Amateur Photographer - UK 2019-11-15)

12 9 November 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

NigelAthertonis EditorofAmateurPhotographer.

THE

VEWS

EXPRESSED

NTH

SCOLUMN

ARE

NOT

NECESSAR

LYTHOSE

OF
AMATEUR

PHOTOGRAPHER

MAGA Z

NE
OR
TMED

AL

MTED

W

henMichaelGove

famouslysaidthat

‘peoplehavehad

enoughof experts’he

wasontosomething– eventhoughhis

quotewastakenoutof context.Welivein

theageof Google,whereeveryonecan

betheirownexpert.Don’tknowanything

aboutquantumphysics?JustGoogleit,

readthefirstcoupleof searchresultsand

voilà.Sorryphysicists,you’renolonger

required.Feelingunwell?Thanksto the

internetwecantellthedoctorwealready

knowwehaverabies– wejustneedhimto

cureus.In a worldseeminglyoverrunwith

anti-vaxxers,creationists,climate-change

deniersandsoforth,whoneedsscientific

evidence?World-leadingeconomists’

warningsof economicdisasterin the

eventof a no-dealBrexitcanbehappily

dismissedaswrongbypeoplewhohave

zerounderstandingof economics.

Why?Becausewelivein a worldwhere

faithandopiniontrumpknowledge.Social

mediabubblesenableustolivein blissful

ignorance,surroundedbythosewho

shareourprejudices,withouteverbeing

troubledbycontrarypointsof view.

ReputablenewssourcesliketheBBCcan

beaccused,withoutirony,of biasandfake

newsbypeoplewhogettheiropinions

fromtheDailyMailandloonie,left-wing,

conspiracyblogs.Thisis theeraof the

cultof ‘Me’,wherenobodiescanbecome

famousasrealityTVstarsorInstagram

influencers,withoutanydiscernibletalent

exceptforthatof self-promotion.

Exploringissues

Thismoderncontemptforexpertsand

expertiseinfectstheworldof photography

too,especiallyin artcircles.Asanyone

whohasvisitedanexhibitionof ‘art

photography’willknow,nolongeris it

necessarytoknowhowtousea camera

creativelyorhavea feelforlight,aslong

asyoumakeit clearthatyou’re‘exploring

issues’or‘confrontingstereotypes’.If you

cansomehowfinda waytoreference

topicssuchas‘genderidentity’or‘white

maleprivilege’you’llhavetheartworld

fi ghting over you. But a word of warning:

donot,I repeatdoNOT,attempttomake

yourworkaestheticallyappealingthrough

theuseof compositionorlighting.

I wasa judgea whilebackona major

photocompetition(I won’tnameit) where

thelargepanelof judgeswerea mixture

of photographersandGuardianartcritic

types,andit becamequiteheated

becausethelattergroupdismissed

anythingthatlookedwelllit orcomposed

asbeing‘contrived’.(Inotherwords,the

creativeinputof thephotographerwas

apparent.)Theirpreferencewasfor

pictureswitha snapshotaesthetic,with

everythingequallyin focusandnosense

of controloverlightingorcomposition.

Theywere‘morereal’.Oneof thejudges

describedonebeautifullandscapeas

‘lookinglikeanAthenaposter’,and

actuallymeantit asaninsult.

Whilethismaybedishearteningforthe

experts,thegoodnewsis younolonger

havetogothroughthetroubleof learning

thecrafttosucceed.Youjustneeda

point-and-shootanda beein your

bonnet about the right kind of issue.

Doyouhavesomethingyou’dliketogetoffyourchest?Sendusyourthoughtsinaround

500 wordstotheaddressonpage 23 andwina year’sdigitalsubscriptiontoAP,worth£79.

Insomecircles,a talentforself-promotion

andtheabilitytochoosetherightissueare

moreimportantthananyphotographicskill

Talentandexpertisearenotasvaluedasthey

used to be, even in the world of photography

View point

Nigel Atherton

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In next week’s issue

On sale Tuesday 12 November

‘Thisistheeraofthecult

of “me”wherenobodies

canbecomefamouswith

no discernible talent’