The technology we use to create is a function of the time we live in. What and how what we do with that technology is timeless. A few years ago, I went to see an Ansel Adams exhibition. When I looked at the prints, they all seemed a bit soft and flat. My initial disappointment gradually faded with a bit more consideration.
My disappointment was simply a failure on my part to consider the presentation of the images. Film and gelatin silver prints are soft and flat when compared to digital images printed on a modern ink jet photo printer. In but a few years, my eyes forgot what a great silver gelatin print looks like. I was comparing two separate mediums, each which has their own limitations. I almost forgot about the content of the images. Forgetting about the content is the gravest of sins a photographer can commit.
By concentrating on the medium rather than the message was a huge error on my part. The content of the image, regardless of the medium, is still spectacular and timeless. How it is presented should be of secondary consideration.
We don’t evaluate writing based on whether the work was handwritten or done on a word processor. A great story is a great story. Likewise, a great photograph should be judged on its content and emotional impact.
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