Is photography a form of "hoarding"?

[stawastawa]

I just viewed the video about Vivian Maier, it showed that she was a major hoarder, this got me thinking... Is the actual act of "Taking a picture" a form of hoarding?

What an Excellent Question!

I tend to keep to many things, hoping to find use of them someday, so I agree much with the idea that all that comes along with photography can lead to hoarding. And I think Brain says it right:

Maybe not culling ones negatives could be considered hoarding.

I steal time, I hoard moments, I collect sunlight.

Here Pete I think hits the heart of it, the essence of why many of us go out with camera in hand.

hoarding usually means not being discernable and photography is highly discernable.
photographers are collectors...I think of myself as a collector and documenter way more than anything to do with 'artist'

DrTang submits an interesting view. I think the 'collecting' sometimes gets the better of our 'discernment'. (we take that flower photo in harsh sun on a digital quick cam because we dont have such an image yet. Which brings us back to culling our negatives, make bad images that slightly improve and get rid of the old!). But generally yes, we go about and dicern something, sometimes consioucly sometimes unconsciously, and make a snap - when we look at that snap again we either agree and solidify our discernment, or we put it aside. The making of abstract work intrigues me here, as so often I am frustrated wondering "will this work" and "what the bagebers do it even men that it 'works' ?!? "


Jim thank you for preserving this indeed! and thank you joe for recognizing it.

Amazing and wonderful! Documentary photography is a long-term commitment. You have a treasure. Thanks for being there for the rest of us.
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[Maris Rusis]

Curiously, in British parlance, hoarding can mean a billboard and the public display of photographs, billboard-style, for advertising, self promotion, or art is part of the medium's history.

[angusparker]

I agree with others that taking pictures isn't hoarding but holding onto to a lot of equipment qualifies. Here are my thoughts on "culling the lens herd." Enjoy! http://www.angusparkerphoto.com/blog...-the-lens-herd