The Limitations Of Photography

[poliphilo]

"The trouble with photography," says David Hockney. "Is it's so flat". I've been thinking that over for the past few days- and it really came home to me yesterday when we were at Hampton Court and I was taking pictures in the gardens. After a while I gave up. What I was trying to capture was the scale of the place- of the distance from A to B and the immense volume and depth of the empty air above and around- and it soon became clear that I was getting none of it. With photography you're arranging flat shapes on a flat surface. It's very like doing collage

I mean, look at this. Standing in that space was thrilling, but the picture is just dull, dull, dull...

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But it only hints at the "reality".

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

At least if someone is enticed by your photo to visit Hampton Court, they will find the reality better than the picture and be delighted. Sometimes things look more impressive in photos than they do in real life and that just leads to disappointment.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, the camera lies. :)