The other day a friend and I revisited some the places we photographed a couple of years ago. Mostly old towns, buildings, relics of a bygone era. Some of the scenes had changed: trees dead or new ones coming up, buildings collapsed, new construction replacing the old, and billboards ruining a once good composition. Then it struck me how aside from potentially being art, most of our pictures could serve a documentary purpose. I suspect that many of the old photos providing us a vignette of life in earlier days, were taken by people who never thought the images would become historically significant. We casually discussed the idea that our pictures might have increased value in the future simply because they're old and document things which have disappeared. In this sense, the making of pictures can serve as a portal to the past, a link that will last long after "time makes history of us." And this includes images of modern America (Europe, Asia, etc.) circa 2004 as well as the relics from decades past. It could be that the process that starts with light hitting silver halides results in something beyond the photographer or a nice print on the wall.
In more practical, immediate terms, we noted how much of what we have taken can never be repeated. Not only will the light or clouds ever be the same, but many of the scenes have changed or disappeared, obliterated by nature or "progress." It hit home the importance of going for broke, giving 100%, when out shooting, because what you see may not be there tomorrow.
Yes, no, maybe?
RJ
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