| Description: |
Insights from [young] creators on image creation: film photography, content creation, reels/shorts, YouTube, social media photography.
The challenge for us as photographers is to keep ‘seeing’ newly. This topic is one where we will explore how younger (than us) content creators see image creation. Our opportunity is to explore this paradigm, this new way of seeing, enabled by technology and the internet.
Many of us have a complex set of reactions to this new world… a mix of scepticism, dismissal, and genuine curiosity. We may be rooted in a worldview where photography is about craft, patience and the perfect image or print. So our reactions might be:
- "This isn't real photography." Our definition of photography is often tied to a "proper" camera, technical mastery, and a final, high-quality image or print. We can see social media content as "frivolous," "disposable," or "narcissistic" (e.g., selfies, food photos).
- "It's all low-quality and gimmicky." We may see blurry images, shaky "vertical video," and "tacky" filters as a lack of skill, not an intentional aesthetic choice
- "It's too fast and has no substance." A 10-second Reel is the cultural opposite of waiting 10 hours in a bird hide for one perfect shot. Do we see this as a sign of shallowness?
- "It's overwhelming and I don't see the point." The sheer volume of content and the different platforms (TikTok vs. Reels vs. YouTube Shorts) id confusing and might feel pointless to those of us who are not "content creators."
However, there are opportunities in understanding, if not embracing, these new styles of storytelling?
- "Connecting with our kids or grandkids." How many times has important news in your family been shared on social media before you hear about it? This is a way to "speak your kids/grandkids visual language.
- "Understanding why they're all buying film cameras!" The film resurgence is part of this contemporary movement – an intentional choice to return to a craft with its imperfections
- "Developing clever ways to tell a story." We will aim to find high-quality examples or clever ways that stories are told, one where the narrative shines through e.g. 30-second YouTube Short that beautifully explains a complex topic, or a Reel that tells a moving story without words. We are storytellers at heart; to here is a new format.
Our goal is to shift our mindset from "competing" or "improving our image" to "communicating." We won't be making direct, technical comparisons to our existing work. Rather we will be aiming to think about different ways to share stories. |
