Shooting the now (or what is current and topical in today's world)

swanlake1 · Oct 16, 2015

Looking through older photos, I notice a lot seems to bring what was current to people. Photography as a way of seeing what you couldn't see otherwise. Depending on the era, railroads and canals, middle America, the West, Peru, etc.

I was trying to break this down...technology, transportation, architecture, exotic locations, current issues of the day.

So, what's current and topical in today's world? Also (unfortunately) I find a lot of the modern world kind of ugly...highways and cars, airports come across as kind of bland. Cell phones, iPads and microchips are the latest technology, but not as impressive to shoot as the Panama Canal.

On the other hand, I still think a good picture of the Antarctic would qualify as unique even today. Or, maybe, Siberia.

Paul Howell · Oct 16, 2015

War, pestilence, and famine are always current, mass movements of displaced persons, vanishing species. vanishing places, celebrities acting badly, fires, storms, sports, are always in fashion.

Theo Sulphate · Oct 16, 2015

National Geographic may have brought the Pyramids to those who would never be able to see them, but life in any city or small town where you are is equally unseen by the rest of the world.

I see myself as a sort of historian/archivist who makes photos of my environs knowing they will change greatly in the future. This is also why I like to find old photographs of my city and neighborhood.

MartinCrabtree · Oct 16, 2015

Were the funds available I'd head to Europe and capture the refugees fleeing the middle east. The crisis had me curious as to how it was coped with during WW I and II. Interesting reading.

Ko.Fe. · Oct 16, 2015

Depends on you. I'm watching done by amateurs photos from Siberia every week on rangefinder.ru. And finding it way more interesting what cheesy ones from Antarctic done for NG like media.
Yes, modern world is ugly one. Cars, buildings, phones are primitivised to maximize production and profit. Back to the USSR, thing in terms how it looks.

Sirius Glass · Oct 16, 2015

I like to shoot landscapes without any people, vehicles or if possible buildings. The reason I avoid people and vehicles is that they automatically date the photographs via clothes, make and model.

Rook · Oct 17, 2015

I find that in general, the contourless, plastic-looking cars of today are not particularly photogenic, especially when they are situated in non-urban environments.

Mr Bill · Oct 17, 2015

I think this is an interesting issue to have raised. When I was fairly new to photography, I had learned to avoid things that might date the photo, limiting its commercial lifespan. But in my later years I find that I enjoy the older ones that ARE dated in some way. They probably don't have much monetary value, but are fun to look at (oh oh, does this mean I'm old?).

Some things I wish that I HAD photographed are: people smoking in airplanes; people waiting to use a payphone; full-service gas stations at work, and that sort of thing. A few things that I SHOULD shoot now are scenes including newspaper vendor machines, people pumping their own gas, and maybe even mega-bookstores. Twenty years down the road, these photos may become interesting nostalgia items. Still no commercial value, though. But something your grandkids might enjoy.

Theo Sulphate · Oct 17, 2015

Prior to 1960, many men wore hats in public. By the time JFK was elected, the culture had changed.

I have 8mm movies I made as a kid in the L.A. area in 1964 - traffic, shopping, parks, the beach, etc. They are very interesting to watch today.

Sirius Glass · Oct 17, 2015

Now old men wear hats especially when they drive very slowly in the left lane with a turn signal on.

Sirius Glass · Oct 17, 2015

Mr Bill said:
I think this is an interesting issue to have raised. When I was fairly new to photography, I had learned to avoid things that might date the photo, limiting its commercial lifespan. But in my later years I find that I enjoy the older ones that ARE dated in some way. They probably don't have much monetary value, but are fun to look at (oh oh, does this mean I'm old?).

Some things I wish that I HAD photographed are: people smoking in airplanes; people waiting to use a payphone; full-service gas stations at work, and that sort of thing. A few things that I SHOULD shoot now are scenes including newspaper vendor machines, people pumping their own gas, and maybe even mega-bookstores. Twenty years down the road, these photos may become interesting nostalgia items. Still no commercial value, though. But something your grandkids might enjoy.

You raise some interesting points that I will keep in mind in the future.

Peltigera · Oct 17, 2015

Here in Lincoln a very large proportion of men wear hats. I, and many other men of my age, wear nice hats of various designs and young men wear baseball caps (when they are not wearing a hood).

Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk

Theo Sulphate · Oct 17, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
I like to shoot landscapes without any people, vehicles or if possible buildings. The reason I avoid people and vehicles is that they automatically date the photographs via clothes, make and model.

