Have we lost the art of the holiday snap

[lukaswerth]

Two different issues here, it seems to me:
1) analog days, and, 2) holiday or life memories.

So, regarding point 1):
for me personally, the analog days haven't entirely gone. I have used for many years alternative processes for my expressive photography, gum and casein prints, platinum prints, cyanotypes, kallitypes, chrysotypes... this involves coating your own paper and what not, and I love it and don't want to miss it. It gives me a freedom of expression which is beyond Adobe and Epson. The paradox involved here is that I was only able to learn these processes once the internet had started to function in the mid 90ties, as only that made the information available, and allowed trans-local discussion groups to form. Now it is very much about printing out digital negatives and then print them analog...

Regarding point 2):
I am very sorry if the following sounds hard or callous, but I will try to be honest: nothing used to send me, and still sends me into a deep coma as quick as an evening of a slide show of holiday pictures. I even hardly ever like to see the images of my own family. I like to talk to other people, to make friends, learn about their live and their interests - but to be exposed to their family pictures and children and what not is something I can only bear from a professional perspective - I am an anthropologist by training - otherwise I just feel molested.
So, no regrets whatsoever on that front.

Lukas

[Black Pearl]

I still take photographs just for the fun of it, in fact I never go out for the day with the family without a camera slung over my shoulder. I take 'snaps' of everything we do and have thousands (I'd shoot less if I was still using film but I don't most days) of family treasures either on the computer, on Facebook or dotted around the house as prints.

I try to be creative as much as possible but mostly I just love taking photographs and having the memories.

[ajohnw]

Good grief. Me and Robin have something in common. I am mostly a happy snapper and take a camera when ever we go anywhere of interest. Any other approach to me is inclined to be over the top and of little interest, basically way too serious. In some cases the serious approach leads to a lot of frustration in all areas including PP. I don't have that problem. My idea of having a camera is to go out and enjoy not say oh it's the wrong time of day or in most cases too dull or raining.

Do I think about focus, exposure and composition, yes but my ideas on the latter would not suite some one who has just read a book and just has to follow a set of rules. In many cases that attitude is of interest to me and that's about it in some respects.

Why? I had my period of shooting a roll of film a week and picking out shots that might win a competition a long time ago. Interesting experience as there is an audience when the shots are shown and they give instant feedback - then comes the judge. I still regularly take a look at what wins on CinC competitions.

Might I buy a film camera, that started this thread. :Perhaps but it would mostly be just out of curiosity.

Albums - my wife misses them. She now has an iPad but in some ways that is a poor substitute for the rather common cardboard box of old photo's that people find fun to look through - often at people that have now gone or are now in their elderly years. I wonder if digital will ever replace that. Some people might have a few hundred gigabytes about possibly all showing excellent composition and PP - totally different world to family snap shots. On the other hand maybe the shooter will leave the 10% or less behind that they feel are good.

John
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[JR1]

I think it is like reading a book, I never have and never will read a book on a pad, I read a "book", fold over the corners where I get to, finish it and put it on a shelf.

[HaseebM]

•
What appears to be a camera to everyone…
feels more like a time machine to me!
Pure nostalgia!

I couldn't help laughing at this one. Jeremy has a point here. When I see some of the pictures taken of yore, I find them interesting and wonder how in heaven's I was able to capture that with film or polaroid. Now with digital I seem to think of each and every thing which comes to mind before I snap the picture and probably fail to realize there may have been better opportunities missed. Guess that's the difference being an hobbyist against a pro.

[Black Pearl]

I think it is like reading a book, I never have and never will read a book on a pad, I read a "book", fold over the corners where I get to, finish it and put it on a shelf.

In the last fortnight I've read two 'real' books and two on my iPad Mini - I enjoyed all of them because I enjoyed the stories more than the medium in which they were presented. I'm typing this on the iPad having just this minute finished the second of the affor mentioned books (Night Over Water by Ken Follett if you're interested) and once I've topped up my coffee I'll likely as not start another.
I prefer the experience of reading an actual book but I love the convenience of having anything that takes my fancy available in electronic form regardless of where I am.

[ajohnw]

I've read just about all of Follet's books Robin and can't wait for his next release which seems a long time coming. Game of Thrones snap.

Afraid I prefer the paper type but might find an iPad ok - Kindle doubtful. Many of my books come from and go back to charity shops. A good way of finding decent authors.

John
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[Black Pearl]

I've a couple left to read and I'll be fully Folletted. I'm the same with the Lee Childs - Jack Reacher books. I have to read them as soon as they're out, finished the latest one last week on the iPad as I couldn't get to a shop to buy a physical one.

I love charity shopping for books, the whole family does. My eldest has spent the last couple of months searching and getting all but one of a dozens books by a kids author that he loves. I could (might) buy him the last one but there is a certain joy of walking into a charity shop and hoping to find a book you really want.

[ajohnw]

I find it a bit sad when I reach the last available book and have to wait for the next one to come out. The author that took me longest to exhaust was Wilbur Smith. I generally like well researched historic type novels so Follet's recent switch suits me but I read almost any type of novel so it's just a case of finding subjects and authors who's style suits me.

John
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[JR1]

I think what is really beginning to annoy me is just how lazy we are becoming.

I will go to the shops buy a book/magazine and read it, make notes on the pages and so on.

The other day when I was in London I bought this.....

A Cross, rolled gold fountain pen, why, because I like writing, not that I do it enough, but the feel of a really nice pen on paper is good, and I enjoy occasionally, "writing", many will laugh.

The same goes for magazines, I don't want to download them, I want to go to WHS and LOOK inside to see if I want it before I buy and then keep it to refer back to, when sitting with a coffee.

However I bought a fridge freezer and a new washing machine this month, the LG fridge freezer can be telephoned by LG to see if there is a problem and the Samsung washer I can control when away from home or sitting in the lounge with an ap on my phone, for gods sake, why.............

I am capable of getting up, now yes I know this is and will be great fort the disabled but that is NOT why it was "invented", it is a gimmick.

Same goes for albums, record collections, DVD collections, I see them as a part of the whole, part of the hobby, and perhaps, if our children care enough, a memory they can later refer to, and their children.

[carolus]

Yes, the warrior with the AK47 was definitely a nice touch.

Looks like they're not going back to hand-sharpened spears any time soon

Chas

[Manfred M]

Looks like they're not going back to hand-sharpened spears any time soon

Chas

Probably not. We asked about dowrys and were told that a typical dowry was 120 goats + 1 AK47 or 3 cows + 1 AK47.

It looks like the AK47 was the the only constant (other than a wife)...

[Loose Canon]

And speaking of?

Her dowry was two dogs, a boat, and a paddle!

I am considered a very rich man!

[Mike Buckley]

I am considered a very rich man!

I came to be very rich using a subtractive method rather than an additive method. I married a woman who hates to shop and doesn't like diamonds. The few times she does want jewelry, she prefers silver over gold (which means that I can buy chrome-plated and she never notices the difference).

[ajohnw]

I came to be very rich using a subtractive method rather than an additive method. I married a woman who hates to shop and doesn't like diamonds. The few times she does want jewelry, she prefers silver over gold (which means that I can buy chrome-plated and she never notices the difference).

I've found it better to be a toy boy plus my wife knows I hate paying bills but love buying things and very accommodating she is too. Washing, machines, fridges and TV's etc are not so much fun though.

John
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