Why the World Doesn’t Need Photographers

 

– All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice.

Truth is nobody is interested in seeing your photographs. Nobody cares about the work that you are doing as a photographer. Nobody cares about anybody’s work. You could take that a step further and say ‘you know the world really does not need any more photographers’. We have plenty, they are over-saturated, we do not need any more photographers, musicians, actors, writers we certainly do not need any more films produced. We are over-saturated there is too much stuff out there.

This isn’t necessarily a bitter truth but the world does need work that matters. Our survival as a culture is dependent on work that means something. The role arts have always played in our culture even has changed a lot over the years whether that is a ‘J. K. Rowling’ novel, whether that’s paintings on a cave wall, whether that’s many years later a Beethoven symphony, whether that’s the Sistine Chapel these are things that significantly matter in the history of the world.

We live in very complicated times. There are a lot of issues that if you consider that art plays a role in our lives that makes us think it creates awareness, sometimes it just makes us feel better about ourselves. It creates positivity. It creates many different kinds of energy that help us deal with who we are and where we’re going as people.

– Photography of the future

Now those are two different things ‘work that matters’ and ‘nobody wants to look at your photographs’. Point is that if you’re going to shoot just for you the truth is that there’s plenty of stuff out there.  Most people will not become known. A lot of people remain unknown and that’s just how it works. Work that matters is important and that’s what you should be striving to do. It is not a popularity contest; it is creating something that means something.

Photography in the next 5, 10 or 20 years is going to look very different. With mobile stuff with the internet with social media and those are just barely starting to mature. People see more images in a day that are displayed on a computer screen than they do in print or on a gallery wall.

To figure out what is that work that is going to matter. What are you trying to say as an artist. How do you go about doing and that is the challenge. It is not easy. It is not something you are going to discover in a couple minutes, an hour, weekend or even in a couple years. Sometimes it’s something that you’re constantly pursuing and working towards. It is important and like I said sure nobody wants to see my work or your work. Nobody cares, therefore we need work that makes a difference! We need work that means something!