Lately it seems as if there is a nostalgic feeling for retro style photographs and all the editing software makes it very easy to do. Boudoir, Pin-up, Vignetting, Polaroid, etc. are all ‘fashionable words today. It’s the same in music where the 60′ and 70′s music is again extremely popular amongst the younger generations.
So I’m posting a few genuine retros which I photographed in 1971.
The Jerusalem 3-day March.
Tomb of The Patriarchs, Hebron.
a bit of the real stuff 
While I’m having a lapse in brain waves, Kirk is prolific!
He hits the nail on the head every time. The only thing
I have to say here is that this falls directly in-line with my thoughts/questions
of whether the technology had become the end and is no longer
imply the means to the end?
Gary Winogrand taught photography at UT when I was a student there. He would stroll the main drag looking for interesting people to photograph nearly everyday. He would also stop into the stereo (home electronics) shop where I worked part time to listen to the exciting audio gear that was hitting the market at the time. He generally carried two old, banged up Leica M’s with him. A 28mm lens on one and a 35mm or 50mm on the other.
He is widely quoted as saying that he “photographed things to see how they would look photographed.” Which implies that photography itself changes things and it does so, sometimes, in interesting ways. But he didn’t manipulate his images in post processing. He presented straight black and white prints to his audience so they could share the slice of the past that he captured and hence, owned.
He was a voracious shooter and left behind thousands and thousands of rolls of film that were shot but undeveloped. And more film that had been developed by not contact printed and examined. He was obviously in a hurry to shoot as much as he could.
In a very real sense we’ve made an enormous aesthetic and theoretical schism from the photography of Gary’s time to present work. A current and powerful aspect of photography is the routine post processing and random manipulation of images we take. Since many of the applied effects are supplied in a random fashion by the software used I wonder if the thoughtful practice of either previsualizing or conceptualizing the final effect is still in play. Or whether the idea of “satori” and instant recognition at the time of capture is still relevant.
But, at the core, the question really is this. Does the random and yet nearly statistical homogenous application of effects (canned or otherwise) bring value to the core image or, through its overuse does the same manipulation actually devalue the image?
The analogy that pops into my mind is hot sauce. Lots of people like the tang and bite of good salsa and, taken in moderate quantities it adds a special flavor and spice to regional foods. But there has become of subset of hot sauce fans who, having burned out their taste buds through egregious overuse, look for hotter and hotter versions of the sauce and take delight in their ability to ingest it without running for a huge glass of water (best to try milk instead).
It almost seems to me that instead of working to find more interesting things to see or more interesting ways to express the things we can already see that we have developed an immunity to subtlety and grace and are on the “hot sauce” search for more and more “heat” in our images. And we apply liberal canned manipulations like salsa fans dumping more and more habanero sauce over their plate of enchiladas, huevos rancheros or even meatloaf. At some point the power of the spice and pepper overwhelms the dish we’re trying to savor. The salsa becomes the quest rather than being the adjunct to fine foods.
People move through their lives quickly and I’m guessing that the fragmented quality of modern existence requires more and more stimulus in order to capture attention. And the preponderance of images also demands that ever more “hot sauce” be applied to make them “burn” and stand out.
At some point we realize that the “wrapper” has taken precedence over the content. We’re buying the shiny aluminum foil and not the chocolate. I don’t have any answers. I just know that we’re heading in a direction where style trumps meaning. It’s nice to be able to perceive intention and direction in content, not just in the wrappers.
I get that every new art form is challenging at first. But the real question is whether the application of glitter to the canvas really counts… “
“Ultimately photography is about who you are. It’s the seeking of truth in relation to yourself. And seeking truth becomes a habit.” Leonard Freed, Magnum Photos
“Here’s what I’ve come to believe about writing and photography: The more you do it the better you get at it. The less you think about it the happier you are. The less you think about technique the better your art looks and reads. The less you care about it the better and more sincere it becomes. Put the brain on autopilot and shoot with your heart.”
Kirk Tuck. Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
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