Should we start a new photographic movement?

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Don_ih

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I am not going to argue your point. But I also strongly believe that it has led to the death of the traditional analog printing process commercially.

Digital methods killed that off. And everyone involved is likely a whole lot more happy about it. Photography is subservient in commercial enterprise. It's not the end product and people only care about how well it serves the actual end product. Digital communicates faster, it changes faster, it can be manipulated easier.
Most importantly for them: digital makes more money and wastes less time.
Any hope a film photo has to be used commercially would involve being scanned.
 
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George Mann

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Any hope a film photo has to be used commercially would involve being scanned.

Film photography survived nearly a century without it. The problem with people is that they tend to always choose inferior processes do to them being cheaper and easier.

Some of us find these compromises to be unacceptable.
 

Alex Benjamin

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It's too bad that you don't see the bigger picture here. Are you really this much against a movement which could bolster the strong use of film into the foreseeable future?

I don't think you're getting the point. You made it sound as if you were hoping for the birth of an artistic movement, which can lead to interesting discussions, but that's not it at all. Your post ranks with other "doom and gloom" threads about a possible, but so far unsubstantiated, demise of film. Apart from the obvious why do you think film is about to die question, your main problem is that it's impossible to create an artistic movement that would be film-only based and intrinsically distinguishable from digitally-produced images, essentially because if there is a difference in the process there is no difference in the end result and that's all that counts in an artistic movement.

That said, if you want to create a social movement that would help keep film alive, that's easy. Go to a school, create a program in which you give, for a semester, free cameras and film to students, do different projects with them (film your parents, people in your neighborhood, etc.), and teach them darkroom basic skills. There are such programs already in some tough or poor neighborhoods in the US. Takes the kids off the streets, gives them purpose and meaning. Of course, for practical reasons, they do it with digital cameras, but it's not impossible to do it with film. Would take more planning and budget.
 
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George Mann

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I don't think you're getting the point. You made it sound as if you were hoping for the birth of an artistic movement.

I could care less about whether a movement is artistic or not! I am looking to start a multifaceted movement that will kill many birds with one stone.
 

BrianShaw

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It's too bad that you don't see the bigger picture here. Are you really this much against a movement which could bolster the strong use of film into the foreseeable future?

I see the big picture. Use film to make images versus internet chatter about using film. :smile:

What’s the proposed movement. If it resonates with my approach I’d probably participate. But so far no movement has been proposed.

Carrying a film camera everywhere and actually using it really isn’t a movement… it’s photography 101.
 
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George Mann

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What’s the proposed movement. If it resonates with my approach I’d probably participate. But so far no movement has been proposed.

Read it again.

 

Alex Benjamin

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I could care less about whether a movement is artistic or not! I am looking to start a multifaceted movement that will kill many birds with one stone.

I got that, and in my answer I explained why your movement cannot be artistic.

It's not rocket science: you want to keep film alive, make it easily accessible to the most people possible. How you do it will be your movement.
 

BrianShaw

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Read it again.


No thanks. I’ve been reading, hoping for something hopeful. But not finding much. Good luck and good night, madame.
 

Cholentpot

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I think we're in middle of one but it's hard to see while it's developing. (Narf!)

2020 kicked off a new movement of back to film but with a modern twist. If you look at the socials there's a whole movement of people shooting film and documenting the process. 4 years ago there was no such thing as someone posting a video clip of them loading and shooting a roll and millions of people watch it.

Call it the #hashtag movement if you will.

You might not like it but it's happening.

Now I gotta go, Jason's dropped a new video on Youtube about 4x5, I need to scan some 120 with my DSLR (stitching woo!) and load up some 16mm into my Pentax Auto110 #filmisnotdead #grainfighters #analogonly
 
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George Mann

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Well, I decided to give you all a chance to weigh in on this before taking it to a younger, more open-minded audience.

