Homeless

“Out of every ten visitors to my gallery, nine claim to be photographers,” commented the owner of a nationally renowned art photography gallery in Carmel Valley. “None of them want to buy a photograph, they all come to see how the photograph was made, so that they can copy the work with their own digital camera,” she lamented.

It made me think hard about the state of photography today. With the advent of the digital camera, making a technically perfect photograph is within the reach of almost anyone. So why would anyone buy the photographs of another photographer? After a little introspection the answer became obvious. Photography is not only about technique. It is about the message. Photography is a medium by which an artist expresses himself to the broader world, just as a poet expresses herself through her poems. Millions of people know the English language, but how many T.S. Elliots are out there?

Secondly, making a fine print after capturing the photograph is still an art that requires years of training to master. It is true that with digital imaging, the process of making fine prints has become relatively less cumbersome than making prints using traditional darkroom methods like dye transfer or cibachrome printing. But at the same time, digital methods provide much finer controls, making the bar much higher. With finer control at his disposal, the print-maker is expected to make an even more expressive print than its darkroom counterpart. It still takes a very long time to make a print that would withstand the test of time. I put about a year of retouching work altogether on my “Dogwoods in Fog.”

Moreover, with the newer capabilities of the digital medium, many photographers have begun to take a new direction. What photographers are experiencing today is similar to what painters encountered when photography was invented. With the emergence of photographs that could capture landscapes in vivid detail, painters needed a different subject rather than documenting the natural landscape. That led to the birth of abstract painting. Similarly, photographers today are experimenting with various techniques, creating new realities from their imagination, transcending physical reality.

Let me take this opportunity to introduce one world renowned photographer who is pushing the envelope of fine art photography through constant exploration of the new medium. Loretta Lux, formerly a painter, now uses the digital camera and Photoshop like a painter’s canvas to create idealized images of children who are so perfect that they look spooky. But one is able to keep coming back to her photographs to discover the metaphors one layer at a time.

The photograph above is one of mine that belongs to this fantasy genre of photography. It is titled  “Homeless,” part of series named “Strange Tales of the Black Bird.” In this series, I explore the environmental destruction of our planet through various metaphors. In 2009, this photograph was selected in the prestigious juried exhibition at the venerable Center of Photographic Art in Carmel Valley.

I wonder if the new trend in digital photography will make traditional landscape photography obsolete. Personally, I do not think so. As long as people respond to blooming dogwoods suffused in a thin veil of mist, or find refuge in colorful hills reflecting light through dark clouds, they will keep the tradition alive. Ultimately, the people are the final judge, not the art critics. Fashions come and go, but beauty is forever.

So, how would one explain the observation by the Carmel gallery owner? I think it has to do with the pricing of the artwork. With fierce competition from local galleries, big art galleries are getting hurt, with their huge overhead cost and astronomical price tags. In these hard economic times, people are trying to save money in every way possible, and art is no exception.

Thanks for reading this. What do you think about this subject? Please let me know your comments.