Our world is so well documented these days. The internet has revealed so much. Images are everywhere.
Mobile devices record with incredible resolution. New cameras, which do more every day, all but make photos without us. We see so much all the time on our computers, phones and TVs. So much to sort out, so much information.
I was chatting with an old friend the other day about how things have changed for me over the last 40 plus years of photography. Heck, over the last five years. Who needs to go back to the dark ages? At one time, not so long ago, I photographed all over the country and did jobs abroad with regularity.
Now, if you need a photograph of a couple walking down a secluded lane to help sell a retirement condo in East Jabip — Google it! And instantly you have your choice of 80 (conservatively) stock images for the price of a garden hose, maybe.
Things have changed so much since my beloved days of film. How do we know what's real? New technologies allow us to change literally anything. If it can't be done in the camera, there's a good chance it can be done in post production software programs. Photoshop and similar software has transformed image production. We can change photos to paintings, add and delete color, intensify contrasts, and on and on. It's hard to imagine printed images not adjusted in some way.
Then along comes a simple sunset on Linekin Bay, taken for what it is. No great erotic sky blaring light and vibrato. No enhanced colors, wild contrast or altered composition. Just pure, simple, subtle, zen. Put there for us on a quiet peaceful autumn evening.
It's worth considering.