It is sad, I agree....but one MUST keep up or suffer the indignity of a technology deficit and social isolation. Poor devils! J
Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:53 AM, Ken Waller <[email protected]> wrote: > > Igor posed the question - >> ...what do you think about what is shown in the photograph discussed in that >> blogpost? > > > I think what is shown is the superficial nature of those taking the 'selfie' > and the almost total immersion into social media of many of today's populace. > It also reminds me of the quest for 5 minutes of fame. > > Sad, IMO. > > Kenneth Waller > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Igor PDML-StR" <[email protected]> > Subject: OT - "We live not to be there, but to be seen to be there." > > >> >> >> This morning someone sent me a link to a brief blogpost on Cnet, which got >> me (re)evaluating - (re)thinking certain aspects of photography in our >> lives. The photo was of a crowd in front of a famous politician waving at >> them, while most people turned their backs and taking selfies of themselves >> with the famous people being the background. >> (The link is below, but first the thoughts.) >> >> Over many years of taking photographs, sometimes as tourist (i.e. in very >> touristic places, etc.), - I've been offered by others (friends, relatives, >> bystanders) to take a picture of _me_. ... or rather of _me__being__there_. >> Not that I was against those (and sometimes I did want some picture, >> especially with friends or family), but I was not particularly ego to get >> those. I wanted to take some interesting (at least to me) of the views from >> that place. >> One of the repeated questions/comments I had (usually not from close friends >> or relatives who already knew what I am after, but from more distant >> friends): "Why do you need those? - See there, they sell cards with this >> view already printed." >> >> Why was/am I taking those photos? >> 1. I enjoy _taking_ them and >> 2. I enjoy looking at them later, as they remind me of good time I had >> there. And often, aftre many years, I remember the photos I've taken even >> without looking at them: they are a connection for that place, person, >> event. ... even though I might not be in those pictures myself. >> (As an aside, - I appreciate the fact of being in some of those photos more >> now, as my daughter is growing up, - so, that she can see her dad in those >> photos too.) >> >> Now, getting back to the conclusion quoted in the Subject of this message. >> Yes, selfie is the fad du jour [is that tautology?]. >> To this date, most of the selfies I've taken are with my SLR (with a tripod >> or a mirror help). But I don't want to judge those people who enjoy selfies: >> to each of his/her own. And to some extent, those people aren't that much >> different from those stranger on the street who are ego to pose for you even >> though they are never going to see that photo. (This was a very frequent >> situation with kid groups in Japan.) >> >> >> My understanding of the said blogpost is that someone is trying to question >> of how polite it is to take a selfie with a famous person (and hence turning >> one's behind to her/him) as opposed to piercing with your eyes and listening. >> >> That brought to memories yet another story. Long time ago, one famous >> Russian poet wrote a song that was "thinking" about a family being >> photographed in front of the monument to the famous Russian poet Alexandr >> Pushkin. The idea was based on the juxtaposition of the timelessness and >> greatness of someone whose fame survived the test of centuries, and >> "todayliness" of the concerns and that-minute problems of that family. I >> remember that a friend was thinking that the author was criticizing the >> family, and that that type of photo was awkward or even ridiculous due to >> the contrast. While I understand that point of view (and I personally do not >> like taking photographs of people (and myself) specifically with someone's >> _personal_ monument), I never felt comfortable with that criticism. And I've >> always thought that the song's author was just bringing up the contrast as a >> way to highlight the simultaneous distance and closeness of the great and >> small, old and contemporary, timeless and tr ansient. >> >> But back to today's photo, here is what I am curious to hear from you, deal >> PDMLers: >> As photographers with different preferences, views and reasons to take >> photographs, what do you think about what is shown in the photograph >> discussed in that blogpost? >> (Please, let's not digress into a political debate about the specific >> politician, so, let's keep the political comments on mute.) >> >> Here is the blogpost in question: https://goo.gl/VC5fU3 . >> >> Thanks in advance to all who will respond. >> >> Igor > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
