Other than Christmas morning photos of Jo’s children, I haven’t bothered to do much photography over Christmas. I’ve mostly lazed around. My thoughts as I have been checking out a Sony Mirrorless camera have been about the future f this exciting hobby. With that I thought in mind I’ll repost this article from 2019.
Popular trends in photography do direct serious photographer’s choices of equipment. However, I wonder about trends in modern photography as they relate to the photographs? Are there actual photographic “trends” that are more than just copying another’s posted images to get lots of “likes” on Facebook or other social media sites?
I think many (most) photographers will position their photos in the popular genres like portraiture, scenic, macro or street photography. Yet there are those creative few photographers that are producing images that don’t fit into any category.
During the height of film processing there was a procedure called “cross-processing”, that is, deliberately processing film using chemicals intended for a different film, for example, developing colour print film in colour slide film chemicals. Today that effect might be achieved using some other post-production program.
Photographers have had their digital cameras altered to only “see” infrared light to create unique pictures that are sometimes thought provoking and exciting. The resulting enlargements are usually crowd pleasers at exhibitions. Kodak and other manufacturers used to make all sorts of weird film that produced unusual images now as we move into the future there are many computer programs that will convert digital files to infrared-like images without camera alteration.
Films and photographic papers that produced other worldly images were once the “in-thing” for artistic photographers that were pushing the boundaries. There were photographic papers with different coloured base coats like gold, blue, red, brown, glossy silver and so on. I also remember a film that when processed would always have a sepia colour and there were also chemicals that toned photographic papers. Photographers were making negatives from only paper, solarizing prints and producing bas-relief images. (Bas-relief involved using film that produced line drawing-like prints)
The future for that is now these effects can easily be done with programs like Photoshop. When I used to deliver the album to wedding customers I always included photographs converted to black and white, toned differently, or even “posterized” and “soft-focused” photographs.
Photographers would make soft-focused images by holding fishnets over their lenses, or put hairspray on glass for a soft ethereal effect when held over the lens, but I wonder what we will be able to do in the future?
I have always enjoyed manipulated images. I wonder how many of those, or the processes used to produce them have stood the test of the time? That’s a question posted to me by
My friend Drew brought me some old photography books from the 1950s and 60s and we talked about how all those techniques have changed.
I suspect images that don’t fit traditional genres will always interest and amuse us. Some because of who the photographer is, others because of what is being visually said about the subject, and I guess some because that moment in time might make the images classics. I think about the images of two past photographers that inspired me to study photography all those year ago, Man Ray, and Jerry Usellman.
I could add another page philosophizing about which images will have staying power into the future now that many modern photographers rarely print their images.
I have always had a big printer sitting on my desk. I also have a small one that I can take to events where I have access to a wall plug. But This Xmas my friend Jo got a wireless/Bluetooth printer that fits in her purse to use anywhere. Gosh, the future is here.
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.
