I must be very frank at the moment: the art side of the world of photography is quite zero at the moment. Wherever I look at, someone is trying to be an idea of a photographer, but really works to attract the most attention to themselves. In turn, modern photographers really injured themselves in their quest for attention that they have forgotten authenticity. In a telephone call with a friend the other day, I asked him why he needed so much external validation for his images instead of being convinced that it is the best job he can do. His answer is like a large part of what everyone says: he did not know. We can all admit that cameras technology has greatly improved insofar as the autofocus has improved, we can see more details in low light at faster shutter speeds, we can collect more details overall, and there are more things that can be done on the camera that this was possible before. But despite this, as much as the photographic tools and the instruments have improved, the photographers did not improve. They are too busy bending to a social media algorithm that does not care about their work.
This article is inspired by perhaps one of the best photographers of the last 20 years: Zack Arias. More than a decade agoI remember that we published an article on how he reminded us that it is the photographer behind the camera. And it’s true. However, I don’t think we can completely reduce the equipment. Different equipment helps you to create and express yourself in a way that other pieces do not allow you to do. On the side, I play the low guitar. My Sterling Sting Ray and Current Fender Bassman Amp released a completely different sound from my Fender Mexican Jazz Deluxe and my Bassman Fender from the 1990s. You cannot mix the parameters of one or the other to sound exactly the same. In this way, it is partly the equipment. And this is the problem of photography: we can use post-production To get exactly the same image with a Nikon ZF that you can with a Holga. That said, so you really have to refine your process to have a look that cannot be done otherwise.
Despite all this, we are in the best time perhaps in the history of camera technology. AI and Machine Learning databases are integrated into cameras to improve them to recognize subjects. However, the biggest problem is that now photographers must really find a way to do work that generating AI cannot duplicate. To do this, I really think they have to give up post-production world for a while and start building sets, playing with lens filters, and much more. There are tons of excellent tools at our disposal, but we do not use them. The photographers have forgotten how to play in sandboxes and transform literal sand into sand castles and sculptures as we did when we were children.
More importantly, we do not take photography seriously as an art because we do not create or do not use the medium as an artist would do. What I say here is that we do not use our imagination and rather try to copy what we see. I do not think that anyone who does not agree with me when I say that the visual media are still copying. We opt for vintage trends instead of truly trying to refine and create new things because we are too busy trying to please an algorithm. We have forgotten that doing real art is taking time. It is much less a Big Mac McDonalds and much more a gourmet steak. But more importantly, art does not come out of the chains. And photographers are not restaurant channels – these are small outlets.
We can blame customers not to hire us to flex our creative muscles. But with a generative AI now, we must really do it even more.
As photographers, must admit it. The equipment can mainly replace what we do. In general, we do not connect enough with ourselves to create a really unique work.