May 2006
- 5
Photography And The Pseudo-Event: Abu Ghraib
Daniel Boorstin’s book The Image was published in 1962, which makes it un-contemporary. This is significant – I sometimes find the only way of developing original insight is by seeking it in unusual and ‘alternative’ places; this is why I’ve previously studied subjects like Chinese and Indian philosophy, and Western systems like Tarot card symbolism. 1962 is effectively an ‘alternative place’. I first heard about Boorstin’s book indirectly, on Radio 4. A university lecturer was berating…
- 9
The Hair Cut
So there I was, driving through the Moss Side area of Manchester on my way home. The first time I ever went there I was nervous and uncomfortable, although the adage is true: if you are familiar with an area, albeit by virtue of living five miles away, you are far less intimidated by what you see. ‘Dude, cut the crap: I’m a Mancunian as well, and I know how this works’. Or something like…
- 15
Digital: Amateur Photographer Review
A few years ago, there was much uncertainty and debate about digital photography. Pixel count was paramount but as they increased in number, this became less important. Around the six million mark, there was no longer a sole question about digital quality; lens and sensor quality were rightly given equal consideration and in some respects, digital was better than film: it has less grain, especially at high ISO. In last week’s Amateur Photographer magazine, they…
- 24
Mountain Photography
So there you are, beginning to wonder what makes a great mountain photo and how you can find them. Maybe you’ve been tramping the hills for years, just a few times, or never: but you’ve realised, mountain images are one of the most rewarding areas of photography. Not only do you capture their beauty, one of the most interesting natural features on the planet, but you also get to record and memorise exhilarating and happy…
- 31
Towards A Philosophy Of Photography: Willem Flusser
A quirky little book by a relatively unknown theorist, some of which I disagree with and some of which is rather contrived and tiresome. But he has some interesting ideas about photography, as you see in the following quotations. This space and time peculiar to the image is none other than the world of magic, a world in which everything is repeated and in which everything participates in a significant context. Such a world is structurally…