Everybody's Pictures

This week's chapter focuses on an especially topical issue in today's world of photographic excess: how can one make their photographs personal when it seems that every photograph has already been taken? Indeed, this is an issue that many of the past few generations of photographers are struggling with. With the advent of the internet and always-available camera phones, photographs have become all but ubiquitous in the modern world. Photographs have been used in advertising for many many years, but new is the use of photographs exclusively for interpersonal communication. As Rexer discusses in the chapter, apps like Snapchat facilitate the use of photographs to convey a snippet of an experience instantaneously between friends. This kind of communication is notably distinct from traditional documentary snapshot photography, where "... we are trading the experience of the moment for its documentation." In the case of Snapchat, there is no permanent documentation to speak of. Rather, the photograph is viewed briefly by the recipient, and then vanishes (supposedly) forever. This method of communication can help describe many ways in which images are used today in vernacular culture, especially by the younger generations. 

Aspiring young photographers growing up in this environment can find it challenging to be original simply due to the sheer volume of photographs being taken and circulating the globe each day. Hasn't every photograph been taken, "regardless of subject"? The answer appears to lie in the subtleties of the medium. Young photographers today have begun to embrace the cliches, rather than shy away from them. It is not the explicit subject itself that does the talking in these photographs, but the subtleties of lighting, framing, and most importantly the experience of a set of photographs as a completed work. It is here that the "... sudden piercing awareness of another person's presence" strikes us, as we are for a brief moment drawn into the mind of the artist themselves. 

I found myself relating a lot to this chapter, as I am all too familiar with the quest for originality in my photographic journey. I'm always asking myself "am I being original enough?" "Isn't this too cliche?" But in the end, I've learned to just roll with it, and not stress out too much about perceived "originality". It's best, I think, to simply photograph what you want to photograph, and eventually (hopefully) your personal voice will begin to shine through as you progress.