P3D Context and explanations in photography

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: telscope@xxxxxxxxxx (Peter Abrahams)
  
>Why is a stereo tintype from the 1860s of a young lady more interesting
>than a recent stereo portrait?  It is the context, we are feeling like we
>could reach out & touch someone who's been gone for almost a century.

Are you asking a question or making a statement here?  

Because, for me, the stereo tintype from the 1860s of a young lady is 
not more interesting (photographically speaking - not historically)
than a recent stereo portrait per se.  The attractiveness of the face 
is certainly a factor too, and this has nothing to do with time.

>Context & explanations are everything in photography.  

Never say "never" or "everything"! :-)

Context and explanations can aid our appreciation for certain types 
of photography (especially documentary and scientific) but certainly 
they not everything.  And, as a matter of fact, there is abstract 
photography where explanations are out of place.  Or, where each person 
can interpret the image in any way they want.  Or just enjoy the forms 
and colors (see previous discussions on "contemporary images") without 
needing any explanations.  In most slide competitions (in club or PSA
level) pictures are shown without any explanations.  In Detroit, they 
don't even read the titles.  So there are no explanations.  The picture 
has to stand on its own.

This discussion reminded me of a lady that had bad luck entering club
stereo competitions (never got any awards).  In talking with her, she
confessed that her favorite subject for photography is "garbage".
That got me thinking... Is there a way to photograph garbage and
end up with an award winning picture?  Maybe, but this is hardly
a subject inviting good photography.  Nature has given us so many
colorful and interesting subjects.  Why would any one chose smelly,
ugly garbage as the subject of their photography?  Now, going back
to Peter's logic, I am sure that someone from the "refuse industry"
can tell us many interesting stories, about how garbage is collected,
processed, stored, etc., all the challenges that humans face in
disposing garbage, and, somehow, manage to bring these pictures into
context and perhaps they might even become "interesting", given this
new information.  But, still, garbage is garbage, and making good
stereo photography out of garbage is a great challenge.

-- George Themelis



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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 2619
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