The problem with digital photography

[rhythmaning]

Is that it is too damn easy.

I don't mean that suddenly everyone can take photos because the cameras do everything for you and so have deskilled the artform (though I do think that too, of course).

I mean that it is just so easy to take photographs. And then they have to be edited and, if you are me, stuck on flickr.

Because I have taken stacks of photos recently. On Sunday night, at the Niki King gig, I took about 150. That is a bout a picture a minute.

I have 342 pictures from my week on the west coast in July (which I really am going to write about sometime).

And I have 250 pictures from wandering around Washington (this doesn't include pictures I took at my brother's wedding - there were one hundred-odd of those, but I edited them as quickly as possible so I could share them with my family).

I have always taken a lot of photographs when I take photographs (if you see what I mean): rather than lose a possible image, I would take the photograph - it might never be there again. The small price of a photograph was nothing next to missing it.

So I would get through ten rolls of film during a week on holiday, say; 360 pictures. So the number I took on the west coast isn't out of line. But digital photographs are a different medium, too.

Anyhow: I am suffering from photographic overload.

...And I am away walking this weekend. I must take my camera!

Comments

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

I know we talked a bit about this before ... one of the things I so love about digital photography is that deciding to take a given photo (or to stop taking photos when one is metaphorically on a roll) has stopped becoming an economic decision (Shit, I've shot two rolls today, which means I've only got one left for tomorrow ... OMG, the developing costs ...) and becomes purely a decision about whether or not to press the shutter. I'm convinced that this results in fewer missed opportunities, though obviously one must take care to remain discriminating about what is in the frame, or whether to take the shot at all.

[deililly.livejournal.com]

lol!

Totally understand. I can not resist taking pics of nearly everything and everywhere I go. I am looking at a groaning file full of pics on the pc from the last month that I haven't got round to sorting and it is driving me nutty!