A STONE IN THE SWAMP

I expected some reaction to my post on the crisis of Travel Photography, but I was surprised by the quantity of mails and feedback I received. I did some clarification with another post, but I have obviously thrown a heavy stone in the pond, or should I call it the swamp, given the situation.
Fellow photographers posted some comments on their blogs (Bob Krist and Tewfic el-Sawy among others, thanks again!) and media groups started discussions on the matter.
I feel like further clarification is appropriate. 


I don't think photography as communication media is becoming obsolete: quite the contrary. The consumption of images is larger and larger every day. Unfortunately is also faster and more superficial. It is in fact a consumption, not an appreciation. This is due to the nature of the new media, to the cultural web-scene, to the modern lifestyle, to the mass-ignorance promoted to the new global society. Whatever the fault the results are clear: no publishing space for quality content, no money into quality productions. Yes, there is a small portion of humanity still interested and concerned, and this should be the target of whoever is interested in quality over profit, but we need new, modern media to show them our work.


If we don't stop thinking of photography as we have done in the past half century we are condemned to extinction. The profession of the reporter, half journalist half artist, has been obliterated by television, video, web: in general the visual language has developed fast while the photographers were producing the same kind of images they had for decades. Everybody is a photographer in the literal sense of the word, if you have a cellphone in your pocket. We need to go further, much further. Actualized content, language, style and technique are all essential components of the visual culture to come.


Knowledge, creativity, professional skill are our strength. We need to put them into productions that will compete in the globalized world. Once people see something good, not the stereotyped publication or product, the appreciate and choose it. Not many, but enough to support a quality niche that can preserve a decent level of knowledge.


In conclusion, my requiem for Travel Photography (I stand by it) is a requiem for the photography of the past decades: it was worth, it was good, often honest and appropriate, occasionally even of great quality. But now is gone.
It's time to look forward, become creative and inventive again. Our cameras are more powerful, faster, they see in the dark. Our computers are giving us ten times the freedom we had in the darkroom. We can easily access the whole world, talk among us and foreign people, discuss topics. The interactive showing space and communication are limitless. Isn't it time for our mind to follow up?