"Photographers"... Myspace Style

Art has become a fad rather than a true appreciation. Like with many things in life, people only start to look at certain kinds of art and artists because they think it’s what’s “in” at the moment. This could make any true art lover a tad annoyed. The trend of photography has certainly been making uproar and has become the biggest fad of our time.

So why and when did the photography trend start? My theory is that it all started with websites that allow you to have a user picture. Think about it, all those people out there are on the hunt for a bitchin’ user picture. (Thanks Tom.) And it’s not just the user picture that people hunt for anymore. Websites like Myspace and Facebook have albums now. You can be tagged by your friends in photos. Now people are tagged in over three thousand pictures. It has literally become a contest. I overheard a conversation between two guys who were arguing over whom had more pictures tagged of themselves. Congratulations, there are forty-seven pictures of you in the same outfit, holding the same beer, sporting a different face. Way to dream big, guys.

Taking photographs is a fun thing to do. But now, people who take pictures Myspace style are starting to call themselves photographers. You know the type. Holding their cameras out in front of their faces so to get the city behind them, or the entire party, or their friend dancing on the bar. These are the same people who tell people that their hobbies include photography and finding new unknown bands (but let’s not go there, shall we?)

Now, trendy art stores like Blick, and even Urban Outfitters (a store that prominently sells clothing, by the way) are starting to carry different kinds of cameras, lenses, and books on how to get the right picture. No wonder the trend has become so intense. With cameras and books on photography being sold in these trendy stores it’s hard to not be intrigued. And that’s okay. Be intrigued, taking photos can be a great thing.

However, there is a fine line between making memories and being a photographer. Please be aware of this difference. The difference is of course, the content of your photos. Do they capture true raw emotion or meaning? Or is it you and your friends with planned smiles?

Photography is a huge part of our culture now. We carry our cameras in our bags with us wherever we go, and most of us don’t know many people that don’t have decent skill in PhotoShop. Even our cell phones come equipped with cameras. This fad we as a society have created with photography has caused it lose its art form.

Fads. They’re everywhere. They’re in our shopping bags, we drive them, watch them. We despise them, and we love them. These things, these fads, have caused some of us to be sheep. Sheep with cameras.