I recently made a trip to Washington D.C. and during this trip, I made my customary visits to the various Smithsonian Museums. There is something about sitting in the shadows of those massive paintings and sculptures from the past. Some of these paintings and sculptures are hundreds of years old and you can truly feel the weight of their age, complexity, and beauty. They resonate with something deep within your being and modern photography just can’t seem to replicate that feeling.
Now with the boom in AI generated art, I have realized what photography has been missing over the last five years that I have been in the game. Much of today’s photography simply lacks soul and meaning. The camera was once used to capture the splendor of nature, document the human perspective of current events, or simply to highlight the beauty and complexities of the human body. But for some, the camera has become a means to an end, as they use photography to gain wealth. For others, the camera has become a needle, in which they introduce the addictive drug of validation into their veins. While there is nothing wrong with having a photography business or creating art to show to the world, society has perverted the art of photography into something that is completely unrecognizable.
With a high-end camera installed into every phone, pictures and videos are a part of everyday life. Because these cameras are accessible to everyone, the skill of photography is quickly being lost. Along with the lost of the skill as an art form, something even more sinister has been introduced. With cameras in every pocket and social media giving everyone a platform, art is being replaced with attention seeking photos that are mass produced and mass consumed, all for the sole purpose of validating a person’s insecurities.
Photographers have stopped trying to evolve artistically and are devolving to the lowest common denominator of an algorithm that will guarantee them the most amount of likes. The camera phone has been used to turn the average person into a self-proclaimed model, influencer, or photographer who use uninspired photos of their various body parts to gain more attention for themselves. It is a level of “true” narcissism that is unparalleled. Even many dedicated sex workers are unable to compete in today’s market that is flooded with people taking the typical duck lip, ass shot, exposed cleavage selfie. We now see more tripods than dumbbells in your local gym as many people claim to be documenting their “fitness journey,” yet they remain mentally and emotionally unhealthy. The latest trends are recycled and mimicked. Vanity is repackaged as art and sold for the price of a like, a share, and a follow. Society has become addicted to being validated by strangers.
So where does this leave the average portrait photographer who just wants to create? Well, many portrait photographers have turned to other forms such as street, nature, or product photography in order to satisfy their desires to create. Other portrait photographers have simply put the camera down and walked away after becoming disheartened by photos of the self-absorbed masses that litter their virtual spaces.
Gone are the days of truly collaborating with multiple people in order to create meaningful portraits. Now that many people have a selfish narcissistic agenda for wanting portraits of themselves, the photographer will have to become more selective in who they create with. It has become harder to find like-minded people who shun the glory and fame, but they still exist. This will mean that creative shoots will become fewer in number, but their artistic meaning will grow exponentially
But there is hope in the end for the portrait photographer. One thing that no one can stop is time. And with time, more and more people will move on from this form of social media. Self-centered bodies will age, and they will be forced to detox from the drug of validation as their engagement decreases. And eventually, artist will find a new norm. The photographer will find fewer people that appreciate their work. But a small crowd of genuine admirers, who eagerly wait for the next project, will bring a level of gratification that can’t be mimicked by thousands of mindless bot like followers.
