Why people look at pictures pt1

Well, yesterday’s critical post about cats went down a storm.

… almost too easy.

Blog postings from the same series currently in the pipeline include:

• Urban cyclists? Worse than cats?
• iPod ownership and the demise of individuality (Part 37)
• Are you daft enough to believe in Fair Trade coffee?
• Glaciers? Who needs them?
• Why everyone should vote Conservative / Republican

And then there’s the one about people who frequent photography forums, pontificate about the superiority of their £3,000 lens collection and then fill the forums up with pictures of their pets taken in their back gardens.

That’s more of a speciality post, admittedly.

But then I get to pondering upon the broader subject of what kind of photos do I, and others, actually enjoy looking at.

The short answer to that question is easy. People generally only enjoy looking at pictures they’ve taken themselves or pictures of themselves...

I may have mentioned this story before but a friend visited me once, shortly after returning from a driving trip along the West Coast of America (you know who you are). He popped a cassette of his travels in my VCR. The high point of the tape consisted of a long clip of film of the view through the windshield as he drove, slowly, from one end of the Golden Gate Bridge to the other. My friend was clearly thrilled to relive this classic footage in my company whilst, at the same time, I was soundlessly mouthing the words ’Why are you doing this to me? Why?’

The full, non generalised, answer to the question as to why people look at other people's imagery is a tad more involved and best broken down into chunks:

Why do amateur photographers take pictures?

• As a record
• As a means of artistic expression
• Because they’re perverts

Why do amateur photographers display pictures?

• Because they think they’re great, want to be discovered and pack in their day job
• Because after spending thousands on equipment and processing they can’t think of anything else to do with them
• As a form of artistic expression
• Because they’re perverts

In this respect, sites like Flickr are a fantastic alternative to the pre Internet destination of 99.5% of all photographs – an old shoebox in a cupboard somewhere. On the subject of Flickr, there is clearly some motivational overlap between photo sharing and personal blogs. Though, I’d say there’s a wider range of impulses behind personal blogs; cries for help, the search for kindred spirits, voices in heads, late night insomnia attacks, and all the rest. Even if the intention is there, only a very skilled photographer would be able to communicate a personal blog style message purely through imagery. Having said that, community style photosharing sites like Flickr and their interactive commenting systems might change that. Mmmm, I wonder what a Cry for Help Photosharing site would look like? Maybe I should give one a try.

Why do people look at amateur pictures?

• Out of a sense of politeness because you asked them to
• To see images of themselves
• Out of a sense of curiosity or wonder
• Because they’re perverts

Because I’m a photo nut I DO look at other people’s pictures, out of a sense of curiosity and wonder. When I am looking at those pictures I am constantly, and subconsciously, asking myself 'why did that person take this picture and why are they showing it to me?'

Motive counts for a lot and comes through in a photograph. A technically poor photograph that reflects the sense of humour or humanity of the photographer or the subject will always be intrinsically more interesting than technically better images captured by, or of, tossers.

To be continued - when I’m feeling more erudite than that last sentence.