An Email That Made Me Think

My friend Penny emailed this morning and asked my professional opinion on this article in the Guardian, and more specifically, this quote:

"photography, once a noble art, has become, thanks to the move to digital, a mental illness"

Arguably, it's dangerous to ask me–who thinks enough already–what I think, but here's my (at times controversial) reply:

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Hiya Pen,

Interesting. I wouldn't say photography itself has become a mental illness, but the use of mobile/camera phones has, in line with our cultural obsession with machines and technology. This naturally overspills into more hi-spec camera use – I can't tell you the number of times I have been shooting a job and a keen amateur approaches me wanting to know the spec of my camera, quick to point out theirs is better. "If you'll excuse me," I think, " I have some images to make." (It's not about the camera!)

Largely, I would challenge people to consider whether or not what they do really is 'photography', although technically that's exactly what it is. I wouldn't say most use is helpful in a news and current affairs context, as implied by the article. Aesthetically and conceptually, the majority of common photographic practice is undiscerning, goes unedited and is more of a 'need to belong' activity than a refined and insightful use of imagery to detect deeper truths about the world we live in. A mental illness? Only in the sense it is fear driven, ie. led by a belief that if we (society at large) don't do it (take pictures of everything on our technically brilliant gadgets), we feel we will be missing something crucial to our collective experience and welfare, and if we don't have a snap of it then it didn't happen and we are poorer as a result. That is clearly a lie, but sadly is it the only thing many of us have to cling to?

Yes, I do feel sad when I see so many people unable to enjoy life without a camera between them and their real experience. As a professional photographer, I still say the same. Only yesterday I went for a walk around the docks with my camera, debating in my head (again) whether or not I was a genuine photographer because I kept my camera in its case on such an unusual snowy day. Then I saw a particularly brilliantly designed snowman and couldn't resist.

For me to record images of the world around me, I need to be engaged with the world around me, and I can only do this if I stop and take it in one on one occasionally. It means when I do lift my camera to my face, the intuitive response is then much more interesting to look at.

So no, photography isn't a mental illness, but gadgetry maybe. For me it all shouts of our need to belong.

That's what I think anyway... you did ask!

Bessx

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{Today's Soundtrack: Nina Simone - Don't Explain}