being an autodidact in the age of L’internets is quite interesting. mainly, the outlets are photo-social networks, and the development is quite influenced by what one sees there (to accept or repel), and the urgency to acquire the social currency— such as comments and likes. when I think back on the days of flickr, and Instagram since its inception, there is no doubt that I could not divorce the social from the photographic attempts. however, I like to think that there is a big difference these days to be able to find out what is possible with owning a camera (or two): 1. I photograph what I want, and thinks develops a language and not a style; 2. photo-social sites are just a sharing mechanism, which is to say, more social than photographic**. while previously I would search for a photo to take that would give me currency at the sites, and develop by mimicking others (famous or not), these days I just search for something that connects, and use a camera to record it. one such interest is that of chairs at Parisian parks. I like to go in the afternoon, if possible, and find their arrangement as left by peope, and think “a conversation happened here”— even if, like this one, it looks like someone needed to rest their feet— and try to give them a conversation context via composition. the photograph, indeed, is an artifact, and its judgment is as much divorced from the art as possible.

** this is an attempt to not be overtaken by the grey goo.
link: “grey goo” in PressPlayPause [ link ]