He lived in Blackpool, but I don’t think he taught there, to the best of my knowledge the nearest Uni would be in Lancaster, which is far from deprived, a lovely city that’s home to 2 universities, one of which is quite prestigious (ok that’s only 50% of them).
The Pookster did teach in Blackpool. Blackpool and Fylde College https://www.blackpool.ac.uk/course/DA1HE010
Photography is a medium that, perhaps because of it's egalitarian nature, can be used for many diverse ends. As such everyone is 'at' something different. The only commonality is pointing a lens at something and making an exposure on a recording medium of some sort.
Is a pinhole a lens?
I was going to say something very similar to this. I don't think photography can be discussed without context. Shooting products for the Argos catalogue is very different to shooting wildlife. Of course shooting is just one part of it, the output is another aspect, producing images for a newspaper is a different activity from producing large fine-art prints.
I agree entirely.
That's one of those 'I wouldn't start from here' questions. You might as well ask 'What's the point of a paintbrush?'
I get a little confused by photographers who jump from genre to genre: fungi one week, nudes the next, steam engines the next, waterfalls the next.
I have nearly always, just photographed what appeals to me. So on recent walk, I did photograph, a steam engine and a waterfall and some flowers. Isn't that what photography should be about?
'I' don't think it's what photography should be about - but it can be that to you. Some people photograph things that make them angry or evidence something to settle a bet even! Taking inspiration from Gary Winogrand, I often just photograph something just to see what it looks like photographed.
According to some sorts of forum prognosticators, I suspect it might.
I think that's a peculiar way of looking at it.
I'll probably get shot down for this haha, but I think there might be broadly two categories of photographer (excluding commercial) those who look to build/tell narratives about a subject matter and those that don't. I think this is where the idea of the photographer jumping from genre to genre comes from- the genre often just provide subject matter to point a camera at , test equipment, develop technique, etc.. for my sins I go to my local camera club and the guys are jumping from genre to genre to make photos for competitions - not sure they have real interest in the actual subject matter. I'm not saying either approach in invalid - one interests me more than the other thoughI think that's a peculiar way of looking at it.
By that reasoning, a person who used the same pencil to draw a flower, write a note or make a mark on a piece of wood to show where to cut it, would be putting the use of the pencil before the work in hand. As far as opinions go, it seems to make no sense.
They possibly see it as 'mastering their craft', in the belief that being able to photography anything any way is how to become a better photographer.
I think it could just be about having fun, playing with the toys, challenging one's self.
That's a useful insight.
I think that there are many valid answers to the question "why make photographs"?
I was the same when I did weddings and portraits. Sport is much more a paid hobby than a business for me as it isn't my main income. I'm not sure I would feel the same if it was
Surely it’s different for everyone. In terms of culture many folk in my world see it as a bit geeky, but then appreciate the pictures. I certainly don’t see a culture ‘within photographers’ but then I don’t attend clubs etc.
That sounds oversimplified & a bit arid. Are you denying 'heart' in photographs - & its communicability, or that of any other forms of intelligence? Isn't the 'scene', at best, just a hinge?
Basically, photography is a tool for recording images. How and why the recording is made, is a decision for the person who initiates the recording, who may not be the person holding the camera. The person who initiates the recording, may themselves have no say in how that recording is then used. It follows that the possible reasons for making a photograph are more numerous than just "communicating" or "self gratification", although those are both, I imagine, major reasons for creating a photograph.