Since you are all negative, and without a single constructive idea, I guess this has been a waste of time.
 

jtk

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Well, I decided to give you all a chance to weigh in on this before taking it to a younger, more open-minded audience.

Since you are all negative, and without a single constructive idea, I guess this has been a waste of time.

Yes, when somebody on Photrio thinks he's in a position to start a photo movement it is a waste of time...the notion of photo movements is itself absurd.
 

Cholentpot

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Well, I decided to give you all a chance to weigh in on this before taking it to a younger, more open-minded audience.

Since you are all negative, and without a single constructive idea, I guess this has been a waste of time

I'd think I'm a younger audience here. Not for long, but most certainly younger by a good deal then most users here. Did you read my post? Maybe you want to join the #hashtag movement.
 

Andrew O'Neill

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Please do ask a younger audience. I'd be curious to hear what they have to say... if they say anything at all. I work with young, aspiring photographers. When I ask them this question, I am met with blank stares. I don't think you know young people very well. If I knew what the next photographic... or art movement for that matter... was going to be, I'd be doing it. But quite frankly, who really cares?? It's not for us to decide.
 

Alex Benjamin

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Well, I decided to give you all a chance to weigh in on this before taking it to a younger, more open-minded audience.

Since you are all negative, and without a single constructive idea, I guess this has been a waste of time.

Wait. Don't you have to be negative to start a film-only movement ?

And I did give you a constructive idea. You didn't even bother to comment on it.
 

BrianShaw

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Please do ask a younger audience. I'd be curious to hear what they have to say... if they say anything at all. I work with young, aspiring photographers. When I ask them this question, I am met with blank stares. I don't think you know young people very well. If I knew what the next photographic... or art movement for that matter... was going to be, I'd be doing it. But quite frankly, who really cares?? It's not for us to decide.

All of the younger people I know are interested in using current technology to make meaningful images. That’s cell phones and instagram (for example). Powerful images of their lives, interests and interactions. They use images to communicate. Is it art; IDK, but it’s certainly a significant communication mechanism.

Much more vibrant than codgers with film cameras. Now THAT’S a movement!
 

Cholentpot

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Please do ask a younger audience. I'd be curious to hear what they have to say... if they say anything at all. I work with young, aspiring photographers. When I ask them this question, I am met with blank stares. I don't think you know young people very well. If I knew what the next photographic... or art movement for that matter... was going to be, I'd be doing it. But quite frankly, who really cares?? It's not for us to decide.

I am of the younger audience. Relatively speaking. And I work with those that are far younger than me.

They don't care about movements. They care about feeding their cameras and having fun. Which is precisely what a new movement is! They want to take photos in a new to them medium. They've started a hybrid back to film/digital sharing movement. And they don't know or care. The photos they share even tend to share a similar theme or look. It's incredible and it's happening right now.
 

Sirius Glass

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Photographic Movement: GWC
 

MattKing

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It doesn't look to me like the OP is looking for a new movement. Rather, he is looking to revive an old and no longer existing reality - older approaches, materials and techniques in the mainstream, rather than niche or on the periphery.
There is certainly room to improve the health and accessibility of that niche, and there is ample room to add younger enthusiasts. But I would suggest that slow growth and strengthening the "base" is a far better approach than trying to create a more universal "movement".
 

Philippe-Georges

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Just an other handful of (rhetoric-) questions...

Is the world waiting for a new photographic mouvement?
Is this forum not already a kind of a 'mouvement'?
Couldn't stubbornly shooting film in these digital times already be a (contra-) mouvement?
What distinguishes a hype from a mouvement?
Shouldn't a mouvement be an attitude, a free state of mind, more than an (structured-) 'organisation'?
Doesn't a mouvement exclude others, and if so, who and why?
A mouvement could generate a contra-mouvement, doesn't that (needlessly-) awakes discord?
Isn't it a waste of energy (and time), or just a 'sigh'?
A club <—> a mouvement?

BTW, what IS a 'mouvement', when does 'something' becomes a 'mouvement', what does it take?
 
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