I have a few nice photos of the beautiful dome of Mt. St. Helens before it erupted in May, 1980 - even though dome building continues in the vast crater there today, it will never look as good as it did.

I was surprised to learn that the Windows XP splash screen was an actual photo that Microsoft came across and paid the photographer a fixed sum. The article describing that story showed the original photograph, the geographical coordinates, and what that place looks like today. Interesting definitely. However, had I been driving there at the time, I wouldn't've found it worthy of a photo (on medium format no less).

Well, when Yellowstone blows up we're all doomed.

NJH · Oct 17, 2015

Not an original idea but if one lives in or near any major city photograph what there is of the remaining industry before it is gone and replaced by ludicrously expensive apartment buildings.

swanlake1 · Oct 17, 2015

Thanks everyone for the interesting replies. It made me think maybe things that are now considered commonplace and ugly will, in 50-100 years be considered quaint and old fashioned.

MattKing · Oct 18, 2015

swanlake1 said:
Thanks everyone for the interesting replies. It made me think maybe things that are now considered commonplace and ugly will, in 50-100 years be considered quaint and old fashioned.

Or possibly, classic and beautiful.

Our appreciation of things is heavily influenced by hindsight.

RobC · Oct 18, 2015

You need to ask yourself why you do photography. I don't mean just becasue its a hobby but more about it being a medium of communication. And that means what are you trying to communicate. And that means you need to have ideas about what is you are trying to say through your photography.
I think most hobbyists start out photographing whats in front of them just becasue its there. But you'll soon learn that having a project or plan to photograph some particular aspect of the world around you will be a lot more fruitful.
Some of us do landscapes becasue we love being outdoors and looking at the landscape. Others like photographing people and others actually want to communicate a particular aspect of the human condition in one of its countless forms.

Get yourself an idea and follow it through.

swanlake1 · Oct 18, 2015

Very true, I think this is important and what I'm trying to get a grip on. I question what I'm trying to communicate...how photos can capture the state of the world, so to speak. On the one hand, I think about what is new in the world, how can photos express that. On the other, there are eternal themes which one can always work on.

It's an interesting question. Thanks for the reply.

jeffreythree · Oct 18, 2015

NJH said:
Not an original idea but if one lives in or near any major city photograph what there is of the remaining industry before it is gone and replaced by ludicrously expensive apartment buildings.

Another idea around here is pictures of the farms and ranches that are left before the housing and retail developments bulldoze them. I just missed a neat old farm house surrounded by oaks and crape myrtles on a small rise a few minutes from my house. They even cut down the entire hill by about 40 feet to level out the entire property; so it is not just the structures that change. I keep a look out now for anything interesting that may end up being 'improved'.

blansky · Oct 18, 2015

There is as much beauty and ugliness and wonder and boredom as there always was.

Only thing different is your perception of it.

If a person can't find anything to photograph, then they need to look with a beginner mind. Change your angle, change your perspective, change your attitude and clear your mind.

If you're a people photographer there are still millions of people. If you're a scenic photographer there are millions of scenes. If you're a street photographer there are millions of streets.

And most of all there is now, which is changing every second. Anything you photographed an hour ago is now different.

removed account4 · Oct 19, 2015

swanlake1 said:
Looking through older photos, I notice a lot seems to bring what was current to people. Photography as a way of seeing what you couldn't see otherwise. Depending on the era, railroads and canals, middle America, the West, Peru, etc.

I was trying to break this down...technology, transportation, architecture, exotic locations, current issues of the day.

So, what's current and topical in today's world? Also (unfortunately) I find a lot of the modern world kind of ugly...highways and cars, airports come across as kind of bland. Cell phones, iPads and microchips are the latest technology, but not as impressive to shoot as the Panama Canal.

On the other hand, I still think a good picture of the Antarctic would qualify as unique even today. Or, maybe, Siberia.

the movies Il postino and smoke say it all.
it doesn't matter where you are, there are always things to photograph.
and importance / global importance can be boiled down to what is important to YOU.

swanlake1 · Oct 19, 2015

this thread has taken on a very Zen twist

MartinCrabtree · Oct 20, 2015

I believe you can reasonably predict what will become historically significant.............if that's your objective. The middle east refugee crisis is culturally and historically poignant thus images will be eternally useful.

DREW WILEY · Oct 23, 2015

The goal of my photographic career is to AVOID anything that is socially relevant, politically correct, in vogue, or currently artsy. You've already got the whole stupid internet for that kind of content.

MartinCrabtree · Oct 23, 2015

Your terms are vague enough to cover virtually anything outside of a bio lab.

Shooting the now (or what is current and topical in today's world)

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