aows #5
how many Instagram followers would Ansel Adams have today?
go beyond the masters
Ansel Adams' work was one of almost perfect technique, something that was rare at the time. It was that context (along with some good marketing) that made him stand out among his contemporaries and greatly influence the photography that was to come.
What was hard to achieve back then has become much easier today: cameras are much more powerful, simpler, lighter and cheaper, and travel is faster and within reach of more people than ever before (until 2020, at least).
It is my opinion that if Ansel Adams' images were to be created today, they wouldn't get as much recognition as they did decades ago - if any at all.
Drawing inspiration from the masters is helpful, but I believe that our goal should be to go beyond them and create something that matters in the context of today. Stand on their shoulders not to see what they saw, but to look higher up.
That's what the masters did: they went beyond their own masters.
new images
I’m still taking a break from YouTube, but new videos are coming this week.
I hope you all take care and stay safe out there, talk to you next week,
Adrian
In my opinion if Ansel was just starting out today his followers would be just like most people slow to start. Now if he was still alive today people would flood him with followers. But as Gerard said, "The masters took photos for themselves". As photographers maybe we should not look at our "Likes", but rather create for ourselves. In this way we can grow, and develop our style and look. Going with the flow or the norm never made anyone stand out, but rather walk your path do your best and learn your art. Also if we keep striving to improve our skills then we will stand out. Just my opinion.
Hola, with the proliferation of arbitrary imagery distributed via media platforms today it is important to recognise that the “masters” of yesteryear made images for themselves rather than a virtual audience. Great images and a interesting topic of discussion.