photography and content

just saw this ted talk about photography.
Edward Burtynsky took photographs depicting oil's expansive role in our societal regression. few things to be noted here.
exhibition.. he chose large scale format. medium as imposing and striking as the content.
content.. the right politics. content/idea comes first. photograph/execution/medium comes later. so often than not, this is what happens. with digital photography, you take gazillion pics and then decide later on, while photoshopping it, what should the pic mean. its appalling as it has crept into professional and serious art photography too. a good photographer manages to restrict the meaning of what he wants to say, while he is bloody clicking the pic. though, one may get away with 'artistic expressions' and altered motives somewhere else... but that somewhere else has become ubiquitous and concrete motives have gone into margins.

well, i am culprit of 'lending meaning' to existing frame as well. ya well, hazards of being a student. i am only learning, and as such you chose stuff and decide frame while the idea/politics is still germinating, not completely clear, however you know that you have some substance. later on when u review, u realize that sometimes u unknowingly have captured something really marvelous, and most other times, its shit, just another addition to pollution of digital imagery.

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