On Resisting Trends
Since its inception photography has been, if not democratic, abnormally accessible as an art form. This very reality is what brought me to photography in the beginning. Having the desire to draw or paint an image that expressed my emotion but being devoid of talent, the camera stepped in as a reasonable surrogate to my unable hands. I have no doubt many photographers, when pressed, would agree to the draw of the lens for this same reason.
With this accessibility, however, comes an Achilles heel. Whereas talented cartoon artists, sketchers, painters, and sculptors are few, those who long to express themselves like a painter are many. So while the market for brushes and pigments, and chisels and mallets is a niche, the regularity of the “what camera should I buy” question anecdotally demonstrates the wide-spread potential of the camera market. As a result, our craft exists in a unique space within the art world - a space dominated not by masters of craft but masters of marketing.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a close friend and his new wife. She is not a photographer but had recently chosen a photographer for their wedding. I asked her some pointed questions about why she chose the photographer she did. Her responses were informative, indeed, helpful. It simply came down to the choice of editing trends. Her photographer used a very light, almost overexposed editing style in contrast to, in her perception, the current trend of rich colors and deep blacks.
As I looked at her example images, I realized these looks could be attained by shooting a Canon camera on aperture priority and applying a Lightroom preset. A photographer would need to know very little to achieve the exact results of other photographers. I realized that craft is being dominated by trends divorced from the foundational principles upon which our craft has been built.
“Don’t give in to what’s cool.” - Alec Soth
Every few months I stumble across a blog entry or YouTube video on the current trends in photography that need to die - split toning, HDR, railroad tracks... the lists are as long as the number of videos available.
Interestingly, the modern photographic conversation has many specific trends, many critics of trends, marketing, and hype, yet so few of us discuss how to grow as a photographer regardless of the trends. Could it be that mastery in our craft comes not from the camera we use or the presets we purchase but from the influences we allow to guide us? Could it be we could become better as a photographer if we ignored Instagram and studied Avedon?