What am I missing? millennial photography...

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bfitzgerald
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What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Friend of mine recently got interested in photography (late 20's) and told me about how they want to be like
Jessica Kobeissi. I had heard of her but... never taken any notice didn't look at her work but I did recently.
https://www.instagram.com/jessicakobeissi/?hl=en

I'm a bit lost for words as the title says what am I missing? Whilst I'm not into public tear down jobs, most of the photos look like phone shots, and poorly composed and with bad lighting - with a quick fix lightroom preset (available to purchase of course) I don't hate them all, but I think most of them are pretty bad putting it bluntly. Of course I can see how the real look ie not smashing the background out of focus can appeal, yes it's instagram so I don't expect that much on some of the shots (but it seems looking her portfolio it's basically the same stuff). Try new things yes great..but I'd get torn down to bits using lighting like that (sometimes dead flat, eyes also no lighting natural or otherwise)

Or am I being unfair? I'm staggered she has such a massive following..so what am I missing? Or perhaps I'm a boring conventional photographer who isn't trying out new things?
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bfitzgerald
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

115 views no comments? Or perhaps I'm being a bit cruel?
Of maybe the rise of the phone means composition/exposure are to be mostly ignored!
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bakubo
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by bakubo »

I see that your post has 118 views so far and no one responded. I have posted things that had 400, 500, 1000 views without a single response. The forum here is mostly dead. Not because no one comes here though. Hundreds of people come here, read stuff, but they never contribute anything. Unfortunately this forum attracts leeches. :( Of course, there are maybe 5 or 6 who are not leeches and they post sometimes so I am not talking about them, but hundreds more don't. That is why I rarely post anything here anymore.

As for the link to photos you posted, well, they don't do much for me, but I guess to each his/her/its own.
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bakubo
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by bakubo »

Saw this today.

Photo of John Lennon by Andy Warhol

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.co ... ennon.html

There is a lot of poetic artspeak analysis of why the photo is so excellent in the blog post.

When I see photos such as this which, in my opinion, depend totally on the name of the subject and/or the name of the photographer I always wonder if anyone would wax poetic about its meaning and analyze it with artspeak if no one had ever heard of the subject and photographer?
John_Lennon.jpg
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bfitzgerald
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Few points firstly I had anticipated that the upsurge in E mount users some of that would filter into the forums, at least a bit since the NEX name change. I use the word upsurge in a small way didn't expect mass postings or huge numbers by any means.

The photo of Lennon by Warhol well it's just a polaroid, but if we take Lennon out of it, and put some unknown person in there is it a "good" photo. No it's a passport picture using direct flash exposure is alright about it really. Not that every photo has to be conceived or staged with perfect lighting or using portrait focal lengths -I've seen some great wider angle shots showing a subject and their environment. This doesn't tell a story to me or anything other than it's a grab shot of Lennon, that ended up on a stamp. I've no idea what Mike Johnston is on about he seems to see more into that picture than I do. But that's just my view
aster
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by aster »

.

Hi, Barry;

I saw the post this morning. In my humble opinion, you are not missing anything at all. In fact, I believe we see similar shots taken via cell phones on the internet all the time. These photos/shots are all about product or approaching the subject as a product and probably the subject is the attraction. Products being: the models; the clothes; items of luxury and similar. They are not extraordinary for their techniques or processing or artfulness.


There are some good photographers on Instagram that actually make a simple scene look outstanding but as Henry already said, everyone to their own. The cameras/equipment used may have been proper professional gears but they are not rarely-seen art pieces. I believe your friend should have no problem surpassing this particular photographer and do better if she/he started even with less professional gear. It's in the approach and about thinking out of the box that make a photo of interest even when there isn't a 'product' in the frame.

Just my two cents...
Yildiz
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bfitzgerald
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Maybe you're right I think it's this "social influencer" thing in full effect. I didn't see good composition or lighting or much else, but hey maybe they like the natural look. It's not always about talent, I mean Neil Diamond IMO can't really sing that well, but made an entire career out of it, and did very well for himself (any Neil fans apologies just not working for me!)
There are some good shots on instagram of course, but also a lot of strange thing too. I could post a shot of a camera lens and people like it, yet a nice landscape gets no interest!
aster
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Re: What am I missing? millennial photography...

Unread post by aster »

bfitzgerald wrote:Maybe you're right I think it's this "social influencer" thing in full effect. I didn't see good composition or lighting or much else, but hey maybe they like the natural look. It's not always about talent, I mean Neil Diamond IMO can't really sing that well, but made an entire career out of it, and did very well for himself (any Neil fans apologies just not working for me!)

There are some good shots on instagram of course, but also a lot of strange thing too. I could post a shot of a camera lens and people like it, yet a nice landscape gets no interest!


A camera lens... now that is easily interpreted as an item to showcase a status of luxury or a promotion for anyone interested in photography. They can personally relate to this item because it is high-technology -no matter which era-, not easily accessible unless you have the necessary monetary means and it also requires the knowledge and background of how-to-use, etc.

These are items of social standards and points to a hobby/profession that may be covetted, hence the attraction and 'likes'. Everyone, nowadays, wants more of the 'cool' and camera lenses are always chic and cool because they are built by savvy people who knew how to construct one using knowledge of optics, physics, mechanics, materials. Somehow, though, everybody thinks that they can find a neat landscape and photograph it better. Harder to get, the more covetted... in my humble opinion. :)


Yildiz
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