The artistic realm of photography?

There are indeed many answers about the realm of photography.

I think the following article is very good. I hope you can understand.

The field of photography: towards dullness

Gu Rongjun

This article was completely created by Shaanxi blogger Zhu. He records the trivial things around him in obscurity and perseverance every day, which gives me a lot of inspiration and thinking. It is estimated that Zhu's image realm is located on the word "plain". The dullness here does not mean that his image is dull, but that his starting point is "dullness", and he has no desire to praise and point out the direction of the country, nor does he have the desire to win prizes for the benefit.

However, what I want to say is far from these.

Let's talk about why we should say the word realm first.

In fact, the realm itself varies from person to person. For example, some comrades are born to be leaders, while others are born to make big money in business. They have their own pursuits, such as how big an official is and how much money they earn. I have an old friend. He used to be very poor, but he went into business before graduating from high school. Now he runs an enterprise with assets exceeding 100 million, but he is still not satisfied. Every time you meet me, you are anxious and ask me: Is there a better project to invest in?

I said, can you stop thinking about making money? Can't by going up one flight of stairs?

He said, why don't you understand that life is like a ladder, one layer is higher than the other. If you have100000, you need1000000. If you have10 million, you want to earn10 million. . . . . . This is my high realm!

I am stupefied.

The word "realm" is rarely used in the photography circle because it sounds mysterious, spiritual and even metaphysical. Photography is not only a scientific invention, but also a technology. It takes a long process to bring technology into full play. I am eager to talk about this "plain" realm, because "plain" sounds common, but it is beyond the reach of many people, and I am far from it. This is similar to when March 8 was designated as Women's Day. I think women at that time must still be fighting for dignity.

The realm of photography determines the starting point of shooting, and the starting point determines the content selection of shooting.

You are not a reporter, you don't want to publish, you don't want to make a living by selling films, you don't want to win prizes, you don't want to participate in various exhibitions, then why do you want to take pictures? What the hell are you filming?

Now, 990 out of 1000 people will answer: to record, to stop the elapsed time. Hehe, in fact, this answer is equivalent to saying nothing, because the camera's "instinct" is to record, just like advertising that fluoride in toothpaste contains iodine. So what you need to understand is not "you are recording", but "what are you recording?" And "What phenomenon do you want to reflect because of your record?" . This is the real thinking. I read Zhu's visual diary, and his collection from the usual bits and pieces to the topics of "cats" and "sleeping" shows that he is actively thinking about the reasons for recording, which is a particularly good phenomenon.

It is true that some people love to take pictures and buy a bunch of photographic equipment all their lives, which is nothing more than taking some flowers and plants; Some people love to shoot women crazily, but that's just pure entertainment and psychological comfort. Some people use photography to socialize, and business owners, private bosses and even local party and government leading bodies regard photography as a prelude to enhancing their emotions; Others play photography and participate in various salon competitions, eager for fame and fortune.

These people love photography, and the starting point of photography is different.

If you don't understand the starting point, it's easy to follow the trend and get lost.

From this point of view, I admire the dozen Koreans I know. They often get together spontaneously to discuss photography and exchange technologies from various industries in Shanghai. I have participated in several times, and I was surprised to find that each time there was a clear direction and purpose. They communicate with each other and are not influenced by each other. This makes me feel deeply.

The field of photography leads to the second question: who did you show the photos to?

When you take pictures, you are actually talking to others. Since you have made it clear, you should make it clear to those who listen. If you deliberately don't understand and pretend to be deaf and dumb, isn't it just mystifying? I see that many people who use "open composition", "LOMO" and "conceptual photography" are suspected of showing off. Some students found a lot of "artworks" on the Internet for me to interpret. Perhaps their level is limited, and they feel extremely painful when translating. I don't know what to say. I laughed at myself. These photos were taken for "aliens".

Therefore, my understanding can be understood as different forms and creative means, but it is true that "monks only talk about household words".

I have always wondered why many international professional photography agencies and photo agencies are unwilling to accept China membership. As far as I know, except for a few French photo agencies with China people, others are generally unwilling to consider China people. Of course, there may be some political reasons as well as some technical reasons. I think the biggest reason is the concept of photographers in China. Dig the eyes of the theme, the ability to refine things, and the ability to express things. These are long-term skills that cannot be achieved overnight. Europeans shoot a series of special topics, such as recording the "groups watching TV" for one or two years and shooting the state of watching TV in all walks of life, countries and categories. These topics are general and well thought out, and some of them are even the result of several negative and positive contests. It seems dull, but it has a concise expression.

So even if you record, you must have a theme and a directional record. A person can only concentrate on one thing, and it is impossible to do everything well. Min Wei, a blogger in Shanghai, is a good example. With an objective attitude and detailed pictures, he introduced and reflected the "turning point" of the great changes in Shanghai's old factory slums, as well as the grievances of "utility" and "people's livelihood" of a city from the old factory slums to Zhoujiadu. His record has far-reaching significance and value today and in the future.

The realm of photography leads to the third question: did you leave yourself behind by pressing the shutter?

Leaving yourself is to integrate your emotions. Can it also be interpreted as, is it integrated with the lens?

A sculptor once said: A sculpture that cannot arouse people's desire to touch is not a successful sculpture. Similarly, I think a good photographic work itself should arouse people's desire to touch, but the image is touched with eyes. I will think of Moncassie's Running to the Sea and Bresson's Children with Bottles. Especially for children with bottles, it is said that in many photo exhibitions in Bresson, if a couple or more than two friends come to watch, one of them often imitates the posture of the child in the photo to the other. This subconscious behavior fully shows the touchability of the image, which has aroused strong resonance from the viewer.