from the retina, or even a recording of the mind’s eye view of a particular moment. Mapping the human brain and interpreting its patterns as well as those of the rest of the nervous system is considered the successor to the Human Genome Project, and given some of the interesting progress so far, the science is far less fiction that it was a few years ago. If (when) recording that kind of information becomes possible, so too will making personal passive recordings of nearly every stimulus. There won’t be a device to get in the way or a thought process that has to take place in parallel with current events – just look at what you want to see and pick out the good parts later. Things could also go the other way, and the omnipresent ability to record everything becomes an inescapable desire to record everything. Not to mention the obligation to record and share everything, taking the contemporary compulsions and privacy concerns to their hyperbolic extreme.<br /><br />I think the key to navigating the easily accessible camera, as well as most other types of omnipresent media, is to be more present than your devices. If taking a picture is pulling you out of the moment, then maybe don’t take it. Photos have always been good mimetic keys for personal experiences, and the good ones can share at least some part of those experiences with others. Vacation slides shows are great examples of the former, and very rarely the latter. Social media tends to turn into one long vacation slide show of everyone’s daily lives. Who really cares about most of them unless they were there? The oft-maligned and mocked stereotypical hipster’s Instagram photos of every meal are a great example. If more people took the time to parse images they sincerely believe someone else would enjoy and take pictures more sparingly, social media as we know it would collapse, but everyone would have a lot better photos and a lot more free time.<br />Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18398474883863715614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402297009254305574.post-8346081486033523562013-12-05T09:33:01.912-08:002013-12-05T09:33:01.912-08:00Among the many things that come my mind when I rea...Among the many things that come my mind when I read this is parents photographing every moment of their kids' lives. Birthdays, recitals, xmas mornings etc, all spent trying to capture the moment, all the while the kid just wants to look at the adoring expression onthe parents' face, yet it is obscured bythe device. What we need is a live in, round the clock, staff photographer who can let us partake of the situation while he or she snaps the pics for posterity. Or maybe you rig your house with specialized photo equipment that can sense when a photo worthy moment is happening. Perhaps in the future, everyone will have droid camera crews following them around, documenting everything. But seriously, I have experienced that yucky feeling of detachment when I'm in a place of beauty and I'm trying to get a shot of it. The picture seldom does it justice.Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15429532123688110574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402297009254305574.post-9407226614674387442013-08-07T11:47:31.394-07:002013-08-07T11:47:31.394-07:00Hi Larry, really important thoughts. As a pure ama...Hi Larry, really important thoughts. As a pure amateur photographer, I've found that always having a camera (iPhone) with me has really changed the way I look at things, and for me, I feel that it enriches my life more than it disrupts it. I have started scanning my environment for things to photograph, and this has made me more aware of my visual environment. There is no question that there are times to put it away and it can be a distraction but overall it's made me appreciate both how things look, and more appreciative of the work of more serious and accomplished photographers. I'm sure for those who are professional photographers the experience is a lot different.ambermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18425276052810373738noreply@blogger.com