I’ve taken numerous photos practicing composition and such. One can have only so many terrible images of leaves and flowers. Even these rare purges occur only after the duration of a year or so, and I have not done it for quite some time. I know that even though I may not have attached any special meaning or bond to a particular photo that I believe to be “delete-worthy,” at any point in the future, I may look through my archives and find something that I would deem “interesting.” It has already happened to me on several occasions where I’ve been looking through a batch of photos and found a particular image that I originally thought was shot very poorly, or that just didn’t have any impact on me and had considered deleting, only to be thankful that it still existed for me to rediscover.The reasoning for this is a phrase that I came across at some point in my life – whether I heard it from someone, or read it, I can’t remember: “All photos appreciate in value over time.” Given enough time, this phrase must hold true. We only need to look at how we cherish images from the distant past: ancient hieroglyphs, cave paintings, tapestries. Recently a shroud with an image supposedly of Jesus imprinted upon it has come under suspicion as someone has been able to recreate its aesthetic by artificial means. Why do we care about such things? In the case of the shroud, it is not even a good representation of a person, let alone Jesus. The figure does not have pupils, or skin tone – only a vague and hazy outline. However, it is because these representations are authentic that we relish them. Forces from the past have somehow come together and assembled themselves into a particular arrangement that can be actively pondered upon for centuries afterward. The observations of the patterns that underlie these images serve as fascinating opportunities for understanding where we come from.
Even though photographs are still only representations of reality – manipulated in terms of light and distortions, these images serve as authentic documents depicting a particular instant of time. I will also mention, manipulations are much easier to achieve these days with digital editing technology (although sometimes maybe not so different from the techniques that were practiced in the darkroom). Still, what we see is a window into a particular time, which gives us much to think about – whether it is observing clothing, or discerning peoples’ expression, identifying with a particular place/space that has some bearing on our present place/space, or even trying to look through image distortions (of say an old blurry picture) to try to discern what it is that we are looking at. The mere fact that the image comes from the past means that something from another time and place has left a direct impression on something that may pass before our very eyes in the present.
Imagine if, 2000 years ago, there were a few photographers with DSLRs. Even “bad” photos from this time would be considered priceless. We wouldn’t look at them and suggest that this one was a bit underexposed, or that this particular person blinked; “it would have been nice if they were all smiling.” One needs only look through a box of old photos belonging to an elder family member – maybe a parent, grand-parent, or even further to a great grand-parent (I’m not sure that that there are many in this generation who would have a family member beyond this who could afford to have themselves photographed so far in the past). I have in my head images of my grandma’s family flower business in England from when she was a child; I also see my dad’s Austin Healey parked somewhere – a relic from another time in his life. These photos were terrible photos where it is very difficult to discern any detail – and I probably remember them all wrong (I can’t even remember if my dad’s car is parked in a driveway or in front of our house – or if he’s even in it), but they’ve still left an impression on me. Even if the people involved in the photos weren’t around to share them with me, seeing them leaves so much to interpretation and imagination.
Entwined with my impression of my parents’ era, growing up in Vancouver, are the photos of Fred Herzog. Herzog was a German who came to Vancouver in the early 50’s and took many photos depicting the lives of ordinary Vancouverites. There are a few aspects that make his photos worthy of attention: his talent for capturing an image, the fact that he was an immigrant, and the time in which he was shooting. Herzog shot with colour film when many people were still shooting black and white. This gives his images a vibrancy that reflects well on the city. The fact that he grew up in Germany, I think, also helped develop his eye for the peculiar – or interesting, in Vancouver daily life. It is these two points that separate his photos from those that sit within the shoeboxes and photo albums of my family, but I wonder how distinct his photos would seem if nothing had changed in the last 50 years – if aesthetically, clothing, buildings, typeface, signage, daily life, etc. had not changed. Would his photos look just like every other documentary photographer working today?
As an amateur photographer, the photos I take are for personal value. I probably spent too much time last night looking at photos that I’ve posted on this blog, hence the impetus for this post. Still, the images that I’ve captured over the last few months have already attributed a great value for me. I can’t say that they will have any relevance for others – especially if they don’t really know me. This is especially true considering that everybody and their dog has a digital camera and is posting regularly on their blog, or through Facebook, or Flickr. Maybe the proliferation of digital imaging and social networking will put a damper on the theory that the value of all photos must increase with time. Or maybe these technical phenomena will only increase the amount of time in which a photo needs to accrue value. I still have faith that in a billion years, if my photos are able to survive that long, will be priceless to any human being with ocular nerves who happens to set eyes upon them.
The actual photos that i meant to write about today don't seem to fit at all with what i've written. I also haven't taken them yet. Maybe I'll get to them tomorrow. I think that putting some Fred Herzog photos would be most fitting here, but you can find them anywhere with a quick google image search. I’d rather share my own. The photo included is of a tree in the sky. I took it while lying down on the grass in front of Aizu Wakamatsu castle. I’ve taken many photos like this over the years, but this is one of the few that I like.
No comments:
Post a Comment